FRAMINGHAM – Victor Galvani’s tee shot dropped onto the seventh fairway to a roar.
Around 30 of Framingham Country Club’s members posted up against a stone wall on the left side just over the stone wall from longtime member Dave Chiappini’s back yard. He invited some member friends to watch the 116th Massachusetts Amateur Championship on Tuesday at their home club for the first time ever.
“There’s a good group of guys,” Chiappini said.
They offered beer and seltzer from a cooler filled to the brim to golfers and caddies passing by during. Some accepted. Five Framingham CC members entered the tournament, and two advanced to Wednesday’s match play bracket.
“This is a big golfing club. It’s a true golf club, and everyone really enjoys watching good golf,” Galvani said. “It was nice to have them in my corner and pushing me forward on a hot day where I was getting tired at the end.”
The gallery offered more than just drinks. They informed golfers their shots landed safe in bounds with hand signals or out and to take another tee shot. Their jovial repartee hushed the moment a competitor stepped to his ball. Cheers and attaboys followed good shots. Murmurs accompanied poor ones. They’d all been in similar positions in their rounds.
“This is how the Mass Am should feel,” said Kyle Tibbetts, a Framingham CC member that has reached the quarterfinals in three of his last four attempts, many of them at empty, indifferent venues.
Ham it up: Kyle Tibbetts, longtime Framingham Country Club member, plays up State Am at ‘The Ham’
Tibbetts received adoration and encouragement as he watched the afternoon rounds play through. The crowd hadn’t gathered when his 8:25 a.m. group rolled by No. 7. He was happy to join it with his caddy and watch the leaderboard. His place in Wednesday’s match play Round of 32 was never in doubt. Tibbetts shot a 2-over 74 on Tuesday that paired with his 70 from Monday to land at even par and tied for 15th. He’ll be the No. 16 seed against Tyler Dupuis and tee off at 7:40 a.m.
“I’ve been on the other side where you’re grinding it out right now. I’m pretty secure that I’ll play (Wednesday),” Tibbetts said. “I’m hanging out enjoying my home club with all my friends up here.”
The group moved from the seventh fairway to around the first green after the final scores came in. Fellow member Matthew Naumec was in a four-player playoff for the final three spots. The members cheered defending champion Ryan Downes’ approach shot and birdie putt. They sucked their teeth when putts rolled past the cup and down the hill off the green, déjà vu for some. Applause rang out for Naumec when he tapped in a tactical two putt to secure his spot above the cut line. Tibbetts fist bumped him on the way back down to the clubhouse.
Day 2: Framingham CC member Matthew Naumec earns way into match play with playoff win
“See you tomorrow,” he told Naumec.
They all will.
Contact Kyle Grabowski at kgrabowski@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kylegrbwsk.
This article originally appeared on MetroWest Daily News: Framingham CC members offer slice of heaven on 7th fairway at Mass Am
