PORTSMOUTH HERALD

Golf titles head back to Seacoast

Groft, Steckowych, Portsmouth CC all grab NHGA hardware

Mike Zhe mzhe@seacoastonline.com
Harvin Groft of The Oaks, shown competing during last summer's State Amateur, won his first NHGA championship, the Mid-Amateur Match Play, on Wednesday. [Mike Zhe/file photo]

For Harvin Groft, it was his first N.H. Golf Association title.

For Craig Steckowych, it was merely his first of the week.

The NHGA season kicked off with three championships this week, with all the hardware coming back to the Seacoast. The Mid-Amateur Match Play and Senior Match Play were held concurrently at Windham CC, with Groft (Mid-Am) and Steckowych (Senior) closing out their titles on Wednesday.

“It’s nice to have some success because I’m driving down to Pine Hills (Thursday) for U.S. Open local qualifying, so it’s nice to build a little bit of momentum,” said Groft, who plays out of The Oaks in Somersworth.

After surviving a tight semifinal match, a 1-up win against Matt Walsh, Groft took an early lead against Josh Chamberlain in the final, making a couple birdies early. He finished off the match on the 13th hole, winning 7-and-5.

The semifinal against Walsh was the only time Groft, who qualified as the No. 2 seed, got tested all week. His first two match wins came by scores of 7-and-5 and 8-and-7.

“I kept the ball in play the whole time and so did (Walsh), which made it a good match because that’s definitely the most difficult part of this golf course,” said Groft. “Playing off the tee really challenges you and if you don’t hit it straight it’s hard to get it back in play.”

Steckowych, a Portsmouth CC member, won the Senior Match Play for the second year in a row.

After earning the No. 1 seed in qualifying, he eventually defeated clubmate Tony Fournier in the semifinals, 4-and-3, and then Bob Landry in the final, 4-and-2.

“I probably played better (Tuesday) than I played today,” he said. “I made a few more mistakes today but overall I was fairly consistent and good enough to win.”

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Sagamore Golf Center teaching pro Laura Shanahan-Rowe will tee off Thursday morning (8:47 a.m.) in the opening round of the U.S. Senior Women’s Open in Southern Pines, N.C.

Shanahan-Rowe made it comfortably through sectional qualifying in Mattapoisett, Mass., last month, and will be part of a field of 120 players that includes some of the sports biggest stars, like Juli Inkster, Hollis Stacy and defending champion Laura Davies.

“I just want to play well,” said Shanahan-Rowe, a 58-year-old Hampton resident who barely missed the cut at last year’s Senior Open. “Every round is different. I really do think it will come down to putts; whoever makes the most putts will be in great shape.”

The field will be cut to the low 50 players and ties after Friday’s second round. The final two rounds of the event, on Saturday and Sunday, will air on FS1.

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Steckowych pocketed another NHGA title three days later, teaming with Portsmouth CC mates Peter Keilty, Eric Evans and Chris Pollet to win the Club Team Championship at Hanover CC.

The Portsmouth CC team finished its two-best-ball round at 3-under, for a team total of 137 that was good enough to win by three strokes over teams from Nashua CC and Derryfield CC.

Steckowych shot a 73 on his own ball. Evans, last year’s Seacoast Amateur champion, also stood out, contributing five birdies toward their score.

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Three local golfers took their shots at U.S. Open local qualifying on Thursday in Plymouth, Mass., but none made the cut.

Groft, fresh off his Mid-Amateur Match Play title, came the closest, shooting 2-over par 74 at Pinehills GC. With only the top five players out of 84 advancing to sectional qualifying, the five players that shot even-par 72 earned the honor.

Groft opened his round with eight straight pars, a birdie, and then four more pars, but bogeyed three of his last five holes to fall back.

Wentworth By The Sea CC pro Rico Riciputi shot 80 and amateur Jamie Wilkinson of Dover was further back at 86.