Conner Willett wins 114th Massachusetts Amateur five days after dad’s death

CONCORD, Mass. — It felt like a movie. The entire week.

Five days after the unexpected death of his father, Conner Willett won the 114th Massachusetts Amateur Championship.

“I honestly don’t know how he was able to do what he did this week,” said Ethan Whitney, Willett’s caddie and friend. “It was absolutely incredible. The Lord works in mysterious ways I guess.”

With Willett up three in match play through 33 holes of play on Friday in the finals, all the 19-year-old had to do was tie the hole with 16-year-old Ryan Downes. Instead Willett hit a 10-foot birdie putt on 16 to clinch the match.

“I was hoping he made it but I was happy with him just lagging it up and tap it in for par,” Whitney said. “But that was the best way (for him) to finish off the match and finish off this win.”

Conner Willett sinks this birdie 🐥 putt on 16 to win the 114th @PlayMassGolf Mass Amateur Championship the same week that his father Rick died unexpectedly. You couldn’t have written a better movie script than this. @MetroWestSports @WickedLocal @GeorgetownHoyas pic.twitter.com/8lTspQdFxo

— Ethan Winter (@EWints) July 15, 2022

In a final in which the combined age of the two participants was just 35 years old, at 19 years, seven months and 23 days old, Willett became the youngest winner of the Mass Amateur Championship since Jim Sallinetti won it in 1997 at 19 years, four months and 23 days old. He is also the second straight Wellesley native to win the tournament after Michael Thorbjornsen won it last year.

As emotional as it was to sink the final birdie putt on 16, Willett hit an even more improbable birdie putt on Thursday afternoon in the semifinals.

The Belmont Hill grad and Georgetown rising sophomore defeated Billy Argus of Canton (5 and 4) with a putt on hole No. 14 to advance to the finals.

“There were a couple of bounces (Thursday) where he just looked at me like, ‘Thanks Rick,’” Whitney said. “He’s definitely smiling up there for sure and is super proud of him.”

As the week went on, more and more blue ribbons with Willett’s father’s (Rick Willett) initials “RW” dotted the course at Concord Country Club.

“I asked him if he wanted to do anything,” Whitney said. “I threw up ribbons and he told me to get blue ribbons so I made like 50 of them and the family absolutely loved it and really appreciated it.

“The amount of support that this family has gotten from this community has been absolutely incredible. It meant the absolute world to them.”

Willett actually beat Whitney in match play Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals.

“I knew with everything that has happened this week that if he beat me, I had to be there for him,” Whitney said.

According to Willett, they had  promised each other that whoever won, the other would caddie for them for the rest of the tournament.

“There is no one I would rather have caddying for me than Ethan,” Willett said. “He helped me so much this week.”

The whole week had been building up to one moment on Friday afternoon.

Willett was among the leaders tied for third, shooting a 69 on Monday and by the time match play came around, he was tied for eighth.

Willett almost didn’t make it past the first round of match play after getting pushed to a playoff by former Mass Amateur champion and St. John’s Prep grad Nick McLaughlin. Willett defeated McLaughlin on the 20th hole after the Virginia grad double-bogeyed on two.

Willett then defeated Whitney in the round of 16 to set up a match with Christian Emmerich in the quarterfinals Thursday morning. Willett defeated the Holy Cross rising sophomore 2 up to advance to the semifinals against Argus.

Conner Willett and runner-up Ryan Downes congratulate each other at the conclusion of the 114th Mass Amateur Championship at the Concord Country Club in Concord, Massachusetts. (Photo: Art Illman/Daily News and Wicked Local)

As emotions built each passing day, Willett remained focused on one thing: Playing golf.

“I wanted to be on the golf course as long as possible,” he said. “I didn’t really want to go home.”

And now he goes home as the Massachusetts Amateur Champion.

“It feels awesome, especially this week,” Willett said. “The timing of this is pretty awesome.

“It means a lot,” Willett added. “There was a lot of self belief. I always thought personally that I could do it and I did it this week. It was definitely a dream come true.”