Xaverian Wins State Golf Title Again

Wellesley's Christopher Morrow captured the Division 1 individual state championship in golf on Sunday, securing the title for Xaverian after a two-hole playoff. The junior birdied the second playoff hole to defeat teammate Michael McCormack and St. John's Prep player AJ Bodnar. This marks the second consecutive year Morrow has won the individual state title following a playoff, having also won on the first playoff hole last year.

Morrow executed a strong drive and an approach shot that placed the ball near the cup on the final hole. He then sank a short putt to secure the victory. Morrow noted that he knew he needed to place the ball high and close after his drive. The successful putt concluded the match. "After my drive, I knew I just had to get it high and close," Morrow said. "Then I had a good putt and that did it."

The three players finished the regulation round even on the day. McCormack and Bodnar shot one-under in the playoff, while Morrow shot even. Longmeadow's Wesley Paine placed fourth with a score of 72, and Hingham's Michael Rogers finished fifth with a 73. Morrow and McCormack exchanged tips during the playoff, a dynamic Morrow said helped reduce pressure. "We're good friends, I wouldn't want it to be too serious out there," Morrow said. "It made it feel more like a regular high school match; it took some pressure off."

Xaverian also claimed the team championship with a cumulative score of 298, which is 14 over par. St. John's Prep finished second with a total of 309, and Saint John's of Shrewsbury took third with a score of 312. The 11-stroke margin over the runner-up secured the team title for the Hawks. Coach Gerry Lambert noted that the team managed expectations well despite being favored to win. "Being expected to get it done and then actually getting it done are two different things," Lambert said. "For them to be able to manage that, in addition to the daily challenges they face, showed how they are able to just take one shot at a time and focus."

McCormack, who previously won the Cape National and South Sectional individual titles, focused on the team effort this season. He said he wanted to avoid the feeling of not contributing to a team win that he experienced the prior year. "This year, I just kept that in the back of my mind and I just didn't want to let my team down," McCormack said. "I wanted to play smart and take it one shot at a time." The team achieved all goals set for the season, capping a year where they won every tournament except Cape Cod National.

The Hawks' performance reflects a talented roster that was confident in its ability to win each competition this year. McCormack emphasized that the group understood their strength going into the season. "Going into the season, we knew we had a strong team," McCormack said. "We had a very talented team and it was great to get it done." The state championship concludes the season for the Xaverian golf program.

The individual and team titles represent the culmination of the program's goals for the 2026 season. Morrow's second consecutive individual crown highlights his consistency in high-pressure playoff situations. The team's dominant score over the field demonstrates the depth of the squad. The competition took place at the state finals site, where the top three individual finishers were separated by minimal strokes before the playoff began.