Hillman Claims Berkshire Classic Title
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. – Mount Greylock sophomore Jacob Hillman Sunday defended his home course.
Not Waubeeka Golf Links, where the Mounties play their high school matches.
Instead, Hillman took care of business on the other course he knows so well, Taconic Golf Club, where his dad coaches the Williams College men’s team.
Hillman carded a 3-over-par round of 74 to finish one stroke ahead of Lee’s Joey Abderhalden and capture the Berkshire Classic Championship.
Twenty-two of the county’s top high school golfers teed off on Sunday afternoon.
None of them had more insight than Hillman.
“[Course knowledge] helped me a lot,” Hillman said. “Like on 17, I was below the hole, which you have to be. You have to be below the hole on every shot here. It helped a tremendous amount.
“I play a lot with the members here and my buddies. I treat those like the Ryder Cup. I love competing with them, so it’s awesome.”
And he also has some experience playing truly competitive rounds, in the club championship, the annual Jeff Polucci Junior 4-Ball and last fall’s Western Massachusetts Division 2 Championships.
All that experience – and a level head – came into play on Sunday when Hillman triple-bogeyed the 318-yard, par-4 fourth hole to fall to 2-over with 14 holes remaining.
“I thought about all the experiences I’ve had out here,” Hillman said. “Like, I was out here last night until dark with a couple of the bag staff crew and one of my best friends who’s playing today, Will Scrluga. I was just thinking about all the golf ahead of me and knowing I can play well, and if I play to my best ability, I would do what I did today.”
After bogeying the par-4 fourth hole, Hillman got a stroke back with a birdie on the 152-yard, par-3 ninth hole. His score crept up to 4-over through 14 holes, but he finished with a birdie on the 411-yard, par-5 No. 18 to secure the title.
Matching him nearly stroke for stroke was Abderhalden, who eagled two holes – the 450-yard, par-5 first hole and the 135-yard, par-3 fifth.
“I hit a 48-degree, my wedge,” Abderhalden said of the hole-in-one. “I was kind of in between clubs. I didn’t know if I could get it there. I hit it, and I thought it was just going to be on the front of the green, like 10, 15 feet. It felt like a good shot, and then I saw it spinning toward the hole and it had a shot of going in.
“We heard people yelling from up on the green, and, sure enough, it went in.”
A stretch of three straight bogeys on the back nine kept Abderhalden from having a shot to catch Hillman, but like his playing partner (along with Wahconah’s Sam McLaughlin), the Lee ace and third-place finisher at last year’s Classic finished strong with a birdie on No. 18.
“I’m happy for the finish,” Abderhalden said. “Of course I left a couple of shots out there. The hole-in-one is kind of unlikely. I’m happy with it.
“This course is beautiful, and the conditions are great. I wasn’t driving the ball that well today. It was tough hitting into these greens. They’re firm, and they’re fast.”
The third-place finisher on Sunday was Nolan Booth of McCann Tech, a newcomer to the Classic and the only county team that does not play in the county league in the regular season.
The Hornets acquitted themselves well with Booth (79) joining teammates Landon LeClair and Gabe Thomas in the top 10.
Booth made a move at the turn with an eagle on the 458-yard, par-5 10th hole, and he was tied for the lead with six holes to play. But a couple of double bogeys in a row dropped him from contention for the title before he, too, birdied No. 18 to finish his round at 8-over.
The county’s high school teams finish up regular season match play this week before turning their attention to the Western Mass Championships – Oct. 14 at Chicopee Country Club for Division 2 and Ludlow Country Club for D1 and Oct. 15 at Agawam Country Club for Division 3.
“We feel solid,” Hillman said of the Mounties, who will compete in Chicopee on Oct. 14. “We’re ready. We know what we can do. We’re just ready to show how we play.”
Photos from this tournament to come.
74
Jacob Hillman, Mount Greylock
75
Joey Abderhalden, Lee
79
Nolan Booth, McCann Tech
80
Zach Mongeon, Hoosac Valley; Will Svrluga, Mount Greylock
81
Kessler Anello, Wahconah
82
Sam McLaughlin, Wahconah
83
Landon LeClair, McCann Tech, Logan Aitken, Wahconah
86
Gabe Thomas, McCann Tech; Jason Fields, Taconic
87
Kai Nafziger, Mount Greylock
88
Coleman Keator, Lenox
91
Edmund Pritchard, Lenox
93
Katy Shove, Lenox; Mia Freeman, Lenox; David Carlino, Lee
95
Gavin Maffuccio, Taconic
96
Charley Driscoll, Taconic; Michael Methe, Lenox
100
Noah Pinsonnault, Lenox
107
Chase George, Hoosac Valley