Wilton, Connecticut (June 5, 2023) – On a windy day one of the 24th Connecticut Women’s Open presented by Crescent Point Private Wealth Samantha Morrell battled her way to a two-shot lead. Morrell, the runner-up last year, was the lone player to finish under par at a difficult Rolling Hills Country Club putting together an impressive 2-under 71 to take the lead into Tuesday’s final round.
“It was a mixture of everything. Everything went well for me. The wind was pretty brutal out there and I was just fortunate that I was the one the golf course shined on today,” said Morrell an assistant professional at Warwick Country Club in Rhode Island.
Morrell came out of the gates clicking on all cylinders birdieing the opening par-5 setting the tone for her round. A bogey on No. 4 dropped her back to even-par but a birdie on the 475-yard par-5 7th moved her back into the red.
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Two holes later Morrell produced the highlight of the day. Faced with a 185-yard second shot into a short par-5 Morrell laced a hybrid directly at the flag. The ball landed just short of the green and released to within eight feet. Moments later Morrell rolled in the eagle putt to jump to 3-under-par and was in the lead as she made the turn.
“I went into this round with no expectations,” Morrell stated. “I really haven’t played all that much but I am playing at a new club, Warwick Country Club, that has a lot of wind so maybe that was part of my success. But I just have to keep telling myself it is just another round and keep up those zero expectations because anything can happen.”
On the back nine Morrell continued to play steady golf as she offset two bogeys with a birdie on the par-4 16th after she stiffed her approach shot to three feet.
Morrell’s playing partner and 2021 champion Melissa Siviter (GC of Georgia) will begin the final round in second place following a level-par 73. Siviter got as low as 2-under on two different occasions only to bogey four times on the back nine.
Siviter birdied twice on the front nine as she turned in a flawless 2-under 35 before struggling some on the back. Consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 ensured that Siviter would begin the final round with only one player in front of her.
13-year-old and defending New England Girls’ Junior Amateur champion Arabella Lopez (Redding CC) is in third place at 1-over while four-time champion Liz Caron (Mill River Club), Angela Garvin (Myrtlewood GC) fresh off her senior season at Maryland, and Alexis Hois (Woodway CC) are tied for fourth at 2-over and very much in the mix.
However, when the final round begins on Tuesday morning at 8:00 a.m. everybody will be chasing Samantha Morrell.
“I am very excited to have a chance to win the Connecticut Women’s Open,” Morrell said. “I like coming to this tournament every year. I have a lot of family and friends in Connecticut so this always feels like a nice place for me and I always seem to do well here and I am hoping to continue that tomorrow.”
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Women’s Open is one of 20 championships conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association. The CSGA 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.
