Dover, NH – Rob Henley continued his impressive play at Cochecho Country Club on Tuesday, earning medalist honors and the No. 1 seed for match play after 36 holes of stroke play at the 123rd New Hampshire Amateur Championship presented by Davis & Towle Insurance. Henley followed his opening-round 65 with a 2-under-par 68 to finish at 7-under-par 133, three shots clear of 2023 New Hampshire Amateur champion Jack Pepin, who claimed the No. 2 seed at 4-under-par 136. Four players share third at 2-under-par 138: Andrew Surprenant, Ryan Zetterholm, James Pleat, and Noah Farland.
The second round presented a much different test than Monday, particularly for the afternoon wave, which battled steady rain for much of the round. Despite the wet conditions, several players continued to make a charge up the leaderboard as the race for one of 64 match play spots came down to the final holes.
Following Tuesday’s round, the field was cut to the low 64 players. However, the match play bracket will not be finalized until Wednesday morning, when 10 players who finished at 9-over-par 149 compete in a playoff for the final five spots. The playoff begins at 7:30 a.m. on Cochecho’s 7th hole, with the Round of 64 scheduled to begin at 10 a.m.
Henley once again filled up the scorecard with birdies, making seven on the day, including five on Cochecho’s front nine, to secure medalist honors for the second time in his New Hampshire Amateur career. The 2024 champion previously earned medalist honors at the 2022 championship at Abenaqui Country Club, where his tournament run ended in the Round of 32 after an extra-hole defeat.
“The biggest thing is it was just raining really hard almost the whole back nine,” Henley said when comparing his two rounds. “I made a lot of birdies today. I did not hit any balls out of bounds today so that was an improvement. I made a bunch of bogeys and a bunch of birdies and wound up two-under.”
Now entering match play as the top qualifier once again, Henley plans to stay patient while taking advantage of a few additional opportunities off the tee. He stated, “I think there are a few holes where I can be a little bit more aggressive, like the 17th hole. I hit 5-iron off the tee there today because I hit it out of bounds there yesterday so I can probably bring the driver back out tomorrow.”
“I think it’s just about taking it hole-by-hole and shot-by-shot,” continued Henley.
Pepin secured the second seed after backing up Monday’s 4-under-par 66 with an even-par 70. While his opening round was fueled by precise iron play and numerous birdie chances, Tuesday required a much grittier performance.
“In the first round I had my iron game working really well,” Pepin said. “I had a lot of close shots in and a lot of short birdie putts. Today was a little different, it was a little more of a fight today. I missed a lot more greens and had a lot more up-and-downs that I needed to make. I bogeyed both of the par-5’s as opposed to yesterday where I birdied one and made par on the other.”
Pepin, who defeated Henley in 37 holes to win the 2023 New Hampshire Amateur Championship at Manchester Country Club, believes his past success in match play provides valuable experience heading into the week. He said, “It definitely helps boost the confidence knowing what’s ahead. But ultimately it’s just about taking it one step at a time.”
Experience sits near the top of the leaderboard entering match play. Four past New Hampshire Amateur champions are among the top eight stroke play qualifiers, including Henley, Pepin, defending champion Josiah Hakala, and James Pleat, setting the stage for what promises to be a highly competitive match play portion of the championship.
Once Wednesday morning’s playoff, known as The March, determines the final five qualifiers, the 64-player match play bracket will be finalized and the pursuit of the 123rd New Hampshire Amateur Championship will continue. The Round of 64 will be contested Wednesday, followed by the Round of 32 and Round of 16 on Thursday. Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches are scheduled for Friday before the championship concludes with the 36-hole championship match on Saturday.
NH Amateur | Stroke Play Results
