Anytime Jake Mielcarz steps up to the tee box, regardless of the event, there’s a certain level of pressure to perform. His last name is synonymous with golf lore in the Granite State.
Jake’s first cousin once removed is Bob Mielcarz – a nine-time State Amateur champion, the only player in history to win the event in four different decades and a member of the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame’s inaugural class.
Living up the name is a near impossible task, but that wasn’t going to stop Jake from trying as he played in the Championship Flight during the final round of the New Hampshire Golf Association Boys’ Junior Championship Wednesday morning at Beaver Meadow Golf Course.
“I think there’s always a little pressure there because of the name in New Hampshire, it’s just so big in the golf world,” said Jake, who followed up rounds of 78-78 with an 89 to finish 16th overall. “Coming in with some high expectations (after the first two rounds), I kind of overthought everything and a few bogeys early kind of got me off track.”
Jake, who plays out of Concord Country Club, said Bob offered him plenty of advice heading into the tournament, but the younger Mielcarz couldn’t quite put it all together over the final 18 holes despite a birdie start.
“On the back nine I tried to turn it around. A new nine. But I guess my mental game kind of got me there. I couldn’t keep it together,” Jake said. “I try to live up to the name as much as I can, but an 89’s not doing that.”
Atkinson Resort & Country Club’s Jack Pepin used his strong start to grab an early lead at the top and maintained it throughout to grab the title in the Championship Flight. Pepin shot 1-under par 71 in the final round and finished three strokes ahead of runner-up Colin McCaigue (Amherst CC) with a three-day total of 219.
Thomas Murdough (Bald Peak CC) won the First Flight with a final round of 74, while Jason Howe (Concord CC) captured the victory in the Second Flight with a 78.
Pepin entered the day tied with Evan Rollins (Laconia CC) and Ben Dougherty (North Conway CC) at the top of the leaderboard, but quickly gained separation with birdies on the first two holes.
That gave him all the confidence he needed.
“If you start off pretty good, then you know you definitely have that in you for the rest of the round,” Pepin said. “It’s definitely a tough round, especially when you have the lead because you have to make sure you don’t make a mistake that compromises your lead. So I did that pretty well today.”
Pepin stayed ahead by two strokes before finding some breathing room with a birdie on No. 15 – a lengthy 400-yard par 4. Despite his drive bouncing into the rough, Pepin recovered by hitting a wedge shot up the hill to land within about 14 feet of the pin before draining the important putt.
By the time he walked off the 16th green, Pepin all but had his first title in the bag.
“The back nine was pretty stressful,” he said. “There were a lot of shots I hit that didn’t go right, but they weren’t so far off that I couldn’t make par.”
Mathew Gover (Atkinson CC), the overall leader after shooting a 71 in the opening round, entered Wednesday one shot back of the lead and carded a 74 to finish third. Rollins and Gunnar Senatore (Amherst CC) rounded out the top five.
Bishop Brady graduate Nick Grimbilas was 5 over after the front nine, but picked up his play with a strong back nine and shot a 78 to finish tied for 13th with a total of 234.
Grimbilas was on his home course after spending the last four years on the golf team with the Green Giants, but had also been sidelined for a good chunk of the summer with a broken arm.
“I’ve played here a billion times and I remember sophomore year playing (in the state championship) here and I shot 76-72,” Grimbilas said. “Even this past year I medaled in every match, so it was a little frustrating because I know the course.”
Still, Grimbilas was pleased with his scores overall as he shifts his focus toward the next level. He’s expected to join the golf team at Endicott College this fall.
“I’ve talked to the coach and I’ve seen their scores and I can play with them,” Grimbilas said. “If I get my arm back a little more, get my short game back a little more, I think I can be a real contributor and hopefully bring some success, not only to myself, but the team as well.”
Next up for the NHGA is the Stroke Play Championship scheduled for Aug. 6-8 at Green Meadow Golf Club in Hudson.
(Jay McAree can be reached at 369-3371, jmcaree@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @JayMcAree.)