Swampscott native Steven DiLisio had a phenomenal year on the golf course in 2019, punctuated by his hard-fought win at the 111th Massachusetts Amateur Championship last July. Now, he’s aiming to do it again.
“It doesn’t even feel like it’s been a year, to be honest,” said DiLisio, a member at Peabody’s Salem Country Club. “Last year was the culmination of a lot of work. I’ve been playing in the Mass Am since I was 12 and I just kept making progress year after year. It was awesome to see it all come together last year.”
After taking home the title at the Massachusetts Amateur last July, the Duke University senior went on a run that included a fifth-place finish at the Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament and a berth in the US Amateur. He then went back down to Durham and performed well for the Blue Devils, including a season-best ninth place finish at the Golf Club of Georgia Collegiate.
“I just tried to keep that momentum going after winning,” said DiLisio, who played two years of golf at St. John’s Prep before finishing his high school career at Phillips Exeter Academy (N.H.). “I had a good summer and played a lot of good golf, and I just wanted to continue that. The competition is so good at the collegiate level, even within the team, so you have to always bring your A-game. Our team (at Duke) is exceptional and we have a number of All-Americans, and those guys push me every day.”
The 112th edition of the Massachusetts Amateur will be hosted at both The Kittansett Club and The Bay Club at Mattapoisett from July 13-17. The Kittansett Club was set to be the lone host initially, but The Bay Club stepped in at the last minute to help alleviate the crowds due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The second site was added to accommodate the 144-player field, as each player must start from the first tee. After the first round, the players will swap courses for the second and final round of stroke play. Any playoff needed to determine the final match play spots will take place Wednesday, July 15 at Kittansett, which will host all the match play from July 15-17 to determine a winner.
DiLisio has played each course once, so he knows what he’s in for when the tournament tees off.
“I’ve played each one once and they’re both really good golf courses,” said DiLisio. “Kittansett speaks for itself, it’s a challenging course that has tons of history. The Bay Club is a cool place that has a lot of character. I think that’s what you hope for in these tournaments, you want to play quality golf courses that will challenge you.”
The Amateur will be a nice return to competition for DiLisio, who has been itching to get back on the tournament circuit.
“Obviously with everything going on, all of the national tournaments that I had qualified for have been canceled,” said DiLisio. “So now, I’m just trying to play as much as I can. I’m registered for a few more Mass Golf events, and then I’m heading back down to North Carolina to get my master’s degree.”
DiLisio, who majored in economics, is also headed back to Duke to take advantage of a fifth year of eligibility, which the NCAA offered to all senior athletes after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to cancel their spring seasons and classes.
DiLisio will tee off in the first round of the 112th Massachusetts Amateur Championship on Monday (9:18 a.m.) at The Bay Club at Mattapoisett.