2021 Northeast Amateur champion Dylan Menante (Northeast Am photo)

The Carlsbad, California native carded at 2-under par 67 at Wannamoisett Country Club, East Providence, Rhode Island to finish the 72 holes at 67 to complete the 72 holes at 9-under par 267.

Jerry Ji (Hoofddorp, Netherlands) put together a 5-under par 64 to finish alone in second place at 7-under par 269.

Connor Howe (Ogden, Utah) and Joe Weiler (West Lafayette, In.) were both at 6-under par 270 after rounds of 65 and 68 respectively Garrett Barber (Stuart, Fla.), Kelly Chinn (Great Falls, Va.) and Davis Chatfield (Attleboro, Mass.) were all at 272. Ben Smith (Novi, Mich.), Hunter Wolcott, (Burns, Tenn.) and Noah Norton (Chico, Calif.) were at 273.

It’s been a busy few weeks for Menante, who recently finished his sophomore season at Pepperdine by helping the Waves win the NCAA championship. He was also a first-team All-West Coast Conference while also being named to the conference’s first-team All-Academic squad.

Three-and-a-half weeks later he is the champion of one of the most significant events in amateur golf.

Menante started play on Saturday with a one-shot edge over Norton and Chinn, and a two-stroke advantage over Weiler and Chatfield. His opening nine included nine consecutive pars; he went on to par the 10th before recording birdies at the par-4 11th and the par-3 12th before finishing his round with six consecutive pars.

Two par saves were key to his round. “I hit a bad wedge shot on five (a par four) from 108 yards,” Menante said. “I hit it long left and had a pretty bad lie. So I had to make like a six-footer to get up and down."

Menante's short game would again bail him out before making the turn.

"On nine (a par four) I hit it short of the green. I had like 30 yards," he said. "I had to get that one up and down, that was really important. Then I kind of turned it on at 11 and 12 (by making birdie putts of 14 and eight feet)."

The golf course played to just 6,688 yards and a par 69. Menante felt the Donald Ross design, which dates back to 1914 (it was revised by Ross in 1926) suited his game.

“This golf course fits me pretty well,” he said. “I hit it kind of short, like a 280 or 270 carry. My short irons are really good. I really didn’t have to overpower it too much. I could just play my game.

“Fourteen is (a drivable par four). One day I laid up, the other three days I went for it but my game plan really wasn’t to send driver everywhere. On the short holes, you get too short-sided.”

Menante said he hit driver off of 13 tees. “I’m not really a big three-wood guy,” he said. “(I hit) short drivers most of the time, hopefully in the fairway, and hit approach shots in the middle of the green, right at it of I had a good number.”

Ji, who started the final round five shots off the pace, equaled the low round of the day with his 64. His round included four birdies on his opening nine; he turned in 4-under par 30 before playing his second nine in one under par.

NOTES: Just 19 of the 62 players that made the 54-hole cut bettered par. Past champions of this event include Jay Sigel (three times), Luke Donald (twice), Ben Crenshaw, Bill Hyndman III, and Dustin Johnson. Wannamoisett Country Club was the site of the 1931 PGA Championship.