Groft Holds Steady in Final Round to Capture His First NH Mid-Amateur Title
Litchfield, NH – Starting the round with a six-stroke lead, Harvin Groft knew he just needed to play his game, and he would be able to lock up his first New Hampshire Mid-Amateur title. He did just that – shot a final round two-under par, 69 at Passaconaway Country Club to capture his second NHGA win of the season, defeating his next opponent by a margin of eight shots. After his course record tying second round, Paul Torri came back with an even-par final round to secure a second-place finish among some strong competitors.
Groft’s final round was much like his first two round of the competition, steady and consistent. He made the up and downs where he needed them and rolled in some key birdie putts to maintain his lead. His final round front nine consisted of four birdies and just two bogeys to make the turn at two-under par. Heading to the more difficult side of the golf course, Groft’s game just got even more consistent as he had one birdie and one bogey to finish the back nine at even-par with a final round 69 (-2).
Reflecting back on this tournament and his recent play, Groft credits some of his success to his coach Scott Hacker who has helped him analyze his swing and dial it in a bit. He said, “It helped me gain a lot of perspective on what was causing my misses, so I knew that swing path was a big thing.”
Another shift Groft has made recently was in his equipment, he switched his putter from one that he had been using since he was in college. He found much success with his putter, he stated, “It feels super stable and good. I don’t think I missed anything inside six feet this week.”
Talking about his mental game, Groft continued to find his calm by imagining he was playing with his usual group from The Oaks. He commented, “There were a couple times that I was trying to imagine that I was at home on a hole at The Oaks.”
“I think that helped me to swing confidently”, continued Groft. “I have this mantra that says, ‘a timid swing has no chance, but a confident swing at least has a chance’ so I gave myself a chance a lot.”
With this win, Groft proudly adds his name to New Hampshire Mid-Amateur history. Not only that, but this is Groft’s second New Hampshire championship win within the last month as he just captured the New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Match Play title last month. He said, “It feels good. It feels good to play consistently.”
Another player leaving with a smile on their face and confidence in their game is Paul Torri who finished the tournament in second place after tying the course record in the second round and following it up with an even-par final round. Torri held his own against some of the strongest competitors in the State, including Rob Henley, Pat Pelletier and Jim Cilley. When the leaderboard behind Groft continued to shift throughout the entire final round, Torri remained steady in second place with important birdies and pars along the way.
Jim Cilley, Pat Pelletier, and Rob Henley all finished at three-over par for the tournament in a tie for third place in the tournament. All three are strong competitors in the state and battled it out in the final round to attempt to the climb the leaderboard.
The New Hampshire Golf Association would like to extend a thank you to Passaconaway Country Club for hosting the New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Championship. The course was in great shape and was a challenging, yet fair test for all competitors.
NH Mid-Amateur | Results
Groft’s final round was much like his first two round of the competition, steady and consistent. He made the up and downs where he needed them and rolled in some key birdie putts to maintain his lead. His final round front nine consisted of four birdies and just two bogeys to make the turn at two-under par. Heading to the more difficult side of the golf course, Groft’s game just got even more consistent as he had one birdie and one bogey to finish the back nine at even-par with a final round 69 (-2).
Reflecting back on this tournament and his recent play, Groft credits some of his success to his coach Scott Hacker who has helped him analyze his swing and dial it in a bit. He said, “It helped me gain a lot of perspective on what was causing my misses, so I knew that swing path was a big thing.”
Another shift Groft has made recently was in his equipment, he switched his putter from one that he had been using since he was in college. He found much success with his putter, he stated, “It feels super stable and good. I don’t think I missed anything inside six feet this week.”
Talking about his mental game, Groft continued to find his calm by imagining he was playing with his usual group from The Oaks. He commented, “There were a couple times that I was trying to imagine that I was at home on a hole at The Oaks.”
“I think that helped me to swing confidently”, continued Groft. “I have this mantra that says, ‘a timid swing has no chance, but a confident swing at least has a chance’ so I gave myself a chance a lot.”
With this win, Groft proudly adds his name to New Hampshire Mid-Amateur history. Not only that, but this is Groft’s second New Hampshire championship win within the last month as he just captured the New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Match Play title last month. He said, “It feels good. It feels good to play consistently.”
Another player leaving with a smile on their face and confidence in their game is Paul Torri who finished the tournament in second place after tying the course record in the second round and following it up with an even-par final round. Torri held his own against some of the strongest competitors in the State, including Rob Henley, Pat Pelletier and Jim Cilley. When the leaderboard behind Groft continued to shift throughout the entire final round, Torri remained steady in second place with important birdies and pars along the way.
Jim Cilley, Pat Pelletier, and Rob Henley all finished at three-over par for the tournament in a tie for third place in the tournament. All three are strong competitors in the state and battled it out in the final round to attempt to the climb the leaderboard.
The New Hampshire Golf Association would like to extend a thank you to Passaconaway Country Club for hosting the New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Championship. The course was in great shape and was a challenging, yet fair test for all competitors.
NH Mid-Amateur | Results