(September 13, 2023) – Ben Conroy, Catherine McEvoy, and Brad Tilley all reached match play at the U.S. Men’s and Women’s Mid-Amateur Championships. Of the group McEvoy made the deepest run reaching the Round of 16.
Catherine McEvoy, a two-time Connecticut Women’s Amateur winner, was playing in her first U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur after turning 25 years old earlier in April. Playing at Stonewall (North Course) in Pennsylvania McEvoy (Riverside) qualified for match play with rounds of 82-70 (+10) and after finishing T43 she earned the 47-seed.
In her Round of 64 match at the 36th U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur she defeated 18-seed Brooke Graebe 4&2. McEvoy won the first hole of the match and never looked back as she took a 4 up lead by the seventh hole.
In the Round of 32 McEvoy again rode a hot start to a victory over 15-seed Kim Benedict. The first hole was tied but wins on Nos. 2, 3, and 4 saw McEvoy open up a 3-up lead that swelled to 4 up by the turn and resulted in a comfortable 4&3 victory.
However, in the Round of 16 the Michigan State product ran out of steam as she fell to co-medalist and two-seed Jackie Rogowicz 6&5.
In the 42nd U.S. Mid-Amateur contested at Sleepy Hollow Country Club Brad Tilley reached the Round of 32 while Ben Conroy made it to the Round of 64.
Tilley (Easton), a two-time Connecticut Amateur medalist, earned the 40-seed with rounds of 71-71 (+1). In the Round of 64 he squared off against 25-seed David Szymanski. Tilley led the match 2 up at the turn but Szymanski would tie the match on No. 16. With the match tied for the first time since the fourth hole Tilley birdied the final two holes to win 2 up.
Moving on to the Round of 32 Tilley faced 57-seed Bobby Massa and he jumped out to a 2 up lead through six holes. Massa would hang tough and tie the match with a birdie on the par-4 13th and then take the lead with a birdie on the next hole. Tilley would tie the match one more time with a birdie on the par-4 13th but victories by Massa on Nos. 14 and 16 would see him close out a 2&1 victory.
2018 Connecticut Amateur champion Ben Conroy (Cromwell) put together rounds of 70-71 (E) to earn the 31-seed come match play. Squaring off against 34-seed Joe Du Chateau in the Round of 64 Conroy fell 2 down early before winning Nos. 6-8 to jump in front 1 up. The match continued to swing back and forth as Du Chateau tied the match on No. 9 and regained the lead on No. 11.
Conroy, a two-time Connecticut Mid-Amateur champion, would answer by winning Nos. 12 and 13, and with five holes to play his lead was 1 up. However, in a match full of runs Du Chateau would have the final surge winning Nos. 14 and 16 with birdies to snatch back the lead, and then with a par on the last he was able to close the door on a 2-up win.
Also competing in the U.S. Mid-Amateur from Connecticut were Michael Cochrane (Norwalk), Nicklaus Harrington (Chapin), and Cody Paladino (West Hartford).
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.
