NASHUA, N.H. — Former Dartmouth College golfer James Pleat is headed to his first New Hampshire Golf Association state amateur championship match thanks to quarterfinal and semifinal victories on Friday at his home Nashua Country Club.
Pleat, 29, advanced with a 1-up quarterfinal defeat of Hooper’s Ryan Kohler followed by a 4-and-3 elimination of The Shattuck’s Cameron Salo in the semifinals. Pleat has spent state am week playing exceptional golf, earning the match-play medal with a 13-under 129 through two days of qualifying followed by five straight match victories.
The quarterfinal with Kohler matched two New Hampshire Mid-Amateur champs against each other; Pleat has won the last three, while Kohler — a Fall Mountain Regional High School graduate — took the crown in 2015. Pleat started as if looking to blow out Kohler quickly, taking a 4-up lead by the turn. Kohler stormed back into the match by winning 11, 12, 13 and 14, but Pleat won the 16th hole and held on to the end to advance.
There was less drama to Pleat’s defeat of Salo in the semis. Pleat won three of the first four holes and led by at least two holes the rest of the way, clinching his trip to the finals with wins on 12 and 13 along with halves on 14 and 15.
Pleat will play 20-year-old Cameron Sheedy in Saturday’s title match. The 30th-seeded Sheedy lives in Nashua but plays out of Windham Country Club.
The 36-hole championship contest starts at 8 a.m. Whoever wins will claim the New Hampshire Amateur crown for the first time.