When you’ve won a pair of Mass. Junior Amateur titles (one of the pre-junior flavor), a Mass. Publinx, and gone to the 54th and final hole with a chance to win the 2021 Mass. Open, you qualify as a golfer who deserves great respect.
But the real flavor to Norwell, Mass., native Ben Spitz is the run he’s putting together in the U.S. Open local qualifiers. In case you missed it, the former University of Rhode Island standout shot 5-under 72 at LeBaron Hills in Lakeville, Mass., to share medalist honors with Jake Bauer, the one-time Rhode Island State Amateur champ.
Not that you’d be keeping score, but Spitz, after a bunch of years of coming up empty at this U.S. Open local qualifying business, has now passed the test three consecutive times. What makes it especially impressive is the fact Spitz is still a public course guy (George Wright) who plays very little winter golf.
Pretty much, he works most of the winter training inside alongside his brothers David and Brian, doing what he can to build up his speed. After all, that’s where the game is these days at elite amateur levels, not to mention the pro game.
