Darien, Connecticut (June 14, 2023) – It took three tries but finally Cody Paladino was able to defeat Chris Fosdick at the Connecticut Amateur. In 2020 and 2021 Fosdick defeated Paladino on the 36th hole of the championship match and it was only fitting that on a rainy, storm-filled day at the Country Club of Darien that the Round of 16 match between the two rivals went the distance.
Paladino (Hartford GC) and Fosdick (Wallingford CC) were tied after seven holes when storms rolled in suspending play at the 121st Connecticut Amateur. When play resumed Fosdick, the medalist winner, quickly took the lead with a birdie on the par-4 eighth. That lead was short-lived however as Paladino stole a victory on the par-4 ninth when he jarred a birdie putt from 60 feet. With the match tied at the turn, Paladino slowly took control. He went 1 up on two different occasions taking the lead for good on the difficult par-3 14th.
Fosdick attempted to battle back and had a number of looks at birdie but couldn’t get anything to fall. His best chance came from 10 feet on the par-3 16th where he burned the right edge and then covered his eyes in disbelief after the putt didn’t drop.
With both players in the fairway on the par-4 17th play was suspended for a second time and after play resumed they headed to the closing par-5 with Paladino 1 up.
“The heart was going pretty good on the last hole but that is expected,” Paladino said. “That is why we play.”
Fosdick, forced to play aggressively, ran his long birdie putt by the hole and after his lengthy comebacker for par missed Paladino had finally bested Fosdick.
“I’m happy,” an emotional Paladino said after the match. “I knew when the bracket came out that if I had a chance to face Chris (Fosdick) it would be a tough one. I played a good match against Jackson (Roman) in the Round of 32 and he is a great player but I obviously wanted the rematch with Chris. I told him on the 18th green, ‘I’ve been in his shoes and I know how disappointing it is but it is an honor to play against you.’ He is one of the best if not the best player in the state. It was an honor to play against him and be in that type of tooth-and-nail match. I’m ecstatic to come out on top.”
Paladino and Fosdick have now played 90 holes of competition across three Connecticut Amateurs. Through it all the two stalwarts are tied.
In the quarterfinals, Paladino will face Rick Hayes (Silver Spring CC). The 2019 Russell C. Palmer Cup winner was 3 down in his match after 13 holes against defending champion Ben Carpenter (CC of Darien) but the momentum began to turn on the par-3 14th when Hayes won the hole with a par. After a tie with pars on the par-5 15th Hayes caught firing winning the last three holes to storm back for a 1-up victory.
The second quarterfinal match will feature Tommy Dallahan (Hartford GC) and Jack Woods (Ridgewood CC). Dallahan bested UConn teammate Connor Goode (Glastonbury Hills CC) in the Round of 16 2&1. Goode led early in the match but once Dallahan took the lead on the par-4 fifth he never trailed again. In the morning Round of 32 Dallahan had probably the shot of the day as he rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on the last hole to knock off Will Gregware (Farmington Woods CC).
Woods made his way into the quarterfinals with a 4&2 victory over rising Vanderbilt sophomore Ben Loomis (CC of New Canaan). With the match tied at the turn Woods, a member of the Bryant golf team, stepped on the accelerator winning Nos. 12, 13, 15, and 16 to punch his ticket into the next round.
Quarterfinal number three will pit Will Lodge, playing on his home course, against AJ Ouimet (CC of Waterbury). Lodge bested Alex Elia (Silver Spring CC) in the Round of 16 to keep the home club hopes alive. The match seesawed back and forth on the front nine but the experience of Lodge at a course he knows so well shined through on the back nine as he won the par-4 13th with a birdie and then the par-5 15th to take the lead.
Ouimet, the highest seed remaining at number two, moved on thanks to a 4&2 victory over Adam Friedman (Great River GC). For Ouimet, it was a methodical victory as he led 1 up at the turn and then took command with wins on Nos. 11 and 12 to push his lead to 3 up. Additional, triumphs on the 15th and 16th holes sealed the deal.
The final two spots in the quarterfinals will be determined early Thursday morning. When play was suspended due to darkness two matches remained on the course. Two-time champion Rick Dowling (Golf Performance Center) and Jackson Fretty (Greenwich CC) will resume their match with Dowling leading 3 up with three holes to play. The second match that needs to be concluded was paused on the 20th hole with Ben Day (New Haven CC) and Kyle St. Pierre (Newton CC) tied. Play is scheduled to resume at 7:30 a.m.
The quarterfinals of the 121st Connecticut Amateur will begin at 7:30 a.m. with the semifinals to follow. Friday will feature the 36-hole championship match.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Amateur 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.
