McCarthy Wins Third Maryland Open Title in Six Years

Story Links

July 16, 2015

Chevy Chase, Md. – Recent Virginia graduate Denny McCarthy, from Argyle Country Club, rode a second straight 3-under-par 67 to his third Maryland Open championship in six years, finishing with a 54-hole total of 204 at Columbia CC in Chevy Chase.

McCarthy, a 22-year-old amateur from Rockville, began the final round tied for first place, but a bogey on the par-4 second hole put a number of other competitors back in contention.

“I was really ticked about that bad shot at 2 and I told myself mentally, ‘No more mistakes. Think your way around,’ and I didn’t drop a shot the rest of the way,” McCarthy said. “I drove the ball well. . .great position and left myself short [of the hole] with uphill putts. Also, we had a northwest wind — one you don’t normally get on a golf course and different from the first two days — that made it tricky and I knew the round would be tougher [for everybody].”

The list of multiple Open winners is headed by Charlie Bassler with seven, followed by Al Houghton and Chip Sullivan with four. In addition to McCarthy, the others with three in the 94-year history of the event are Cliff Spencer, Jack Isaacs, Marty West, III, and Wayne DeFrancesco.

With Congressional a par-70 course played at 6,608 yards, McCarthy now has his three titles on three par-70 courses, as he won at Manor in 2010, and at the CC of Maryland in 2013. Of his six Opens, McCarthy has three wins, a lost playoff (at Lakewood in 2014), a second (at Old South in 2012), and a missed cut (at Maryland Golf in 2011).

His future calendar for the summer includes the Porter Cup, Western Amateur, and U.S. Amateur. His latest triumph puts another stamp of approval on his resume, as he awaits a USGA announcement on the makeup of the Walker Cup team. Several of the members may be picked in the next several weeks, with the possibility of the committee withholding its final selections until after the Amateur. The matches will be played Sept. 12-13 at Royal Lytham & St. Anne’s in England.

McCarthy was a three-time All-American at Virginia and the first player in the program’s history to earn All-ACC honors all four years of his career. He recently placed 42nd at the USGA’s U.S. Open Championship.

Note: Some information for this report courtesy Maryland State Golf Association