Amateur Matt Parziale shares link with golf writer who coined 'Amen Corner'

For decades, Thorny Lea Golf Club in Brockton, Mass., was known best as the home of legendary golf writer Herbert Warren Wind, who during the 1958 Masters coined the phrase “Amen Corner” to describe holes 11, 12 and 13 at Augusta National Golf Club.

Wind learned the game at Thorny Lea and the club holds an annual tournament in his honor.

Because of elite golf from Matt Parziale and a half-dozen other members, the club’s narrative has started to shift.

Thorny Lea is the leader for single-digit handicappers in Massachusetts, according to the club’s website, and including Parziale boasts six players who have won the state amateur in the last 40 years.

Parziale, a 30-year-old firefighter, carried the club’s reputation a step further last October when he rolled to the U.S. Mid-Amateur championship at Capital City Club in Atlanta, securing his invitation to the Masters.

“That’s where I learned to compete,” Parziale said. “From the guys there who are older than me. It’s been fun being part of the club.”

Parziale used the word "compete" frequently Monday afternoon. He’s relished the media attention showered upon him since last fall, enjoyed each trip to Augusta National to prepare for the tournament and even got a kick out of signing autographs Sunday afternoon for competitors in the finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt.

Having the support of fellow firefighters back home at Station 1 and across the country is great as is having his dad, Vic, on the bag this week.

Parziale is here, however, because he never lost the urge to compete and always wanted to experience golf at the highest level. Even after his pro golf pursuit fizzled in June 2012, Parziale maintained confidence in his game, remaining committed to putting in the work required to play his best.

“Even when I’ve been playing bad, I never stopped enjoying it,” he said. “I've kind of always had the goal of playing in the Masters, playing in the U.S. Open.”

He’ll realize the second part at Shinnecock Hills in June.

Parziale has been on a leave of absence from the fire station since shortly after he won the U.S. Mid-Am, not wanting to risk injury and have it interfere with his ability to prepare and compete.

Bumps, bruises and worse are common.

“We’re pulling walls, cutting holes in the roofs. We’re pretty much destroying the house is what we’re doing," he said. "You’ve got to make sure the fire is out. You’re trying to find the fire. There’s stuff flying everywhere. People swinging tools everywhere. A lot can happen.”