Taconic's Murphy Wins Berkshire Classic
PITTSFIELD, Mass. -- Taconic's Nate Murphy was 4-over-par through seven holes at Sunday's Berkshire Classic.
He gained two strokes against par over the next 12 holes to claim the title.
"My bad hole on the day was 6," Murphy said after carding a round of 2-over 74 at Berkshire Hills Country Club. "I made a double bogey. I walked out of there with the worst score I could and walked out of there and made eagle on 8."
Murphy's eagle on the par-4 left him 2-over at the turn, and that is where he stayed to hold off a pack of Lenox Millionaires to win the county's individual championship.
"It was about 310 to hit the front of the green," Murphy said of the eighth hole. I was about 15, 20 yards short. I hit a nice little bump and run. It bumped twice and went right in.
"That gave me a lot of momentum. It gave me a lot of confidence. Big confidence builder."
Murphy finished two strokes ahead of runner-up Devan Patel of Lenox.
Patel was the tip of a very long spear for the Millionaires, who took the next five positions among the 21 golfers who competed in the event.
Most years, the mid-October Classic is limited to three players from each of the Berkshire County League schools. Coming out of the pandemic and a year when the event was not held, organizers altered the entry list and allowed the league's coaches to enter anyone who they thought would be competitive.
That allowed Lenox, which has been dominating the dual meet circuit this fall, to show exactly why it has.
Following on the heels of Patel were teammates Ben Haddad, Cliff Flynn, Max Shepardson and Max DiGrigoli.
The first finisher not from Taconic or Lenox was Mount Greylock's Owen Petropulos in seventh at 82. Wahconah's Pat McLauglin carded an 83 to place eighth.
Like Murphy, Patel had a hiccup on the sixth hole, a 347-yard par-4.
"I had a like 40 feet for birdie, and I putted off the green for bogey," Patel said. "From then on, I knew I had to turn it around.
"Seven I bogeyed, but eight I birdied, nine I parred, 10 I birdied. After that, I knew I was going to play well."
Patel's resurgence began on No. 8, the same hole Murphy eagled to jump start his round.
"I was like 20 yards short of the green, and I chipped on and made the putt," Patel said.
That was not Lenox's best chip of the day. That honor probably goes to Haddad, who thrilled a modest gallery of onlookers following the first and second groups with a 77-yard chip in for eagle on the 340-yard, par-4 16th hole.
"I had a 60 degree wedge, like three quarters," Haddad said. "It felt good. A couple of holes before, I hit the same club, and I really wasn't getting through the ball. So, I told myself: Just get through it, put a good shot on it. And it left the club and looked really good.
"I was hoping to make a birdie, and it just kept going and then dropped. I was stoked about it."
While Haddad saw lots of friendly faces as he made his way around Berkshire Hills, Murphy was the only player representing Taconic on its home course. He said afterward that local knowledge was a help.
"I feel like I know the whole course better than anyone, including the greens," Murphy said. "The 15th hole, I had 200 yards in, hit it on the green, I had about a 40-footer, double breaker uphill. I knew exactly what it was going to do.
"I put it to about 6 inches and tapped it in."
74 Nate Murphy, Taconic
76, Devan Patel, Lenox
77, Ben Haddad, Lenox
78, Cliff Flynn, Lenox
80, Max Shepardson, Lenox
81, Max DiGrigoli, Lenox
82, Owen Petropulos, Mount Greylock
83, Pat McLaughlin, Wahconah
84, Alexander Axt, Mount Greylock
85, Ben Dingman, Mount Greylock
86, Tim Kaley, Wahconah
87, Ian Cappiello, Hoosac Valley
90, Noah Kirby, Lenox; Thomas Art, Mount Greylock
91, Cayden Conry, Mount Greylock
94, Brady Breitmaier, Wahconah; Cameron Turner, Mount Greylock
96, Sam McLaughlin, Wahconah
105, Nick Salinetti, Wahconah
108, Carter Drake, Wahconah
110, Gregory Kay, Mount Everett