Old Lyme, Connecticut (June 26, 2023) – Five-time winner Dave Szewczul put together the round of the day to earn medalist honors at the 17th Connecticut Senior Match Play Championship presented by Middlesex Health. Szewczul, who missed the event last year, put together an opening round 2-under 69 at the Black Hall Club to finish one shot in front of Rick Malafronte (New Haven CC).
“(Earning medalist honors) gives you confidence that your game is in good shape,” said Szewczul. “But once you get to match play it doesn’t mean much. Once you qualify for match play everyone is at square one but it shows that your game is in pretty good shape.”
Results I Photo Gallery I Bracket
It was clear from the get go that Szewczul’s game was in good shape. Despite an early bogey, the 2022 Connecticut Senior Amateur winner capped his opening nine with birdies on the seventh and ninth holes to make the turn in 1-under 34. Szewczul did drop a shot with a bogey on No. 14 before rebounding with consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes. The second of two birdies was a lengthy 25-footer.
Now at 2-under for the day Szewczul parred his way to the house. “My round was pretty steady and I drove it well,” Szewczul stated. “My driver set my round up and I was playing from the fairways so I was never really scrambling.”
Rick Malafronte played his way to the top of the leaderboard with a roller coaster of a round that included five birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey. He converted his birdies on Nos. 1, 5, 6, 10, and 14 to post 1-under 70.
The top five was rounded out by Dave Olender (Ellington Ridge CC) who finished third at even-par while Tom Cutone (Foxhopyard GC), 2018 winner Patrick McGuiness (Keney Golf Club), and Stuart Goldstein (Keney Golf Club) who had a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th tied for fourth at 1-over.
Day one of the 17th Connecticut Senior Match Play Championship concluded with a 12-for-2 playoff that went three holes. Advancing through the playoff were Mike Noel (Keney Golf Club) and Michael Hawley (Stonington CC).
Play will resume on Tuesday with the Round of 32 in the morning followed by the Round of 16 in the afternoon. The quarterfinals and semifinals will be contested on Wednesday ahead of the 18-hole championship match on Thursday.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Senior Match Play 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.
