Putnam, Connecticut (July 22, 2021) – Dean Godek overcame a bogey and a double-bogey in his first six holes to earn medalist honors at U.S. Senior Amateur Qualifying at Connecticut National Golf Club.
Godek had a seesaw start to his day. The Feeding Hills, Massachusetts native bogeyed the opening hole, birdied Nos. 2 and 5 before carding a double-bogey on the par-5 sixth. A string of pars followed leaving Godek still at 1-over through 10 holes and in need of some birdies down the stretch.
With just eight holes remaining to make his move Godek worked quickly birdieing the par-3 11th and then the par-5 12th to return to red figures. With the cut line hovering around 1-under one more birdie would go a long way to securing Godek’s spot in the U.S. Senior Amateur and he found it on the par-4 17th hole. After a par on the closing hole Godek signed for a 2-under 69 that would prove to be one shot better than Michael Hooper and Bill Hermanson who finished at 1-under and in a 2-for-1 playoff.
In the playoff, Hooper and Hermanson tied the first extra hole but the playoff wouldn’t last any longer than two holes as Hooper rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th to secure his spot.
Hooper (Fairfield, Connecticut) was 3-under after a birdie on the 11th hole but gave a couple of shots back down the stretch to fall into a playoff. Hermanson (Old Lyme, Connecticut) bogeyed the eighth hole to drop to even-par and he remained there until he birdied the 17th hole to earn his spot in the playoff.
The 66th U.S. Senior Amateur will be played at Detroit Country Club from August 28-September 2nd.
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.
