Sister guides Aikens to final vs. Prodigh
MASS AMATEUR
Herbie Aikens’ choice of headwear during yesterday’s quarterfinal and semifinal matches in the 110th Massachusetts Amateur at George Wright was not your typical golf attire.
It was a trucker hat for the rock band 311. The band and their shows was something that brought Aikens, his sister Lauren and brother Brendan together no matter what was going on in their lives.
“That was the one time we all got together, made sure we went to concerts, we always got along and it was always special to us,” said Aikens, who defeated Tommy Parker 1 up in the morning before rallying past co-medalist Andrew O’Leary 1 up to reach this morning’s 36-hole final against Patrick Frodigh. “That band and that number have always stuck out, and it’s amazing how much it shows up in my life now. I see it in certain places and it kind of happens at special times.”
He wears the hat in memory of Lauren, who died in 2015, at the age of 26.
Aikens, who has been a high-level amateur player for more than a decade, had the love of the game ripped from him. He said only this year has it started to return.
“Last year I tried to talk myself into it, but I still didn’t have the passion. When I had the opportunity, I’m just not going to practice. I want to win and want to do well, but you’re just not ready,” he said. “You have to be prepared and want to grind and face adversity and enjoy that, and it’s hard to do when you’re depressed.”
Aikens said he felt his sister’s presence during his win, helping him overcome a front nine that left him 3 down to O’Leary.
“It was nice to have her with me (yesterday), I felt like she was with me helping me grind through,” Aikens said.
Aikens, who had never gotten beyond the round of 16, won his first hole of the day with a par at the 10th and then captured No. 12 with a birdie to pull within one of the Notre Damebound O’Leary.
Aikens then evened the match with a birdie at the par-5 15th, reaching in 2 with a 3-iron and sinking a 5-footer after O’Leary had saved par from about 30 feet.
With the momentum clearly on Aikens’ side, O’Leary flew the green at 16 but managed to salvage a 5 with his provisional ball. However, Aikens made par to take the lead.
“Obviously I’m a little disappointed right now, but I’m going to look back at this as one of the better weeks of my golf career,” said O’Leary, who defeated Sean Fitzpatrick in the morning 3 and 2.
Aikens missed a short putt to close out the match at the 17th, but matched O’Leary’s par at the last to advance.
Frodigh came through the top half of the draw by knocking off defending champion Matt Parziale 3 and 2 in the quarters and Alex Jamieson 2 and 1 in the semifinals.
“It gives me a lot of confidence, it was a big win,” Frodigh said about knocking off Parziale. “I was absolutely exhausted after. He just doesn’t miss many shots and if you screw up here or there or miss a green or something he takes advantage of it right away.”
Frodigh, who just completed his eligibility at Elon, had a 4-up lead at the turn. Parziale won the 10th and 13th holes, but Frodigh closed it out with a par at the 16th.
Frodigh never trailed in the afternoon, taking a 2 up lead onto the back nine by winning the eighth with a par and the ninth with a birdie. He closed out Jamieson with a par at the par-3 17th.