Gloucester golf star Josh Salah shot a 4-over-par 76 in the third and final round of the 90th Massachusetts Junior Amateur Championship yesterday at Brae Burn Country Club in West Newton to finish ninth in the annual event.
Playing in the Junior Division amongst the best 16 and 17-year-olds in the state, the soon-to-be Gloucester High School senior fired his second consecutive 76 at the par-72 course. He added a first round score of 79 to finish the three-day event at 15-over-par.
Salah ended up 12 shots behind the winner, Bradley Kushner (Country Club of New Seabury), who ran away from the rest of the field with a score of 3-over-par for the tourney. Dan McQueen (Bellevue Golf Club) finished second, but ended four shots behind Kushner at 7-over-par. After that, there were three players finishing at 12-over and three at 14-over.
After playing much better on the back nine than the front nine in the tournament's first two days, Salah did the opposite yesterday. He shot a 1-under par 34 on the front, but struggled on the back with a 5-over-par 42.
Salem Country Club's Anthony Dilisio was the only other local to finish in the top 10. Dilisio finished at 14-over for the tourney, which was good enough to tie for sixth.
Both Salah and Dilisio didn't have much time to rest after their respective rounds ended yesterday. Both players flew down to the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., to play in the 2008 Optimist International Junior Golf Championships. Both players will be playing the 16-18 age group in the event, which runs until August 3.
