John McNeill’s breakout, wire-to-wire win at the 2021 Hornblower Senior (1-under 137 against the strongest of fields at the fabled Plymouth CC Donald Ross test) was a career exclamation point.
“I can’t tell you what a great feeling it is to have finally broken through to the winner’s circle after a very long wait,” McNeill told the New England.Golf website. Less than one month later, and to leave absolutely no doubt in anyone’s mind, McNeill followed that victory up with a triumph at the New England Senior Amateur at Manchester (Vt.) CC.
McNeill is the Dean of Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His path to championship-level golf was non-traditional, but McNeill is proud of everything he's experienced along the way — even the challenges of golf.
Armed with that positive mindset, he has been bemused by attitudes of some competitors. “I’d see people complain and think to myself – you know this is a voluntary thing to play in this event," he said. "You don’t have to do this.”