Jim Cilley had been here before, but even making it to the semifinals of the 119th New Hampshire State Amateur Golf Championship seemed like a long shot after the first day.
Cilley – the No. 48 seed in the 64-golfer match play field – fell in the semifinals of last year’s tournament, but Cilley’s improbable 2022 run continued on Friday, topping a pair of Concord residents, No. 5 Joe Bowker (Pembroke Pines) and No. 8 Mark Stevens (Beaver Meadow) in the quarterfinals and semifinals at Abenaqui Country Club in Rye Beach.
He will now play for the title of state amatuer champion, a crown he won back in 2011.
Cilley – a Belmont resident – had a slow start in the tournament, shooting a 9-over-par 81 on Monday, but did better in round two on Tuesday, carding a 74 to earn the No. 48 seed for match play.
“I set up (the week) with a smooth 81 and lived in fear of missing the cut on the first day. I didn’t hit it bad, but I was struggling with the drive,” Cilley said.
“After the first day, I didn’t think I would be here, but I kind of figured it out,” he added in a New Hampshire Golf Association interview. “I’m finally starting to figure out the greens.”
In the Wednesday’s round of 64, he narrowly beat No. 17 Valentino Cheek (Pease Golf Club), 3 and 1. He needed all 18 holes to defeat No. 33 Will Ducharme (GC of New England), 1 up, in Thursday’s round of 16, but he hasn’t simply snuck through – he’s picked up some decisive victories.
Cilley defeated No. 16 Jon Dyer (Nashua CC) in the round of 32, 5 and 4, Stevens (the 2008 champion) in the Friday’s quarterfinals, 6 and 4, and Bowker in the semifinals, 5 and 4.
Bowker defeated No. 29 Brett Wilson (GC of New England), 1 up, in the quarterfinals before encountering his end.
Cilley missed the fairway a few times in the first round but borrowed his uncle’s driver, and since Monday, he has only missed the fairway a couple of times. But it’s been his putting that has put Cilley over the top this week.
He won the first three holes in his quarterfinal match against his friend Stevens (both were members at Beaver Meadow and have played together many times), and also won the sixth, eighth and ninth holes, while Stevens won one hole in the front nine. Cilley put away the match by winning the 13th and 14th holes.
“(Mark) is about as good as it gets in the state,” Cilley said. “He missed a few putts, which is uncharacteristic.”
Cilley repeated his dominant performance in the middle third of the course in the semifinals. According to Cilley, he “was a little stiff on the first tee” and fell behind early after Bowker won the first and third holes, but Cilley went on to birdie on six of the front nine and won the sixth through 10th holes before punching his ticket to the finals on the 14th.
“I thought 8-14 would be the (most important) stretch of the tournament,” Cilley said. “I felt that being up through 14 holes would be really important.
Cilley – the owner of On Course Realty Group and the Belmont High School boys’ basketball coach – is also a veteran of the state am, a four-time New Hampshire Golf Association champion and the 2021 NHGA Stroke Play champion. But he hasn’t played in the state am final since he won the title at Nashua Country Club in 2011.
He will tee off against No. 6 Brandon Gillis (Sky Meadow) – last year’s runner-up – at 7 a.m. on Saturday in the 36-hole championship.
“I just play the golf course. For the most part, I don’t play the opponent,” Cilley. “I know he’s going to out drive me by 30 yards, but I’m hoping to turn it into a putting contest.”