Practice Makes Perfect For Local WAPL Favorite Altomare

By Stuart Hall

Devens, Mass. — Brittany Altomare is what people might consider a range rat, given to practicing as much as playing.

“She’s a Vijay Singh when it comes to practicing,” joked Altomare’s father, Tom, referencing the PGA Tour player’s fabled practice habits.

Tom Altomare remembers many summer mornings when he dropped Brittany off at their local golf club en route to work and tried to pick her up on his return in the evenings. “She would usually say, ‘Can we stay and play just three more holes?’ ” he said.

Such a penchant for practice has propelled the 18-year-old Altomare to impressive results within the amateur ranks. Her performance in stroke-play qualifying at the 33rd U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links at Red Tail Golf Club has further confirmed that fact.

Her 3-under-par 141 total over 36 holes easily slotted Altomare into the 64-player match play bracket that begins play on Wednesday.

Brittany Altomare was all smiles after easily making the match-play cut at the 2009 WAPL. (Photo courtesy of Worcester Telegram & Gazette)

Altomare’s appreciation for the range comes naturally, for it’s where she learned the game. Then a curious 8-year-old girl, Altomare joined her father and grandfather, Nick, a scratch golfer in his prime, in hitting practice balls.

“I just love golf,” Altomare said. “So when you enjoy doing something, like practicing, then it’s not really work. It’s not just hitting balls, I’ll play little games with myself, do things that are fun.”

Her domino-like development was as swift as it was successful. Tom Altomare first took Brittany to their home course, Cyprian Keyes Golf Club, near their Shrewsbury, Mass., home — 30 minutes southwest of this week’s venue — where she participated in the junior program. She won her first tournament by more than a dozen strokes.

New to the national junior golf scene, the Altomares later discovered the U.S. Kids Golf Championship, then held in Williamsburg, Va. Altomare qualified locally and then finished third nationally in her age division.

By 11, Altomare made a decision to dedicate her time to golf over soccer and softball. She became so serious about the game that she gave up her fondness of snowboarding for fear of injuring herself.

“I enjoy sports, I enjoy competing,” she said, “it’s just that in golf you’re competing individually, and I like that.”

There has been little not to like about Altomare’s results.

In 2005, she won the Scott Robertson Championship and the AJGA Fidelity Individual Championship; in 2006 she won the Westfield Junior PGA Championship, and earned a spot on the U.S. Junior Ryder Cup team.

Earlier this month, Altomare, who will attend the University of Virginia this fall, placed second in the Women’s Eastern Amateur Championship and was medalist at the 36-hole sectional qualifier in Neshanic Station, N.J., earning a berth in next month’s U.S. Women’s Open at Saucon Valley Country Club.

First things first, though.

“She stays pretty much in the present,” said Tom Altomare of his soft-spoken daughter whose reaction to birdie or bogey would bring the same response. “You can’t tell.”

Mark Costaregni, Altomare’s golf instructor of the past few years, says that calm exterior is not indicative of what churns inside his student.

“Brittany has that fire deep down inside her,” said Costaregni, director of instruction at International Golf Club in Bolton, Mass., and lead master instructor for Jim McLean Golf Schools at Doral Resort and Spa in Miami, Fla.

“I’ve helped a lot of players over the years and that’s something you can’t teach. I worked with Cristie Kerr many years ago and she had that same desire. She just wanted to win. Not everyone has that intangible.”

Technically, Coastaregni has helped Altomare refine her game.

“When she got here I don’t know if she knew what to do with her swing,” he said, noting that Altomare’s swing mechanics already has a solid base. “So we’ve just monitored that over the years and really been working on her short game and putting.”

Costaregni says that as part of her instruction, he and Altomare will occasionally play the demanding Pines Course, a lengthy, evergreen-lined layout that requires accuracy off the tee. One day, playing from the women’s tees, Altomare set the women’s course record of 66.

“That’s still a blur to me,” she said.

Accuracy off the tee is one of Altomare’s strengths. Her father said she finds the fairway 80 percent of the time, while also gaining 10 to 15 yards off the tee, thanks to a workout regimen and better course management.

“I’d say she has really come into her own in the past year to 18 months,” said Costaregni. “I keep seeing nothing but improvement.”

He also sees Altomare arriving early for lessons and staying late until she gets it right.

Some things have not changed.

Stuart Hall is a freelance writer whose work has previously appeared on USGA championship Web sites.