More than a dozen area golfers made the cut to advance to match play, while a pair required a playoff hole on Wednesday morning to qualify at the 120th New Hampshire State Amateur Championship held at Manchester Country Club in Bedford.

Concord’s Joe Bowker, a former John Stark Regional High School standout who plays out of Canterbury Woods, was one of five competitors tied for the lead through the first 18 holes of stroke play on Monday with a 2-under 69. 

Bowker shot a 7-over-par in Tuesday’s second round to tie for 13th with a two-day total score of 5-over 147.

Bowker was a semifinalist last year, falling to eventual runner-up Jim Cilley, a Belmont resident and Laconia Country Club competitor.

“I made the semifinals last year, and I just want to improve on that,” Bowker said in an interview with the New Hampshire Golf Association.

Atkinson’s Mathew Gover (Atkinson Resort & Country Club) had a 2-under-par round on Monday and shot an even-par 71 on Tuesday to top the field of 156 potential qualifiers at 140 strokes to earn the No. 1 seed for match play.

Laconia’s Evan Rollins (Laconia Country Club) was also part of Monday’s five-way tie for the lead, finishing in a tie for seventh at 3-over 145. 

Hopkinton’s Mark Stevens (Beaver Meadow) shot consistently with a 1-over 72 in the first round and a 2-over 73 in the second to also be a part of the tie for seventh.

Former Bow High standout Jeremy Duhamel (Manchester Country Club) finished 12th, carding a 4-over 146.

Cilley (tied 17th, 148); Lake Sunapee CC’s Rob Henley (tied 17th, 148); Concord CC’s David Perry (tied 22nd, 149), Ryan Sylvester (tied 30th, 151), Ryan Blossom (tied 37th, 152), Matthew Burroughs (tied 42nd, 153); Laconia CC’s Ethan Emerson and David Sherborne (tied 30th, 151), Bill Rainey and AJ Correia (tied 42nd, 153); Canterbury Woods CC’s Scott Underhill (tied 37th, 152); and Cochecho CC’s Kurt Eddins (tied 37th, 152) are the other local competitors who made the cut.

Concord CC’s Bob Mielcarz and Shane St. Onge of Pembroke Pines were among the 12 golfers (all at 13-over 155) who competed in a playoff hole for the remaining eight spots in the round of 64. St. Onge advanced, but nine-time state am champ Mielcarz bowed out.

Bracket-style match play will continue throughout the week, concluding with Saturday’s 36-hole championship.

]]>