The New England Golf Association will celebrate both the 50th playing of its Junior Invitational at Mill River CC in Stratford on August 12 and 13, and a milestone first with the inclusion of girls teams from each of the six New England states.
“This is a very good move by the New England Golf Association to include girls in this championship,” said CSGA Executive Director Mike Moraghan. “It is in keeping with the efforts of each of the states that continually work to increase opportunities for young women, and we are pleased to be the host state for this important addition to the championship.”
For players who have not yet reached their 19th birthday, the New England Junior Invitational is a team event played in a style similar to college golf, 54 holes at stroke play with a designated number of scores to count toward the team total at the end of each round. The boys teams are comprised of seven players with the low five scores counting toward the team total in each round. The inaugural girls competition will be teams of three players with the low two scores counting in each round.
Selected by the CSGA Junior Golf Committee to represent the girls’ side are Alexandra Fox of Ellington, Elizabeth Garfield of Fairfield and Madeleine Hong of Glastonbury.
All 60 players (10 from each state) will play 36 holes on Monday, August 12, and 18 holes on Tuesday, August 13.
Over the history of the New England Invitational, Connecticut and Massachusetts have dominated the competition with Connecticut having claimed the title 16 times to Massachusetts’ 15. Rhode Island is next with seven victories. Led by 2018 individual champion, Ben James, Connecticut won by 17 shots last year at Longmeadow CC in Massachusetts.
Each state has it’s own method of selecting their top seven players. In Connecticut, the winner (James) and runner up (Gunnar Granito) in the current year Connecticut Junior Amateur earn automatic berths. The remaining players are selected by the CSGA Junior Golf Committee based upon performances in state, regional and national championships.
Connecticut’s boys team returns five players from last year’s victorious squad: Jackson Fretty, Matthew Doyle, Alex Gu, Chris Fosdick, and James. Granito and Alex Aurora are first-time selections in 2019. In addition to James winning the individual New England title in 2018, Fosdick finished 2nd and Fretty was tied for third.
Connecticut’s Junior Teams are coached and managed by Junior Golf Chairman, Chuck Claffey, Executive Director, Mike Moraghan, and Director of Women’s Golf, Marsha Rupp.
Below are the members of the 2019 Connecticut Junior Team along with a listing of some of their accomplishments:
Girls Team:
ALEXANDRA FOX – Ellington, CT
- Won 2018 CT PGA Jack Kelly Tournament of Champions (75-80)
- Won 2018 CWGA Junior Championship (79-84)
- 2018 & 2019 All-Conference and All-State for Ellington High School
- Runner up in 2019 CT Women’s Amateur (80-79)
- T-24 in 2019 Northern Junior (77-88)
ELIZABETH GARFIELD – Fairfield, CT
- 3rd in 2018 Hurricane Tour Hartford Junior (80-79)
- 7th in 2018 Challenge Cup World Series of Golf (78-79)
- Runner up 2018 Borck Memorial Junior
- Won 2019 Met PGA College Golf Combine (77-77)
- T-18 in 2019 Northern Junior (82-79)
MADELEINE HONG – Glastonbury, CT
- Won 2019 CT PGA Ellington Ridge Junior Open (76-79)
- 3rd in 2019 CT PGA Junior Girls Invitational
- T-8 in 2019 NEPSAC Pippy O’Connor Championship (76)
- Captain of Loomis Chaffee HS Girls Golf Team
Boys Team:
ALEX AURORA – Hamden, CT
- 2nd in 2019 Challenge Cup Invitational (69-72)
- T-2 in 2019 CIAC DI Championship (73)
- 2nd in 2019 CIAC State Open (76)
- T-12 in 2019 AJGA Killington Junior (79-72-69)
- T-2 in 2019 CT PGA Junior Championship (74-69)
- T-59 in 2019 PGA National Junior Championship (70-67-69-75)
ALEX GU – Darien, CT
- Runner up in the 2018 AJGA Gary Woodland Junior (71-71-72)
- Medalist at 2019 CSGA Sectional Amateur qualifying (70)
- T-2 in 2019 CIAC DI Championship (73)
- Won 2019 CIAC State Open (75)
- Won 2019 CT PGA Junior Championship (69-71)
BEN JAMES – Milford, CT
- Won 2018 New England Junior (68-70)
- 2nd in 2019 AJGA Wyndham Invitational (72-67-68-71)
- Won 2019 AJGA Killington Junior (66-68-66)
- Won 2019 Connecticut Junior Amateur
- Low Amateur and 3rd place overall in 2019 Connecticut Open (67-71-67)
- T-9 in 2019 PGA National Junior Championship (67-69-64-66)
- Won 2019 Northern Junior (67-67)
CHRIS FOSDICK – Middlefield, CT
- Won the 2018 AJGA Junior Golf Hub Championship (73-67-72)
- 3rd in 2019 Scott Robertson (71-69-73)
- T-14 in 2019 AJGA Wyndham Invitational (69-72-74-70)
- Won 2019 CIAC DI Championship (70)
- Medalist at 2019 CT Junior Amateur (68)
- T-28 in 2019 PGA National Junior Championship (71-66-68-69)
GUNNAR GRANITO – New Canaan, CT
- Won 2019 FCIAC Championship (68)
- T-5 in 2019 CIAC DI Championship (75)
- Runner up in 2019 Connecticut Junior Amateur
- Defeated Fosdick, Doyle and Hanratty in CT Junior Amateur
JACKSON FRETTY – Cos Cob, CT
- T-3 in 2018 New England Junior (70-71)
- T-14 in 2019 Russell C. Palmer Cup (69-73-82)
- 4th in 2019 CIAC DI Championship (74)
- T-24 in 2019 MGA IKE Championship (71-72-79)
- 3rd in 2019 US Amateur Qualifying – 2nd Alternate (71-71)
- Semifinalist in 2019 Met Junior Championship
MATTHEW DOYLE – Madison, CT
- 10th in 2019 Russell C. Palmer Cup (70-76-76)
- Won 2019 CIAC DIII Championship (70)
- T-3 in 2019 CIAC State Open (77)
- T-4 in 2019 CT Amateur Match Play Qualifying (74-70)
- T-8 in 2019 AJGA Killington Junior (71-71-76)
- 11th in 2019 AJGA Naples Junior (70-73-74)
For more information on the New England Junior Amateur Invitational visit:
http://www.negagolf.org/junior-amateur.html
