Old Lyme, Connecticut (June 29, 2023) – In a memorable battle that saw numerous shifts in momentum Glen Boggini (Manchester CC) defeated Dave Olender (Ellington Ridge CC) in 19 holes to capture the 17th Connecticut Senior Match Play Championship presented by Middlesex Health.
With Boggini leading 1 up following a victory on the par-3 17th the match headed to the long closing par-4 where Boggini would have a chance to earn his first CSGA major title since he won the 2014 Connecticut Public Links. Playing with honors Boggini pulled his drive left and out of bounds immediately opening the door for Olender.
A door Olender walked right through. His drive did find the bunkers guarding the right side of the fairway but he hit a gorgeous second shot to eight feet leading to a conceded birdie and a tied match.
Spinning back around to the par-4 first hole for the playoff both players split the fairway with their drives. Barely away Boggini was the first to play his second shot and with a gap wedge from 118 yards in hand he knocked his approach shot to five feet. Perhaps feeling the pressure to respond Olender left his approach shot well short and in the front right bunker.
Needing to get up and down to force Boggini to make his birdie putt Olender took two tries to get out of the bunker. With his fate sealed Olender removed his hat, conceded the birdie putt, and congratulated his longtime friend on his hard fought victory.
“It is always hard to play with your friends but in the senior events there is a lot more camaraderie,” Glen Boggini said. “It isn’t quite as cut throat and you know win or lose they are going to be your buddies. It was a pleasure to play with (Dave), he is a gentleman, and if it went the other way I would have been happy for him.”
Boggini took the early lead in the match and after five holes he led 1 up. However, Olender had a response. He tied the match with 15-foot right to left birdie putt on No. 6 and then took his first lead of the match with another birdie on the downhill par-3 seventh.
The next four holes were tied before Olender, who just turned 55 years old on June 25 to become eligible for the tournament, won the difficult par-4 12th with a par to take a 2 up lead with six holes remaining.
With time running out Boggini quickly went to work and cut into the deficit with a two-putt par from across the green on the par-3 13th. He then was able to tie the match despite a poor drive with a victory on No. 16. On the ensuing hole, the par-3 17th, and with momentum squarely in his corner, Boggini stepped up and hit a brilliant 9-iron to 10 feet. After Olender found the water off the tee he nearly chipped in to save his par as the shot clanged off the flag pole but once his attempt stayed out he conceded the hole allowing Boggini to take his first lead since the fifth.
“This win is special because they are so few and far between because when you are a golfer success is a very low percentage,” Boggini said. “When you happen to run into one it is really special and when it happens at a place like this it is even more gratifying.”
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.
