The 116th Mass Amateur Golf Tournament comes to the FramingHAM Country Club
Can “ordinary” be a mood?
If so, then Kyle Tibbetts rocks it. (If that’s possible)
When asked what the former Milford resident does when he’s not chasing an 11-month-old baby, working as a sales representative or hitting balls, Tibbetts replied that he’s an average person.
“I’m just a normal guy,” he said. “Just a normal everyday guy, and that’s how I would describe myself.”
But when you ask about his second home – the sprawling property south of Route 9 – the mood changes. The atmosphere is not quite that of a “country club,” although it is that.
Tibbetts affectionately calls the nearly 125-year-old green “The Ham.” He’s not the only one. The Framingham Country Club – get it? FramingHAM? – has a different logo: a pig. The club also hosts a scratch tournament in the fall called “The Ham Invitational.”
“We defy all the stereotypes that it’s stuffy and you have to have your top button buttoned up,” said Tibbetts, whose father, Tom, first joined the FCC in the 1980s. “There’s a really relaxed atmosphere on the golf course; there’s music playing on the course. There are always people laughing and joking.”
Kyle remembers spending most of his childhood summers at the club – swimming in the pool, fishing in the pond. Tibbetts has qualified for the Mass Amateur for the sixth time and the FCC, which opened in 1902, will host the tournament for the first time when the five-day event begins Monday.
“It’s exciting for me, it’s exciting for the other players and it’s definitely exciting for our members,” he said on Wednesday. “I know I’ve had the event marked on my calendar for three or four years now. I can’t wait for next week. It’s created a lot of excitement around the club.”
Tibbetts calls Framingham CC a “test for everyone”
The South Boston resident’s life is anything but ordinary. The latest big change was heard in the background of a phone conversation: Callum, his and his wife Jaclyn’s first child, was born shortly after State Am last year.
“My wife and I always joke that until you have a child, you don’t realize that that person is going to basically run your entire day,” Tibbetts said. “Everything else is secondary.”
Tibbetts helped St. John’s of Shrewsbury win its first state golf title in 30 years when the Pioneers won the championship in 2006. He followed his brother Ryan to Providence College and won the FCC club championship in 2008, 2020 and 2022. Kyle, Ryan and Tom Tibbetts competed in father-son tournaments at FCC for 20 years.
Kyle is looking forward to showcasing not only the relaxed atmosphere of his home club, but also its sophisticated facilities.
“It’s short, and people look at the scorecard and think they’re going to knock off a 6,700-yard course, and then they’re 2 over par after two (holes) and they say, ‘What just happened? I thought this was going to be a pitch and putt.’ You have to be strategic and use your mental game.”
Tibbetts said groundskeeper Pat Daly will keep greens “firm and fast.”
“There are all kinds of bumps on these small greens. It’s going to be a challenge for everyone. I like that it’s not a bomber’s paradise. You have to hit a few irons off the tees. You have to play a game of chess on the course rather than a game of checkers.”
Tibbetts has reached the round of 16 at the Mass Am in three of his last four attempts, and Ryan will again be his caddie this week. Because of Callum’s impending birth a year ago, Kyle didn’t play as much golf last summer.
But despite the added responsibility, Kyle says he’s been playing more golf this year leading up to State Am.
“Kyle is consistent, knowledgeable and an excellent learner of the game,” said FCC Assistant Golf Professional Dave Gladding.
Kyle Tibbetts is no stranger to hosting major events, most recently the Senior Am in 2022 and the Ouimet Memorial in 2020, and is excited to give players “The Ham” to feast on.
“I hope everyone enjoys their time there,” he said, “because I know we can’t wait to have everyone here.”
Tim Dumas is a multimedia journalist for the Daily News. Reach him at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @TimDumas.
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