Another Impressive Showing for Wahconah on Home Course
DALTON, Mass. – Tim Kaley birdied two of the last three holes to earn medalist honors and lead the Wahconah golf team to a 145-168 win over Lenox at Wahconah Country Club on Wednesday.
Kaley birdied the par-5 seventh hole and par-4 eighth to finish at 34.
His closest competition for top honors came from Sam McLaughlin, the second of four Wahconah players to score 38 or better as they continued their perfect season with a seventh straight win.
Intra-squad competition has been the name of the game this season for Wahconah as it works toward a chance to defend its 2023 Western Massachusetts Division 2 Championship.
“We play a lot of games on the putting green,” Kaley said when asked about how Wahconah maintains its edge. “We have a lot of head-to-head matches in our practices, like match play. It kind of makes you just keep going lower and lower.
“We do 3-v-3s in practice and stuff. … Honestly, it doesn’t really matter what the other team shoots. We’re just trying to go out and shoot the lowest score we possibly can and keep working at it as a team to get better.”
That said, it helps to have a solid group like the Millionaires to play against on match days, Kaley said.
“They were a lot of fun to play with today, so that was good,” he said.
Five of the six Wahconah players on the course Wednesday posted at least one birdie.
McLaughlin birdied the par-4 fourth and par-4 ninth on his way to a 38. Logan Aitken (37) ended his day with a birdie on nine. Keesler Anello (38) birdied No. 4 and No. 7. And Dom Marcella, who did not factor into the team score, birdied the par-4 fifth and the seventh – a hole that gave up four birdies on the day.
Lenox’s Brady DiGrigoli had one of those birdies. He tied for team-low with Hunter Shepardson at 42.
The Millionaires’ Oliver Kirby birdied No. 8.
All six Lenox golfers finished within four strokes of one another after overcoming a rough start. None of the Millionaires made par on the first hole and four double bogeyed to start their round.
“We had some better scores out there, but some putting got us, I think,” Lenox coach Brian Shepardson said. “It’s a tough course. Hopefully, we can do better when we get them down there.
“I was really happy with Michael Methe, who shot a 43, which I think might be his best round of the year. He’s usually around a 46. My two seniors – Brady DiGrigoli started off double, triple and still managed a 42.”
Lenox will play the third of four matches this week on Thursday when it travels to Williamstown to face Mount Greylock. Wahconah makes its trip to Waubeeka Golf Links to face the Mounties on Friday.
The Millionaires get their rematch with Wahconah a week from Friday at Wyndhurst.
Wahconah (145)
Tim Kaley 34; Logan Aitken 37; Sam McLaughlin 36; Carter Drake 43; Kesler Anello 38; Dom Marcella 44.
Lenox (168)
Hunter Shepardson 42; Brady DiGrigoli 42; Oliver Kirby 46; Mia Freeman 46; Michael Methe 43; Noah Pinsonneault 45.