Plenty of local golfers in hunt as Worcester County Women's Amateur returns to Tatnuck CC

Vincenza “Vinny” Papa will try to repeat as champion at the second annual Worcester County Women’s Amateur at Tatnuck CC next Friday and Saturday.

Papa, 15, of Foster, R.I., shot 69-73 for a total of 4-under 146 last year to finish four shots ahead of runner-up Mackenzie Whitney of Westminster and Oak Hill CC in Fitchburg. Whitney will tee off again, and so will Papa’s sister, Gianna , 17, who tied for sixth last year. Morgan Macleod , who placed third last year, and Grace Farland , who placed fourth, also will return. Macleod lives in North Attleboro and will be a junior on the Merrimack golf team this fall. Farland, a Sturbridge resident and daughter of Marlboro CC pro Greg Farland , will be a senior this fall on the University of Hartford golf team.

More: 'The club members loved it': Tatnuck CC excited to again host Worcester County Women's Amateur

Others in the field include Erin O’Hara , who has won eight women’s club championships, including the last six, and the last four senior women’s club championships at Worcester CC, Brianne Spellane , 2023 women’s club champion at Tatnuck, Jaelyn DeBoise , a Springfield resident and rising junior golfer at Stonehill, and Sophie Kamil , the 2023 T&G Hometeam Girls’ Golfer of the Year as a freshman at Westborough High.

Christine Gagner and Mary Gale , both of Bedrock GC, will tee it up. Gagner placed first and Gale second in a Worcester County Women’s Golf Association event at Tatnuck CC on May 28.

As of early last week, 21 players had registered, the same as last year.

“We have what appears to be a strong field of players who have some sort of local tie,” said Bob Spellane , chair of Tatnuck’s golf committee and a member of the board of directors.

The tournament is open to any female amateur with a handicap of 12.0 or lower. The registration fee of $129 includes two rounds of medal play, a practice round, breakfast and luncheon on Friday, lunch on Saturday, a tee gift and prizes. Golfers will have tee times on Friday morning and Saturday afternoon, and they will play the nine-hole course twice each day from the red and yellow tee markers at a distance of 5,500-5,700 yards.

Entries will be accepted until 5 p.m. Monday by calling head pro P.J. Breton at (508) 757-0231

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—Contact Bill Doyle at bcdoyle15@charter.net. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @BillDoyle15.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Plenty of local golfers in hunt as Worcester County Women's Amateur returns to Tatnuck CC