Thresher’s win twice as nice
FALMOUTH — Jason Thresher already has plenty of playoff experience in his brief professional golf career, including winning last year’s Massachusetts Open.
He had no interest yesterday in getting another taste of extra golf.
Thresher made three birdies on the back nine to separate himself down the stretch with a final-round 69 to defend his title by 2 strokes in the 108th edition at TGC at Sacconnesset. Thresher finished at 7-under 209 and is the first player to repeat since Geoff Sisk in 2006-07.
“It was a good feeling in the fairway on 18 with a 2-shot lead,” said Thresher, who won $15,000 for his efforts. “Much different feeling (than winning in the playoff).”
Over the first two days, Thresher played the first five holes in 7-under and held on over the remainder of the course. Yesterday, he only gained 1 shot over that stretched and played bogeyfree on the back nine for the first time.
“It wasn’t as windy on the back today as it was yesterday, but I guess knowing it’s the last nine holes of the tournament you have to bear down and get to it,” Thresher said.
The champion knew he would need a few birdies to give himself a chance. After he missed out on a series of birdie opportunities on the front side, for the first time this week they started to drop on the back side, beginning with one on the par-5 11th that pulled him even with Josh Salah. Thresher then grabbed the lead for good on the short par-4s at Nos. 14 and 15.
Salah, a Gloucester native now living in Bangkok and playing on the Asian Development Tour, and Chris Houston, who recently turned pro after a collegiate career at Penn State and Rhode Island, tied for second at 5-under.
Salah shot 67 to close out his first tournament stateside in three years. He opened with three straight birdies and briefly had the outright lead following a chip-in from about 25 feet at No. 16. He narrowly missed bids to get to 6-under at both 17 and 18.
“This golf course, if you don’t hit it in the fairways you can’t make birdies and I was able to avoid that today,” asid Salah, who picked up a win in January 2016 in Malaysia. “I drove it really, really good today and was able to make some putts.”
John Clare started his day 9 shots off the lead and in 43rd place but was the leader in the clubhouse for much of the day after a course-record 64 that included 11 birdies. He wound up in fourth place at 3-under.
Billy Walthouse of Longmeadow and 15-year-old Michael Thorbjornsen of Wellesley shared the Commonwealth Cup honors for low amateur as part of a fiveway tie for fifth at 2-under. Walthouse grabbed his share with an eagle on the last hole from about 75 yards.
Robin Byrd, who shared the 36-hole lead with Thresher, was among the group to finish at 2-under after a 74, having his round derailed by a triple-bogey 7 at No. 6. Chelso Barrett and Eric Barlow also finished at 2-under.
Thresher will try to become the first player to win three straight Mass. Opens since Dana Quigley in 198284 next year at GreatHorse in Hampden. If the champ is not back, chances are it means he is on the Web.com Tour, which he intends to attempt to qualify for this fall.