Goshen, Connecticut (June 11, 2024) – With stroke play qualifying at the 122nd Connecticut Amateur presented by Middlesex Health in the books a remarkable six players earned a share of medalist honors. Among the six players tied atop the leaderboard are three past champions.
The lead group is comprised of Ben Carpenter (CC of Darien), Bradley Sawka (Ellington Ridge CC), Adam Friedman (Great River GC), Zach Zaback (Sterling Farms Mens GC), Rick Dowling (Golf Performance Center), and Jackson Roman (Shuttle Meadow CC).
Playing in the first group of the day, Carpenter and Sawka set the pace early on another windy and cloudy day at Torrington Country Club.
Beginning the day at level par Carpenter, the 2022 champion, put together a stellar 6 under 66. Carpenter began his day with birdies on each of his first two holes. Carpenter did slip up with a bogey on No. 4 but he regained his mojo when he rolled in a 25-footer on the par-4 sixth to move to 3 under.
“I knew if I played my own game today I’d make a lot of birdies,” Ben Carpenter said. “And that’s exactly what I did. My only bogey came from a careless three-putt. Other than that, I hit the ball great, made a lot of good putts and just kept my head in the game.”
With a chance to go low, Carpenter, a rising senior at Yale and a two-time Ivy League Championship individual winner, kept the peddle on the accelerator recording four birdies on his way to a flawless 4 under 32 on the back nine. His final birdie of the day came courtesy of a tap-in following a stuffed wedge into the challenging 18th green.
Carpenter’s 6 under 66 tally was only matched by one player on Tuesday. Playing alongside Carpenter, Bradley Sawka carded eight birdies against just two bogeys throughout his round.
2 under at the turn Sawaka found a second gear firing a 4 under 32 on the second nine highlighted by a wedge to tap in range on the closing par 4.
“I haven’t been hitting the ball phenomenally, but my dad who was my caddie today was telling me to just keep it in play,” said Bradley Sawka a member of the UConn golf team. “My goal was to just get around the greens and let the short game kind of take care of itself and that was what happened.”
Adam Friedman, who made the Round of 16 at the Connecticut Amateur last year, played his way to the top of the leaderboard with rounds of 70-68. On Tuesday Friedman birdied four of his first six holes and six overall while bogeying just twice. His birdies fell on Nos. 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, and 14.
Two-time champion Zach Zaback fired matching rounds of 3 under 69 on each of the first two days. Playing in his first Connecticut Amateur since being reinstated as an amateur Zaback birdied his first three holes to quickly move to 6 under.
After his torrid start, Zaback did cool down, playing the final 15 holes in even-par, a stretch that was highlighted by an eagle from 15 feet on the par-5 16th.
Three-time champion and 2023 winner Rick Dowling also earned a share of medalist honors with two days of strong play. Dowling put together rounds of 68-70 and will enter match play in a good spot. In the second round, Dowling recorded an eagle on the par-5 12th, birdied two times, and bogeyed twice.
Jackson Roman, the final member of the lead group, played nearly lights-out golf signing for a 5 under 67 that featured seven birdies and two bogeys. Roman, a rising senior at Loyola University Maryland, played Nos. 7-16 in a bogey-free 6 under.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities for birdie today and made a few, which was nice,” said Jackson Roman. “There are definitely a lot of birdie opportunities out there.”
Three additional players – Cody Paladino, Anthony Guerrera, and Ashton Lewis – were one shot further back at 5 under in a tie for seventh.
An 11-for-3 playoff was needed to complete the bracket with Brett Chodos (New Haven CC), Griffin Lawlor (Golf Performance Center), and Ben Loomis (CC of New Canaan) advancing.
Play at the 122nd Connecticut Amateur presented by Middlesex Health will continue on Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. with the Round of 32. The Round of 16 will follow on Wednesday afternoon with the quarterfinals and semifinals scheduled for Thursday. Everything will set the stage for Friday’s 36-hole title match.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Amateur presented by Middlesex Health 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.
