Watertown, Connecticut (July 8, 2024) – On a hot and steamy day at Watertown Golf Club Jack Chung and Thomas Bonomo fired 2 under 69s to share medalist honors at the 83rd Connecticut Junior Amateur.
Chung, the runner-up at the Connecticut Amateur, went out early and put together a strong round that included five birdies, a bogey, and a double-bogey.
2 under at the turn Chung (Greenwich CC) dropped to 1 over after a bogey on No. 12 and a double-bogey on No. 14. Unfazed Chung regrouped and birdied his last three holes to surge back to the top of the leaderboard. Chung capped his round with a 15 foot birdie on the closing par-4 18th.
“I hit the ball consistently all day,” said Jack Chung. “And now with match play next my approach will stay the same with the goal of shooting the lowest possible score.”
Thomas Bonomo (The Stanwich Club) playing later in the day got off to a quick start as he eagled the opening par-5. In the fairway after his tee shot, Bonomo only had 185 yards in with his second shot and knocked his approach to 10 feet setting up his opening eagle.
“That gave me a lot of motivation,” said the rising junior at the King School in Stamford. “My putter was really good today. I made a bunch of long putts and was dialed in with my approach shots.”
With momentum on his side Bonomo played strong golf the remainder of the day carding two birdies and two bogeys. His birdies came on Nos. 11 and 12 with the second coming as a result of a kick in birdie.
Up next for Bonomo is his first trip to match play in four tries at the Connecticut Junior Amateur. “I’ve played a few matches throughout my career and I haven’t had the best outcome in the past. However, today I played really well which is going to give me some confidence for tomorrow.”
The top-five was rounded out by five players in a tie for third at 1 under. Included in the group were Jason Vintiadis (Round Hill Club), Connecticut Amateur winner Austin Perkins (Hartford GC), Harrison Browne (Great River GC), Zachary Munno (The Stanwich Club), and Luke Stennett (Tallwood CC).
Play will continue on Tuesday morning at 7:30 a.m. with the Round of 32 followed by the Round of 16 in the afternoon. Wednesday will feature the quarterfinals and semifinals followed by the 18 hole title match on Thursday morning.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Junior 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.
