MARC J. WRZESINSKI — EAGLE CORRESPONDENT. May 29, 2026
ATHOL — The Lenox High golf team had two players competing in this week's MIAA Girls Golf State Championship qualifier, and Mia Freeman punched her ticket.
Freeman shot an 88, placing her 12th and qualifying her for the championship tournament set for Monday at Indian Pond Country Club in Kingston.
The qualifier was won by Concord-Carlisle's Sophie Redmond at 2-under 69. The Western Mass. lead was Cecily Henshon of Longmeadow in third at 3-over 74.
Freeman finished tied for 12th with Ryley McMahon of South Hadley at 17-over 88. She carded a round with six pars, including holes 16, 17 and 18.
Lenox teammate Katie Shove, a member of the Millionaires' state tournament tennis team, shot a 106. She finished tied for 42nd and had three pars on the day.
Mass Open Qualifier
PITTSFIELD — The 116th Massachusetts Open Championship is slated for June 9-11 at Oyster Harbors Club on Cape Cod, and 14 golfers used the course at the Country Club of Pittsfield last weekend to qualify.
That group includes local Josh Shepard, who shot a 1-under 70 on his home course to finish in a seven-way tie for eighth place. The top 11 and ties qualified.
Chris Wiatr of Juno Beach, Florida was the winner with a 6-under 65.
Shepard, third among amateur players, had a very consistent day, logging two birdies against one bogey. He dropped to 1-under with a birdie on the par-4 sixth hole and stayed there until dropping back even with a bogey on the 12th. A birdie 4 on the 510-yard par-5 16th hole gave him back his 1-under qualifying score.
Wiatr birdied the first three holes and played bogey-free with six birdies.
Stockbridge Classic
STOCKBRIDGE — The 2026 Stockbridge Classic was won by James Patterson on May 15 with a 1-under 70 score.
Patterson, playing out of the Links at MassGolf, won by three strokes over Wyantenuck's Mike Schopp and Kevin Bagge of Keney Park, who tied for second at 2-over 73. Josh Shepard of Country Club of Pittsfield sat at 3-over with Ludlow's Kevin St. Laurent.
Patterson was 3-over through two holes, but event out with three birdies before the turn. He finished with six birdies on the day, including holes 16 and 17.
It was a crowded leaderboard in sixth place, as Jeff Puleri, Aaron Nackoul, Patrick McLaughlin and Samuel Doucette all finished at 4-over 75.
Local Calendar
Next up on the Berkshire County golf calendar is the Stockbridge Trophy, scheduled for June 6-7 at Stockbridge Golf Club.
The 2025 Stockbridge Trophy was won by Jeff Puleri and Steve Sykes
June 16 brings a Women's Allied 2-Ball also at Stockbridge Golf Club.