With a 10-4 record, Walpole Golf missed qualifying for the State Tournament because Catholic Memorial (300) and Oliver Ames (303) narrowly edged Walpole (304) by a single shot. Although the team score was not enough to advance them in the tournament on October 20, one standout player earned the opportunity to continue his season individually: freshman Matt Conti.
Conti scored the lowest of the Rebels with a score of 74 to ensure his advancement in the tournament.
“I felt awesome but nervous for the next round because I’d be all alone,” said Conti.
Conti represented the Rebels at Glen Ellen Country Club in Millis on Thursday, October 27. Although Conti made it further than any other Walpole player, he shot a score 83 — 11 over par at Glen Ellen.
“[Conti] was nervous at the beginning of the year,” said senior Captain Jack Donnelly, “but then came on as a very strong sixth player.”
Donnelly added, “Even though [Conti] is a freshman, he’s a great player and will continue to be an asset for Walpole golf as he gets older.”
However, Conti was not the only one who achieved success this year. The senior captains — Donnelly, Mike Mazzotta, and Andrew Abbott — attended the Bay State All-Star Tournament where they came in second overall.
Also, earlier in the season, one of the Rebels’ nest matches was against Braintree when Walpole was losing by one with only one group to go. But Mazzotta and freshman Bryan Kraus rallied for the team, shooting 34 and 37, respectively. With the outstanding play from the final group, the Rebels won the match by nine.
“The underclassmen’s consistent ability to get low scores really proved to be a valuable asset for our team this season,” said Mazzotta, “and it will also lead them to success in the upcoming years.”