Norwalk, Connecticut (April 24, 2023) – For the second straight year Cody Paladino has earned medalist honors at U.S. Open Local Qualifying. Paladino put together a 2-under 69 at Shorehaven Golf Club to earn a spot in final qualifying for the 123rd U.S. Open. This marks the third consecutive year that Paladino has advanced to final qualifying.
This year final qualifying in the U.S. will be held on May 22 and June 5 ahead of the U.S. Open set to be contested from June 15-18 at Los Angeles Country Club.
Playing Shorehaven GC for just the second time since his memorable 36-hole Connecticut Amateur title match against Chris Fosdick in 2020 Paladino came out of the gates quickly carding a 3-under 32 on the front nine that saw him birdie four times.
His first birdie came on the opening par-5 with a 15-footer for birdie following on No. 4. The three-time reigning Dick Tettelbach Player of the Year added another birdie after nearly driving the green on the par-4 sixth before capping his impressive front nine with a 30-footer for birdie on No. 8.
“Conditions were tough, as expected for April,” Paladino said following his round. “I had been checking the weather every day for the past week, trying to see what the wind direction would be, and how chilly it would be, knowing I had an early tee time. You get a little wind blowing with greens like Shorehaven, and it’s just a battle for 18 holes.”
On the back nine Shorehaven began to fight back as Paladino tried to hold on. He started his back nine with six straight pars before converting a crucial birdie on the par-5 16th.
“One shot that stands out is my third shot on No. 16,” explained Paladino. “I hit a flighted wedge into the wind to five feet and made birdie. That birdie got me to 4-under and kind of gave me a little cushion.”
It would be a cushion that Paladino needed as he bogeyed his final two holes. However, the work he had done over the course of the first sixteen holes proved to be more than enough.
A trio of players shared second place at 1-under 70 to also punch their ticket to final qualifying. The group included amateurs Nick Maccario and Raymond Floyd, Jr. along with professional Gregory Bisconti.
Maccario, out of Haverhill, Massachusetts, bookmarked his round with birdies on the first and last holes. Overall, Maccario, who finished second at the Gasparilla Invitational earlier this year, birdied three times and bogeyed twice.
Raymond Floyd, Jr. the son of the four-time major winner Ray Floyd, saved his best golf for the back nine. 1-over at the turn Floyd, Jr. played a flawless back nine that included birdies on Nos. 11 and 13. The Tunbridge, Vermont resident parred his way to the house following the final of his three birdies on the day.
The final member of the 1-under group was The Saint Andrew’s Golf Club head professional Andrew Bisconti. The New York head professional came out of the gates roaring with birdies on each of the first two holes. However, three consecutive bogeys on Nos. 8-10 dropped him back to 1-over. Unfazed Bisconti, who made the cut at the 2009 PGA Championship, rebounded with birdies on the par-5 11th and par-4 18th to punch his ticket into final qualifying.
The final of five qualifying spots was determined by a 4-for-1 playoff at even-par 71. Professionals Andrew Gruss and James Giampaolo were joined in the playoff by amateurs Walker Lohrey and Brad Tilley.
In a tense four hole playoff, it was Tilley that emerged victorious. 2-over at the turn the Brooklawn Country Club member’s day was highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 11th and a birdie on the par-4 12th. Lohrey and Giampaolo earned the first and second alternate spots.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
