A Winning Spirit: Competitive Golf Is Thriving at Ralph Myhre

Generations of Middlebury College golfers, local standouts and devoted club players have tested their games on its rolling fairways and challenging greens. Over the past decade, however, something special has taken hold. Ralph Myhre members and golfers with deep connections to the course have not simply participated in Vermont’s biggest tournaments—they have increasingly found themselves near the top of the leaderboard.

There is a competitive momentum building at the Ralph, and it stretches from junior golf and high school teams to collegiate competition, state amateur championships and some of the most prestigious events in the country.

“Vermont’s First Family of Golf”

Of course, it is difficult to talk about winning at Ralph Myhre without mentioning the Politano family—widely recognized as Vermont’s first family of golf.

Paul Politano has served as Ralph Myhre’s head golf professional since 2017, helping to foster a culture centered on instruction, player development and competition. He also serves as an assistant coach for the Middlebury College men’s and women’s golf programs. Alongside him is a family whose accomplishments have become a remarkable part of Vermont golf.

Paul’s wife, Erika, won the 2009 Vermont Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Their daughter Mia won two individual high school state championships before capturing the 2022 Vermont Women’s Amateur Championship. She went on to compete for Middlebury College and was a member of the Panthers’ first NESCAC championship women’s golf team in 2025.

Thomas and Elena also contributed to the family’s deep athletic tradition. Thomas and his younger brother Lucas helped lead Otter Valley to consecutive Division II boys’ golf state championships in 2021 and 2022, while Elena competed in golf and several other sports during her time at Otter Valley.

Then there is Lucas Politano, who has taken the family’s success to another level.

Lucas captured his first Vermont Amateur Championship in 2024 while still in high school. He returned to the top of the leaderboard in 2026, winning his second state amateur title in three years with a commanding 12-stroke victory at Ekwanok Country Club. He closed the championship with a five-under-par 65 and finished the tournament at eight under par.

The victory earned Lucas a second opportunity to compete in the U.S. Amateur Championship. Representing Vermont and Ralph Myhre in a field of 312 of the country’s top amateur golfers, he competed at Merion Golf Club and Philadelphia Country Club. Now playing collegiately at Rutgers University, Lucas has become one of the most accomplished young golfers Vermont has produced in recent years.

View coverage and images from Lucas Politano’s 2026 Vermont Amateur victory.

A Ralph Myhre One-Two Finish

The Politano story is extraordinary, but the winning spirit at Ralph Myhre extends well beyond one family.

In August 2026, Ralph Myhre members Tekla Fine-Lease and Teegan Duffy delivered one of the clearest examples yet of the course’s growing competitive strength.

Fine-Lease, a member of the Quinnipiac University women’s golf team, captured the Vermont Women’s Amateur Championship at Haystack Golf Course with a wire-to-wire victory. She opened with a one-under-par 73—the only player in the field to break par during the first round—and followed with rounds of 77 and 78. Her three-day total of 228 secured the championship by seven strokes.

The golfer directly behind her was fellow Ralph Myhre member Teegan Duffy.

Duffy closed the championship with a 75 to finish second overall, completing a remarkable one-two finish for Ralph Myhre in one of the biggest events on the Vermont golf calendar. It was also the latest achievement in an already impressive competitive career.

Duffy was Vermont’s Girls Player of the Year in 2023 and won the Vermont Junior Amateur Championship in 2024. She now competes for Middlebury College, where she has become part of a nationally recognized women’s golf program. Her progression from Vermont junior champion to collegiate golfer and Vermont Women’s Amateur runner-up is one of the strongest examples of the player-development pathway connected to Ralph Myhre.

The Fine-Lease family provides another link between Ralph Myhre, collegiate golf and championship success.

Tekla’s brother, Paul Fine-Lease, competed for the Middlebury College men’s golf program and was a member of the Panthers’ 2023 NESCAC championship team. With Tekla competing at Quinnipiac and Paul having helped Middlebury capture a conference title, the family represents another example of accomplished collegiate golfers making Ralph Myhre an important part of their competitive lives.

The Next Generation

That competitive pathway begins well before college.

Ralph Myhre has become an important home for a growing group of junior golfers who are competing—and succeeding—throughout Vermont.

Brady Fallon has steadily built an impressive tournament résumé. After winning the Boys’ 10–14 Division at a Vermont Junior Tour event in 2023, he continued to rise through the junior ranks. Fallon earned a third-place finish at the Vermont Junior Amateur Championship and advanced to the semifinals of the Boys’ 15–18 Division at the 2026 Vermont Junior Amateur Match Play Championship.

When Ralph Myhre hosted the Vermont Junior Tour Stroke Play Championship later that summer, Fallon and fellow Ralph junior Jacob Hillman both finished tied for sixth in the Boys’ 15–18 Division. Reaney McKinley has also represented the course in Vermont Junior Tour competition, gaining valuable experience against strong statewide fields.

The current group follows an earlier wave of Ralph Myhre juniors that included Jack Breault. Although Breault has since aged out of the junior ranks, his participation in Vermont Junior Tour competition helped establish the tradition that today’s younger players are continuing.

A Connection to Otter Valley

The junior success at Ralph Myhre is closely connected to the strength of the Otter Valley golf program.

Lucas and Thomas Politano helped lead the Otters to consecutive Division II state championships, but they were not the only Ralph-connected players who contributed to the program. Ralph Myhre member and employee Matthew Bryant was also part of the Otter Valley team and competed on the Vermont Junior Tour.

