Ryan Downes Defends Title, Wins Second Straight Massachusetts Amateur

Ryan Downes of Longmeadow captured his second Massachusetts Amateur Championship on Friday at GreatHorse Golf Club in Hampden, Massachusetts, defeating Patrick Kilcoyne of Gettysburg College, 3 and 2, in the 36-hole final. Downes, who also won the event in 2023, is a rising sophomore at Vanderbilt and became the first player to win two Massachusetts amateur titles since Matt Parziale in 2009 and 2010.

The 19-year-old Downes played steady golf in the morning session and built momentum late in the afternoon. After the match was tied through 24 holes, he won four of the next six to take full control. He closed out the match with a par on the 34th hole to seal the victory.

His path to the championship included a 19-hole semifinal win over NC State’s Joseph Lenane and a quarterfinal victory against Jake Ratti. Earlier in the week, Downes earned medalist honors in stroke play with rounds of 69 and 67 to claim the top seed entering match play.

With the win, Downes earns a return to the U.S. Amateur next month at The Olympic Club and adds another major milestone to his growing amateur résumé.

Sources
Vanderbilt Golf Instagram Post
Mass Golf Recap
Boston Herald Recap
Official Leaderboard