Telegraph photo by TOM KING A view from behind the 18th green at Nashua Country Club, where the 117th NH State Am championship will be held all next week.

NASHUA – From medal to match.

That’s the beauty of the New Hampshire Golf Association’s Men’s Amateur Championship.

It’s two days of medal play with 156 golfers being paired down to 64. Then it will be four days of match play, with some days 36 holes for the match survivors.

Thus, golf lovers, today welcome to the 117th State Am event, held at the prestigious Nashua Country Club for the 14th time. Some 78 golfers in threesomes will tee off in 10 minute intervals between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m., then the other 78 starting at 12:30-2:30 p.m.

Indeed, NCC will be a busy place. Helping to keep the field from being reduced was the move to the next re-opening phase in the state, so the tee-times for the first two days did not need to be as spaced out as 12-15 minutes.

Spectators are being allowed, but since there is limited parking at Nashua Country Club, the course is asking that all staff, media, volunteers, spectators, etc. park at nearby Rivier University. When on Rivier property, everyone is required to wear a mask or some kind of face covering until they reach the Nashua CC driveway, according to the NHGA.

At NCC the clubhouse will not be open during the tournament, but the Sports Center (curling rink) and pro shop will be open. When social distancing can not be done at NCC, everyone should wear a mask or face covering, the NHGA has said.

After the two days of stroke (medal) play, match play begins Wednesday with the round of 64, reducing the field to 32. For the golfers it’s just an 18 hole day.

On Thursday, the field gets paired to the final eight, with the 32 reduced to 16 in the morning, and then in the afternoon’s 18 down to those who survive to move on to Friday’s quarterfinals.

The quarters will be Friday morning, then the semis in the afternoon, with the 36 hole final match on Saturday.

Will it be a home course advantage? Some 17 NCC members will be competing, including mainstays like Phil and James Pleat, plus younger players like Tommy Ethier (Bentley University), Jack Brown (Siena College) Austin Baker and Bryce Zimmerman.

“I think so,” Ethier said about home course edge. “The greens are pretty subtle. Having played their my whole life I think will help in terms of that, knowing which way putts are going to go. Nothing too extreme, just small little things on the greens. …

“Every single one of those members has birdied every single hole on the course. Definitely a comfort level playing at your own course.”

Defending champion John DeVito of Litchfield’s Passaconaway Golf Club is back to defend his title. Last year he downed Jake Hollander to win the title at Portsmouth Country Club.

At that course, distance was a factor. NCC is not as long, so precision will be a factor.

“Portsmouth last year was way longer,” Ethier said. “So you so more of the young guys do well. This year I think it’s more open for anyone.”

Ethier says there are a few holes that will be played differently in match play than in the first two days of stroke play.

He also expects a lot of birdies.

“I think you’re going to see a lot of birdies made,” he said. “I think it’s more exciting. You win a hole with a birdie instead of everyone scrambling to make pars. Portsmouth was more like that last year, as the greens were firm, and with the wind and the length of the course.

“In match play, as it gets down (to a low number of golfers), it could be people just throwing birdies back and forth.”

For the complete list of pairings for the first two days with tee times, go to https://nhgaregister.golfgenius.com/pages/2564428

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Here are the State Am champions in the years the event was held at NCC:

Jess Guilford, 1917; L.H. Dowling, 1919; L.H. Dowling, 1921; T.J. Leonard, 1922; Paul Sadler, 1926; Thomas Leonard, Jr., 1939; Thomas Leonard, Jr., 1947; Thomas Leonard, Jr., 1952; Aaron F. Butler, 1956; Bob Morganstern, 1963; Robert S. Mielcarz, 1979; Phil Pleat, 1997; Jim Cilley, 2011.

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