Keene, NH – The 2025 New Hampshire Stroke Play Championship got underway Tuesday at Bretwood Golf Course (South Course) with ideal scoring conditions and a strong, competitive field. After 18 holes, Nick Sarsfield (Bretwood GC) and James Shattuck (Beaver Meadow GC) lead the way after matching rounds of 3-under-par 69. With strong contenders in the mix, they will need to duplicate their opening rounds to remain ahead of the field as they look towards Round 2.
The New Hampshire Stroke Play Championship is a 54-hole event, with a cut to the low 40 players and ties after 36 holes. This year’s championship has brought together many of the Granite State’s top amateurs on a course known both for its scoring opportunities and for its challenges, particularly the infamous closing stretch known as “Jurassic Park.”
Sarsfield, a longtime player at Bretwood and Keene High School Golf Coach, leaned on his local knowledge to navigate a challenging South Course. He said, “I’ve played this course 1,000 times. I know my game, get it to my number, and let my wedges and putting do the work.”
He started strong with birdies on the first two holes and kept the momentum going throughout the front nine with a 34. On the back, he carded two more birdies, including one on the tricky par-4 17th, part of the feared Jurassic Park stretch (Holes 15–17), which played as the three most difficult holes of the day. Hole 17, in particular, played as the most difficult hole in the opening round.
“I left myself some tougher putts,” he added about his first round. “I kind of had to nestle them in and take my two-putts all day. It gets frustrating but it’s okay. I was hitting it straight off the tee, but with an iron in my hand, I’m not missing the greens.”
Sarsfield, who has posted low rounds on this course many times before, remains focused on playing within himself. He stated, “It feels good to put a round together,” he said. “I don’t worry about what other people do. I just play the best that I can.”
James Shattuck matched Sarsfield’s 69 with a sharp, confident round of his own. He posted three birdies on the front nine, making the turn at 3-under-par, and played steady on the back despite a late bogey on 18. He commented, “I hit the ball great off the tee and my wedge shots, I put them in the right places, and I made some putts.”
Understanding the importance of course management on Bretwood South, Shattuck added, “The biggest thing on this course is getting off the tee. You have to put the ball in the right place. The greens aren’t terribly complicated, but they’re big ‘slopers’, so if you put it in the right place, you have a good chance to score well.”
“Hopefully I can continue to do the same thing,” he said. “But golf is golf.”
Sitting just one shot back at 2-under-par 70 are Will Miele (Nashua CC) and Elliot Wallace (Manchester Country Club). Both players used consistent ball-striking and patience on the greens to remain in red numbers. Four players are tied for fifth at 1-under-par 71, Bryce Zimmerman (Nashua CC), Paul Torri (Sky Meadow CC), Josh Kibbe (Derryfield CC) and Shane Foye (Sky Meadow CC).
With a compact leaderboard and two rounds remaining, including a second round that will determine who makes the cut, the chase for the championship is heating up.
NH Stroke Play | Leaderboard
