Parker wins Mass. Open by 1

BOYLSTON, Mass. – Rich Parker, five shots behind the leaders at the start of the day, fired a 6-under-par 65 Wednesday to win the $15,000 Massachusetts Open Championship at Mount Pleasant Country Club.

Parker, of Lebanon, N.H., who had a three-day total of 207, won by a single shot over five players, including Bob Giusti of Halifax, Mass., who also shot a 6-under 65 Wednesday.

“It was the winning as much as the money,” Parker said. “My bank account just went from $900 to $15,000. Now, I can pay the mortgage next month.”

Joining Giusti at 208 for the 54-hole event were second day co-leader Jim Salinetti of Lee, Mass.; Rodney Butcher of East Greenwich, R.I.; Brian Quinn of Northboro, Mass.; and Shannon Sykora of Plantation, Fla.

First-round leader Rick Karbowski of Worcester, Mass., was at 209, followed by Billy Downes of Hampden, Mass., and Mike Baker of Bradley, the assistant pro at Bangor Municipal Golf Course, at 210.

Parker had birdies on the first four holes for a 6-under 30 on the front nine.

“I was playing well from the outset,” he said. “I was putting well and keeping the ball in play.

“I was 7-under after 10 holes and just went on from there. I knew someone [Salinetti] was at 6-under on the course, but, other than that, I had no idea how well I was doing.”

Giusti did most of his damage on the back nine, where he had four birdies.

Butcher, who won the Mass. Open at Oak Hill in 1997, was unable to make a 6-foot putt on the last hole and had to settle for the second-place tie.

Salinetti reached 7-under before a string of bogeys on the back nine dropped him to 4-under for the tournament.