Links: Match Play Bracket
Evan Grenus of TPC River Highlands and Max Theodorakis of Ridgewood Country Club each won their semifinal match to advance to the 18-hole final of the 73rd Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship at Watertown Golf Club.
The Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship presented by Cobra Puma Golf is open to all Connecticut junior golfers who have not reached their eighteenth birthday by the start of the event. The challenging format tests the state's best junior golfers over a single round of stroke play to determine the low thirty-two match play qualifiers. Two rounds of match play each day culminate in an eighteen-hole final to crown the top junior player in Connecticut.
Grenus was able to outlast Nathaniel Dong of Tallwood Country Club by a score of 2 and 1 to advance to his second consecutive final. Until the semifinals, it had been smooth sailing for Grenus, who easily crusied to victory in his first three matches by margins of 7 and 5, 6 and 5, and 4 and 3. After jumping out to a 3-Up lead through 12 holes, it appeared Grenus would be coasting to the finals. However, his lead was trimmed to just one after Dong won the par-3 14th and par-3 15th holes. After both players halved the 16th hole with birdies, Grenus made par and capitalized on a poor approach by Dong to win the hole and the match. Ironically, Grenus defeated Dong last year in the semifinals to advance to the finals.
Grenus is hoping to add his name to the record books tomorrow and looks to become just the sixth player in the event’s extensive history to capture both the Qualifying Medalist trophy and Match Play championship in the same year. He claimed medalist honors and the number one seed earlier this week by four strokes after firing a round of 4-under par 67.
On the opposite side of the bracket, Theodorakis needed all 18-holes to advance to his first Connecticut Junior final, narrowly knocking off Maxx Bugg of Clinton Country Club 1-Up. The two players traded birdies throughout the match, and were square for much of the back nine. However, after Bugg missed the green at the final hole and failed to convert his par save, two putts were all that was needed for Theodorakis to advance.
A 2016 graduate of Danbury High School, Theodorakis shot a round of four over-par 75 to claim the #22 seed in match play. Last week, he narrowly missed qualifying for the U.S. Junior Amateur last week after finishing two strokes off the pace to claim the first alternate spot.
The 18-hole final match will begin at approximately 8:00 a.m. Thursday morning. For more information and live scoring, visit CTJunior.com.
Final Match
8:00 a.m. – Evan Grenus, TPC River Highlands vs. Max Theodorakis, Ridgewood Country Club
Semifinal Results
Evan Grenus, TPC River Highlands def. Nathaniel Dong, Tallwood Country Club, 2 and 1
Max Theodorakis, Ridgewood Country Club def. Maxx Bugg, Clinton Country Club, 1-Up
