Four years ago, John Broderick surprised many by winning the New England Amateur at age 16.
Four years later, it hardly makes anybody blink to see him atop a leaderboard as the Vanderbilt University standout currently has a share of the lead through Round one of the 95th New England Amateur Championship, taking place at first-time host Laconia Country Club.
On Tuesday, Broderick shot a birdie-free 5-under 67 to earn him a share of the lead with Michael Katsman, a Toronto native and former standout at Wagner College. Broderick, who made the quarterfinals of the Mass Amateur Championship last week, rallied late last year to finish runner-up behind close friend Joey Lenane.
This time, however, he is playing from out front in his attempt to notch another victory. Katsman, meanwhile, started his round with birdies on three of his first four holes, with just one bogey on No. 16.
In the field of 144, 29 players finished round one 1-under, while 40 were at least even through the first 18 holes.
Coming off his marathon victory in the Rhode Island Amateur over the weekend, Bobby Leopold is among four players who are one back of the lead, including Mass Amateur semifinalist and Temple University standout Ethan Whitney, Holy Cross' Alex Elia, and Bennett Masterson.
Leopold, the 2017 New England Amateur winner, made an eagle on the par-5 5th to help jump-start his round, while Whitney was bogey-free until the closing hole but still finished close to the lead.
Playing in his home state, Will McLaughlin, 38, of Concord Country Club, hit all his fairways in regulation to finish 3-under, tied with Massachusetts' Max Ash and Cooper Griffin. McLaughlin, who used to play college golf at The College of New Jersey, entered the event after several decades upon finding out he was exempt.
“I played awesome,” McLaughlin told the New Hampshire Union leader. “I drove it straight, but I would say my putting was the key to the whole round. I started on 10 and made a 30-footer on 11 that kind of got me going on the day. Then I made another long one — I would say about 25 feet — on 14. I hit it clean and in the right spots. Never had too much trouble.”
The second round begins at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. The low 60 players and ties will advance to the final round on Thursday.