That combination of junior competition, high school golf and regular time at Ralph Myhre has created a natural development system. Young players can learn the game at the course, compete alongside one another, represent their schools and begin testing themselves against stronger fields across the state.

The Rise of Middlebury Women’s Golf

The connection between Ralph Myhre and competitive golf is perhaps most visible through the Middlebury College golf programs that call the course home.

The Middlebury women have become one of the strongest programs in Division III. In 2025, the Panthers overcame a 10-stroke opening-round deficit to win the first NESCAC championship in program history. The team then finished tied for sixth at the NCAA Division III Championship—the best national finish in program history.

One year later, a retooled Middlebury lineup nearly repeated as conference champion, finishing second at the 2026 NESCAC Championship by the narrowest of margins. The result reinforced that the previous season’s success was not a single moment, but part of the program’s continued rise.

Mia Politano was a member of the 2025 championship team, and Teegan Duffy is helping carry that competitive momentum into the next generation of Panther golf.

“It truly is my home away from home.”

The program’s rise has also been shaped by former Middlebury standout Chloe Levins.

Although Levins represented Rutland Country Club when she won the 2019 Vermont Women’s Amateur Championship, Ralph Myhre was a central part of her development during her four years at Middlebury. She was a two-year captain, a two-time individual NESCAC champion and the 2019 NESCAC Player of the Year. She earned Division III All-American Honorable Mention recognition, received multiple all-region and All-NESCAC honors and won five individual collegiate tournaments.

Today, Levins is back at Middlebury as an assistant women’s golf coach, helping guide the next generation of Panthers alongside head coach Tim Walko and Paul Politano. Her journey—from Middlebury student-athlete and Vermont Amateur champion to coach of a nationally competitive program—reflects the lasting connection between the College, the course and the wider Vermont golf community.

Championship Golf on the Men’s Side

The Middlebury men’s golf program is an important part of that culture as well.

Playing and practicing at Ralph Myhre, the Panthers captured the 2023 NESCAC Championship and have continued to produce strong team and individual performances against some of the best Division III programs in the Northeast.

Along with Paul Fine-Lease, that championship group included Hogan Beazley, a Weybridge native who developed his game at Ralph Myhre before becoming a standout for Middlebury. Beazley tied for individual medalist honors at the 2023 NESCAC Championship, helping the Panthers secure the team title. His success continued a Ralph connection that included winning the course’s club championship in 2019 and earning medalist honors with an even-par 71 when Middlebury hosted Hamilton in 2021.

Brendan Maykel, another member of the 2023 championship team, later earned All-NESCAC Second Team recognition in 2025.

A Summer Home for Competitive Golfers

The men’s and women’s programs bring talented collegiate golfers to Ralph Myhre throughout the academic year, but the connection becomes especially visible during the summer. College players from Middlebury and other programs return to the course to practice, compete and play alongside local members.

With a full practice range, putting green, practice bunker, short-game area and an 18-hole course that rewards accuracy and thoughtful course management, Ralph Myhre has become a valuable summer destination for competitive collegiate golfers looking to continue developing their games.

That summer community has included golfers such as Lucas Politano, Tekla Fine-Lease, Teegan Duffy, Paul Fine-Lease and Hogan Beazley, as well as former collegiate players such as Carsen Sanchez.

Sanchez, a former two-time high school All-State selection who played collegiately at Methodist University, has remained part of Ralph Myhre’s competitive community. In 2026, he teamed with Kirk Goodman to win the first flight of the Dud Phinney Member-Guest. Beazley and Kyle Goodman won the second flight, providing another example of accomplished golfers returning to the Ralph and contributing to its competitive atmosphere.

Success Across the Membership

Competitive golf at Ralph Myhre is not limited to juniors, college players or those contending for state amateur titles.

Bob Cameron added another statewide victory to the growing list when he won at a Vermont Senior Golfers’ Association event at Burlington Country Club in 2026.

Susan Rand has also become one of Ralph Myhre’s most consistent representatives in Vermont State Women’s Golf Association competition, regularly earning top finishes in her flights at State Days and performing well in senior championships. Her success reflects the depth of a membership that continues to travel, compete and represent the Ralph at courses throughout Vermont.

These results may not always attract the same attention as a state amateur championship or an appearance at the U.S. Amateur, but they are an important part of the larger story. They demonstrate that Ralph Myhre’s competitive culture reaches across generations and throughout the membership.

Something Larger Than Individual Results

There is no single player, family, team or tournament that defines what is happening at Ralph Myhre.

It can be seen in the championships collected by the Politanos; the Vermont Women’s Amateur one-two finish by Fine-Lease and Duffy; the continued rise of Fallon and Ralph Myhre’s other junior golfers; the state championship tradition at Otter Valley; the accomplishments of Levins; the historic success of the Middlebury women; the championship pedigree of the Middlebury men; the collegiate and former collegiate golfers who make the course part of their summers; and the steady statewide performances of members such as Cameron and Rand.

These are individual achievements, but together they point to something larger.

Ralph Myhre remains a welcoming public course where golfers of every age and ability can enjoy the game. At the same time, it has become a place where talented players learn to compete, where juniors can see a path to the next level and where accomplished golfers challenge one another to improve.

Young players share the course with collegiate athletes, state champions, veteran competitors and coaches who have succeeded at some of the highest levels of the game. They see what is possible—not from a distance, but on the practice range, around the putting green and in the groups playing alongside them.

That is how a competitive culture grows.

The results are now showing up throughout Vermont, across New England and on the national stage.

Ralph Myhre has always had a proud competitive tradition. Today, that tradition feels stronger than ever—and the momentum behind it is only continuing to grow.