GREENLAND – Seldom does anyone win a big tournament without facing adversity at some point along the way.
Nick McLaughlin overcame what could have been a disastrous three-shot swing late in Sunday’s third round at Breakfast Hill Golf Club to win a three-way playoff and capture his third Seacoast Amateur Golf Championship.
The New Castle native and member of Wentworth by the Sea Country Club also won in 2014 and 2019. In the playoff, McLaughlin defeated Harvin Groft, the first-round leader, and Jabe Felch who had never made the cut in the Seacoast Am until this year but found himself in Sunday’s final group.
“Whatever the tournament is, it’s always hard to win,” McLaughlin said. “So it’s always rewarding when you get it done.”
McLaughlin had to sink a testy 5-foot putt on the 18th-and-final green of regulation to get in the playoff and celebrated with a fist pump. He parred the first playoff hole, also No. 18, while Groft and Felch each had a bogey.
“Fortunately, probably my best swing of the entire tournament was that tee shot in the playoff,” McLaughlin said. “Just a 10 out of 10. Especially with Jabe left and Harvin right, that kind of opened it up for me.”
After shooting a 78 on Friday at Portsmouth Country Club, McLaughlin fired a 3-under 68 on Saturday at Pease Golf Course to surge into the lead after two rounds and a 4-over 74 on Sunday.
Following an uncharacteristic 7-over 79 at Pease on Saturday, Groft bounced back with a 1-under 70 on a hot and humid Sunday, the low round of the day. The performances of Groft and Felch went a long way toward The Oaks Golf Links in Somersworth claiming its first team title. Alec Hurd of The Oaks tied for 16th.
McLaughlin, Groft and Felch each had a 54-hole total of 220.
“(Felch) had a few shaky shots on the front nine but got up and down to save it,” McLaughlin said. “On the back nine I don’t think he really missed a shot. He was hitting it great. He was putting well. He was playing well. It was impressive to watch.”
Groft started the third round just four strokes off the lead but of greater importance he had eight players ahead of him. He managed to catch and pass all of them except McLaughlin and Felch.
“I give all the credit to my caddie (Ty Mantos),” said Groft, who did not have a caddie for the first two rounds. “He was in my ear. He was giving me good mental thoughts on every shot. He wanted me to stay committed and keep my hands closed. He was just helping me process a lot of stuff mentally, so I didn’t have to process it all myself.”
Kory Ferullo and Josh Trivilino tied for fourth at 223. Defending champ Jamie Ferullo was sixth at 224 and former champ Will Delano finished seventh at 225. Brett Wilson, who has won five Seacoast Am titles, Jared Lamothe and Peter Lown tied for eighth at 226 to round out the top 10.
McLaughlin appeared to be in good shape with a two-shot lead and four holes left when circumstances suddenly went awry. He had a double bogey on 15 and Felch birdied the same hole. In the blink of an eye, it seemed McLaughlin went from a two-shot lead to a one-shot deficit.
“That was not the best hole,” said McLaughlin, who lives in Amesbury, Mass., and teaches seventh- and eighth-grade social studies at St. John’s Prep. “You’ve got to reset a little bit after a poor one, but the good news is I’ve had enough good ones earlier in the day that I could kind of draw on those.”
Felch bogeyed 18 which opened the door for McLaughlin. Groft played the final seven holes in 2-under to join the playoff.
“It just helps to have someone next to you who really believes in what you can do,” Groft said. “This morning I didn’t even want to get up and play golf. It was pretty good after (Saturday) where I was mentally. (Saturday) was a mental debacle.”
