Holy Cross' Christian Emmerich tops medalist and brother before falling in MassAm quarterfinal
CONCORD — Six golfers with local ties entered Wednesday's round-of-32 matches at the 114th Massachusetts Amateur Championship, but just one emerged as a quarterfinalist by the end of the day at Concord Country Club.
Christian Emmerich, who just completed his junior year at Holy Cross, was the final seed to qualify from the 36-hole stroke play, yet he was among the final eight after a most improbable Wednesday.
But in a Thursday morning quarterfinal, the 21-year-old Emmerich lost to ninth-seeded Conner Willett of Charles River CC, 2 up. Willett, 19, and 16-year-old Ryan Downes (GreatHorse) won their afternoon semifinals and are playing in Friday's 36-hole championship.
On Wednesday, Emmerich first toppled the top seed, then surged late to beat his talented younger brother, 1 up. In the morning, Emmerich advanced to the round of 16 by upsetting stroke-play medalist Arthur Zelmati of George Wright GC, 5 and 4.
After lunch, Emmerich, who placed fifth at the Patriot League championship in the spring faced younger brother Aidan, the 16th seed who is headed to Michigan State in the fall. The brothers, Swampscott residents playing out of Kernwood CC, engaged in a close match throughout, with Aidan rallying to pull even from 2 down on the back nine.
The match stayed even for the next four holes until Christian Emmerich. who last week qualified for the U.S. Amateur championship, birdied the par-5 17th to Aidan's par, and both parred 18.
Oak Hill's Ethan Whitney and Worcester Country Club's Ricky Stimets each lost in afternoon play after winning morning matches.
Whitney fell short to Willett, 3 and 2, after topping Jacob Finard (Pine Brook CC), 5 and 4. Whitney tied for eighth in the 36-hole stroke play earlier this week by carding 71-73 for 4-over 144.
Stimets lost to Tommy Parker (George Wright GC) , 2 and 1, after defeating former MassAm champion Matt Parziale (Thorny Lea) in 19 holes in a morning match. Stimets tied for fourth in stroke play at 73-70–143.
Also in the round of 32, Worcester CC's Brandon Parker lost to George Wright's Tommy Parker in 19 holes, Oak Hill's Raymond Dennehy fell to Billy Argus (Wollaston GC), 3 and 2, and Marlborough CC's Jack Tobin lost to Matthew Naumec (GreatHorse), 5 and 4.
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Holy Cross' Christian Emmerich tops medalist and brother to advance to MassAm quarterfinals
