The 2026 New Hampshire Mid-Amateur Championship at Mount Washington Resort and Golf Club presented a strong field of amateur golfers with a true test of New England golf. After the first 18 holes, it was Jeremy Duhamel of Manchester Country Club who sits atop the leaderboard with a steady 2-under par round of 70.
With the weather being an ever-present factor, Duhamel was able to play consistently throughout the day to earn a narrow 1-stroke lead.
“I was hitting it pretty well,” stated Duhamel. “I was leaving myself in good spots to get up and down, or I was making stress-free pars. Starting out, I wasn’t reading the greens too well, but I was rolling it well and started to make a few good putts towards the end and just held it together”
Duhamel jumped into red figures early with a birdie on 2, and although he lost it back with a bogey on 3, he was able to spark his round with an eagle on the par 5 6th hole. A bogey on 9 was the last one he would make as his back nine consisted of a birdie on 12 and eight pars.
While the scorecard made it look fairly stress-free, the challenges that Duhamel and the rest of the field faced were certainly no joke. A bewildering slew of weather jumped out of the mountains to cause a brief weather delay. While the thunder, lightning, and hail only lasted for a moment, the calm after the storm was even briefer.
As play went back onto the course, the wind began to howl, making the remaining holes a challenge. Duhamel, who was in the last group off of the first tee, was on the 8th hole when the weather delay happened making more than half his round a test for the days to come.
“I think it helps knowing I played in this wind today, knowing it is going to be just as bad as it was tomorrow. I’ve gotten used to it the past couple of days, and I’ve just tried to be smart. Giving myself good looks at birdies but trying to assure pars.”
Trailing Duhamel by just one stroke is three-time NH Mid-Amateur Champion James Pleat (2017, 2018, 2022) of Nashua Country Club. After a bogey on the first hole, Pleat sprinkled in birdies on 8 and 16 amongst his numerous pars to finish the opening round with a 1-under 71.
“It didn’t look too pretty on the front,” said Pleat. “I hit some bad shots but hung in there and finished strong on the back.”
The mindset seems to be similar for most players, as Pleat commented, “I’m just looking to hit fairways and greens, limit the mistakes, and make a lot of pars. Just knowing that everyone is out there and playing the same course and same conditions, I just need to grind it out.”
Pleat is just one of a few former Mid-Amateur Champions to fall near the top of the leaderboard. Harvin Groft (2024) and Jim Cilley (2008) shot 1 over par 73 and 2 over par 74, respectively. While Cilley has played the championship host site a considerable amount, this was the first time Groft has seen the course.
“It probably helped me and hurt me in a couple moments,” recalled Groft. “I played a little conservatively on a couple of tee shots just because you don’t know what’s there. On 12, I probably would hit driver, but I hit hybrid because I didn’t have any idea how wide open it was up there. And then on 15, I hit it left, but now I know I can hit a cut off that tee and if you overcut it, you can hit it just about as far right as you want and you are fine.”
With a newfound knowledge of the course and an expectation of similar elements, Groft is looking forward to the next set of hurdles. He noted, “I like the wind. I feel like I can play some good golf in the wind, but it will be another day of staying patient and just trying to roll some more putts. I hit the lips of the hole a bunch, but a centimeter the other way a few times, and the putts start dropping and the confidence builds.”
The rest of the leaderboard is logjammed at the top. Tied for third are Joe Leavitt (NH-Golf e-club) and Jalen Rines (The Shattuck Golf Club), who both carded solid even par 72s. Joining Cilley (Beaver Meadow GC) at 2 over 74 is a group of 6 other golfers who find themselves four back of the lead. Clint Goodwin (Eastman Golf Links), Ben Knott (Baker Hill Golf Club), Casey Torname (Atkinson Resort and CC), Scott Welsh (NH Golf e-club), Rob Zimmerman (Nashua CC), and Patrick Mahan (Derryfield CC) are all within striking distance.
The frigid temperatures and swirling winds will continue to influence play as round two of the NH Mid-Amateur Championship continues tomorrow morning. The top 40 players and ties will make the cut and advance to play in the final round on Wednesday.
