FCC Member Charlie May Wins New England H.S. Golf Championship

Congratulations to Ferncroft CC member Charlie May, who won the New England High School Golf Individual Championship! Charlie made 5 birdies on his way to shooting 69 on the North Course at Bretwood GC in Keene, NH. Charlie graduated from Mascononmet Regional High School June 7th and is going to play Division 1 golf at Elon University.

The Boston Globe: "Masconomet Regional grad Charlie May captures New England golf title"

By Anthony Gulizia, June 23, 2013 

It had been nearly seven hours since Charlie May had teed off on the back nine at the Bretwood Golf Course in Keene, N.H., and after a one-hour, 15-minute rain delay, the recent Masconomet Regional graduate was finally standing on the green of the final hole. 

The 18-year-old Topsfield resident was staring at a 70-foot birdie putt that appeared first uphill and right-to-left, and then downhill and left-to-right, but he remained confident. With the rest of the field waiting for his group to finish, and three golfers tied for first with a two-under-par 70, May was not about to play if safe.

So he went for it, and watched his shot ride along the breaks and thump into the cup, capping his 3-under 69 round Monday to pocket the New England High School Golf Championship. 

It was a storybook ending to an exceptional senior season. 

“There’s a difference between having a good feeling and pulling it off,” said May, the Globe’s Division 2 Player of the Year last fall after capturing the MIAA individual title with an even par 70 at Beverly Golf and Tennis in November. “I was just visualizing that putt and making sure to make a good stroke rather than focusing on the outcome. It couldn’t have been a better ending.” 

A busy summer schedule is on the docket as he prepares for playing in college, at Elon University in North Carolina.

A member at the Ferncroft Country Club in Middleton, May started playing competitive golf the summer before his freshman year. But his regimented offseason training has yielded bushels of success. May, who owns the school record for lowest nine-hole score (33), plays seven days a week during the summer, logging 108 holes, along with sessions at the driving range twice a day.

 “There are some people who are practicers, and some who are players,” May said. “Some people have more success at the driving range than they do at the course, but I like to figure things out on the course. I don’t accomplish much at the range than playing, because you’re seeing the target lines and hitting shots that matters.” 

May is scheduled to tee it up in an Amateur Junior Golf Association event July 15-18 at Tedesco Country Club in Marblehead.

 His goal is to qualify for the US Amateur championship, Aug. 12-18 at The Country Club in Brookline, where his grandfather, George May Jr., is a member. 

The qualifier is July 22 at Vesper Country Club, Tyngsborough.

“The tournaments are both physically and mentally tolling,” said May, who battled left elbow injuries last season, “but especially mentally. You’re focusing for such a long period of time.” 

Despite the New England winter, May often plays into December before working inside at the Golf Country driving range in Middleton. The ability to play golf year-round at Elon is a precious commodity for him. 

At Elon, he will play for Don Hill, a former associate head coach at the University of South Carolina, who has replaced 41-year head coach Bill Morningstar.

"Most of it was so much financial, but also the opportunity to play golf year-round in North Carolina,” said May, who hopes to major in finance. “I wanted that all along because I think that’s very important to take your game to the next level.”


The Salem News:  "Masconomet's May wins New England Golf Championship" 

June 18, 2013

After two birdies on the first nine holes, Masconomet's Charlie May continued to dominate play on the second nine, capturing the New England High School Golf Championship crown yesterday at Bretwood Golf Course in Keene, New Hampshire.

May, who recently graduated from Masco, shot a 69, good enough for first place. He was one of 12 boys from Massachusetts and just one of 72 from around New England to compete in the tournament.

"I saw him on the first nine holes and he looked good," said Masco golf coach Ben Hodges. "He was hitting the ball well and gave himself a lot of birdie chances."

May was one stroke better than the three-person cluster at second place, which included Rhode Island's Adam Southworth and Vermont's Max Major and Drake Hull (70).

"I felt pretty comfortable with the course having played last year and I won the practice round the day before," said May. "I actually made a 70-foot birdie on the last whole to win by a shot. It was nice to make it, kind of unexpected.

"I teed off around 10:40 a.m. and didn't finish until almost six, so it was the longest round of golf I'd ever played. We had an hour rain delay after first 14 holes and it was a little difficult to regroup and refocus for the final four." 

May finished sixth at last year's championship and struggled with elbow issues, but he flourished this time around. May also took his second straight Division 2 state individual championship by shooting a 70 at Beverly Golf & Tennis back in November and was named the Cape Ann League Golfer of the Year and Salem News Golfer of the Year.

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