WEST BOYLSTON — All Nick Maccario wanted was a chance.
So when he found his opportunity in the final few holes of the Worcester County Amateur Sunday afternoon, Maccario didn’t let it slip away.
Trailing defending champion Weston Jones by three strokes with just three holes to play at Wachusett Country Club, Maccario made a trio of birdies to force a sudden death playoff with Jones.
Then, with a par from Maccario on the first playoff hole, and Jones making bogey, Maccario claimed the Worcester County Amateur title in his second year of playing in the event.
“It’s hard to get wins out here, and I don’t play that much being a guy with a full-time job and everything else,” said Maccario, who carded a 68 and 69 to win with a gross score of 137. “So to be able to come out and play and win is awesome.”
Thrilling final round at Wachusett Country Club
Weston Jones opened the second round of the Worcester County Amateur (the two-day event was held at Kettle Brook Golf Club Saturday and then Wachusett CC Sunday) trailing leader Nick Maccario by one stroke.
Facing the same deficit on the fourth tee box, Jones, who was playing in a threesome with Maccario and Sean Magarian, hit a 9-iron on the par-3 fourth hole.
Jones’ shot proceeded to hit the flag, bounce past the pin and spun back into the cup for an ace. His third hole-in-one of his career.
“That was crazy,” said Jones, who is 20 and a member at Charter Oak Country Club. “My dad was right there; he got a good view of it. That was cool. It was awesome. I was more nervous on the next tee shot (on the fifth hole) than when I was on 18.”
From there, Jones made bogey on the next hole before sharing the lead with Maccario until the latter made bogey on the 13th hole and a double bogey on the 14th, where Jones took a three-shot advantage with four holes to play.
“That’s all I could’ve asked for,” Jones said.
Both players birdied the short par-5 15th before Maccario carded two more birdies on 16 and 17, and Jones parred both, to set up a dramatic final hole.
With Jones narrowly missing his lengthy birdie putt on the par-3 18th, Maccario sunk a deep birdie attempt to force a playoff.
And once the GreatHorse Golf Club member and Waltham resident cracked the door open, Maccario slammed it shut with a two-putt par on the first playoff hole before the rain came down in West Boylston.
“To get a win here, I like this golf course, it’s my second year playing it, there’s obviously some great competition and (Jones) is really good,” said Maccario, who finished 7-under along with Jones. “So to be able to track him down gives me some confidence.”
“To be able to watch that was so much fun,” Magarian said. “That was special from Nick. That putt on 18 was unbelievable and Weston played great the entire day, he did everything he had to do and just to have that come down to the final hole in golf is what you dream about.”
How the local golfers fared at Worcester County Amateur
Playing in a group two holes ahead of Jones, Maccario and Magarian on Sunday were Ray Dennehy and Ethan Whitney.
The two friends, who grew up playing together at Oak Hill Country Club and were teammates on the St. John’s golf team, both fared well in the final round.
Dennehy, a UConn rising senior, carded a 1-under par 71 to finish in third-place overall with a total gross score of 142, five strokes behind Jones and Maccario. Whitney, a rising senior at Temple University, shot even-par to finish tied for fourth at 143.
Despite neither local golfer winning the Worcester County Amateur title this year, the experience was well worth it.
“That was a blast, we had a good time,” Dennehy said. “At the end of the day it’s just golf and we know we’ll play in another tournament in the future so it was a lot of fun. We put a good fight together and we just came up a little short.”
“It’s a lot of fun,” said Whitney, who has finished runner-up in the event three times. “I mean, the Marrone family does a great job putting this tournament together and I love coming out here and every year the field has gotten better and better since I started competing.”
Other top local golfers competing this weekend were Lucas Levasseur (Hopedale, tied for 20th), Matthew Quinn (Holden, tied for 15th) and Magarian (West Boylston, tied for fourth).
Magarian, the 2022 champ who attended West Boylston Middle/High School, carded a 1-over par 73 on Sunday to tie with Jake Bauer and Whitney.
“Every year we circle our calendar for this event,” said Magarian, who played golf at Assumption University and will play at University of Rhode Island this fall. “It’s special. ... Coming back here and playing the local event like this where a lot of good players are playing, it’s kind of a full-circle moment for me.”
—Contact Tommy Cassell at tcassell@telegram.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @tommycassell44.
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