Kyle Tibbetts has looked forward to playing the Massachusetts Amateur on his home course of Framingham Country Club for a long time.
“It’s been circled on my calendar for years now, ever since they announced it,” the 2006 St. John’s High graduate said. “It’s amazing.”
Tibbetts, 36, grew up in Milford and lives in South Boston. He has belonged to Framingham since 2015, and he also was a junior member from 1998-2008. He won the club championship in 2008, and the last two times he has played in it, 2020 and 2022. He has carded holes-in-one on the eighth and 11th holes. He also has shot 8-under 64 a few times at his home course, three shots off Jon Curran’s course record.
“I pretty much spent my entire life up there,” he said.
Tibbetts didn’t play in the club championship last year because his wife, Jackie, gave birth to their first child, Callum, during the event.
Callum will turn a year old on July 27. That will be during the club championship, but Tibbetts plans to play in it.
Tibbetts reached the round of 16 in the Mass. Amateur in 2020 and 2021, but he didn’t advance to match play last year.
Tibbetts didn’t play in any Mass Golf events after the Mass. Amateur last year because of the birth of his son, so he wasn’t exempt into the event this year. He applied for and was granted a special exemption into the field this year based on his golf résumé.
Tibbetts knows Framingham CC well, but he won’t be the only from the club playing in the Mass. Amateur. Matt Naumec, who reached the Mass. Amateur final last year, joined Framingham a couple of years ago, and he won the club championship last year. Naumec used to belong to GreatHorse in Hampden, and he lost in the Mass. Amateur final to GreatHorse member Ryan Downes.
Downes fell in the Mass. Amateur final the year before to Conner Willett of Charles River CC. So Naumec hopes history will repeat itself and he’ll also leap from runner-up to champion.
Framingham CC members Ray Wright and John Salamone won back-to-back Mass. Amateur titles in 1990 and 1991, but not on their home course.
Victor Galvani, Jesse Zorfas and Larry Dore III are other accomplished golfers from Framingham CC who will tee off in the Mass. Amateur. Galvani won the Walter Cosgrove Four-Ball at Green Hill Municipal GC this year with another Framingham CC member, Dave Marseglia, but Marseglia will not play in the Mass. Am.
Tibbetts described Framingham CC as a golf club that focuses more on golf than swimming or tennis.
Tibbetts won the 2018 Worcester County Amateur, paired with Nick Maccario of GreatHorse to win the Cosgrove in 2023 and was a member of a couple of Mass. teams that captured the Tri-State Matches. Maccario won the Worcester County Amateur last Sunday, beating defending champion Weston Jones in a playoff. By the way, Worcester CC will host the Tri-State Matches this year on Oct. 15 and 16.
Tibbetts and Mike Calef, winner of the 2012 and 2013 Mass. Amateurs, tied for ninth in Mass. Four-Ball in May.
As a senior, Tibbetts was the No. 2 golfer behind Taylor Fontaine on St. John’s state championship golf team. He went on to be No. 1 golfer and captain at Providence College his junior and senior years.
Asked what the keys were to playing Framingham CC, Tibbetts said he didn’t want to give all the secrets away, but he did mention that hitting less than a driver on a handful of holes to keep it in the fairway would be smart. At just under 6,700 yards, Framingham CC isn’t long, but last year’s site, Essex County Club in Manchester-by-the-Sea, was only 6,555 yards.
“Being accurate is going to be the way to score well as opposed to trying to drive it 350 yards every time,” he said.
The greens are quick, firm and undulated.
“If you’re above the pin,” he said, “you’re going to be just tapping it to try to lag it up to get your par and get out of there.”
Tibbetts’ wife and son will watch him play in the Mass. Amateur. His in-laws have flown in from Florida, and his grandfather will travel from Minnesota.
Younger golfers tend to win the Mass. Amateur. Downes became the youngest last year at age 17. Nevertheless, Tibbetts believes he can contend at age 36.
“The kids are definitely tough to deal with,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean someone who is a little older, maybe a little wiser, can’t get through stroke play and then start dishing out some wins in match play.”
He’ll do his best not to be too emotional while playing on his home course.
“I would lie if I said there wasn’t any pressure or anxiety,” Tibbetts said. “You want to play well in front of your clubmates and the staff there, the grounds crew. Everybody is rooting you on. It’s going to be fun pressure, though. I can’t wait to tee it up.”
Ideas welcome
You can suggest story ideas for this golf column by reaching me at the email listed below. Comments are also welcome.
—Contact Bill Doyle at bcdoyle15@charter.net. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @BillDoyle15.
Most Popular
Comments / 0