Links: Match Play Bracket
After day three of the 112th Connecticut Amateur, only eight players remain with a chance to have their name etched on the state’s most prestigious amateur title. The championship is being conducted June 16th – 20th on the North and South Courses at Lake of Isles in North Stonington, Connecticut.
Conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association, the Connecticut Amateur Championship is one of the nation’s oldest state amateur golf championships. The challenging format tests the state's best amateur golfers over two rounds of stroke play to determine the low thirty-two match play qualifiers. Two rounds of match play each day culminate in a thirty-six hole final to crown the top amateur player in Connecticut.
For the eventual champion, Wednesday began the first of three 36-hole days, with players playing their Round of 32 match in the morning, followed by their Round of 16 match in the afternoon. On a day where a tough, swirling wind was the story, eight players managed to successfully navigate their way around the 6,879 yard par-72 layout.
While the Round of 32 matches only produced three upsets based on the seeding, the Round of 16 saw three of the eight matches produce an upset. Among them included both the #1 (Sean Gaudette, Course at Yale) and #2 (Dave Szewczul) seeds falling, both of whom collected decisive victories in their morning matches. The highest remaining seed is Patrick Albanesi of Hartford Golf Club, who shot rounds 73-72—145 in stroke play qualifying to grab the #3 seed.
Meet the Quarterfinalists
Kevin Josephson, CC of Farmington (#16 seed)
Josephson knocked off the overall number one seed on his way to the quarterfinals, defeating Sean Gaudette of The Course at Yale by a margin of 2 and 1. This marks Josephson’s first trip to the semifinals, having previously claimed medalist honors in 2009 and 2013 but failing to advance past the Round of 16 on both occasions. Josephson, Runner-Up in the 2013 Dick Tettelbach Player of the Year race, will be seeking to capture his first CSGA major championship.
Jeffrey Evanier, Eclub of New Haven (#9 seed)
Evanier enters the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season, and has now advanced past the first round of match play on three separate occasions. He was a quarterfinalist in the 2013 Connecticut Amateur, and advanced to the Round of 16 in 2012. A recent graduate of Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, Florida), Evanier competed on their Division II collegiate golf team, and holds the school record for single season scoring average (72.95).
Philip Perry, Black Hall Club (#29 seed)
Perry brings perhaps the most impressive resume of any remaining player to the quarterfinals. Among his many highlights include winning the 2008 Russell C. Palmer Cup, claiming medalist honors at the 2008 Connecticut Amateur and finishing 2nd in last year’s Mid-Amateur Championship. Perry’s previous best finish at the Connecticut Amateur was in 2008, where he lost to Evan Beirne of New Haven CC in the semifinals.
John Flaherty, TPC River Highlands (#5 seed)
A rising junior at the University of Connecticut, Flaherty is seeking to capture his second CSGA major championship, having previously won the Connecticut Junior Amateur in 2011. His previous best finish in the Connecticut Amateur came last year, where he lost to eventual champion Cody Paladino in the quarterfinals. Flaherty will be seeking to avenge a near miss last month, where he lost the Russell C. Palmer Cup on the fourth playoff hole to eventual champion Blake Morris.
Zack Zaback, TPC River Highlands (#18 seed)
Zaback, a rising junior at the University of Connecticut, enters the Connecticut Amateur seeking to capture his first CSGA Major Championship. He briefly shared the lead at this year’s Russell C. Palmer Cup before eventually finishing in a tie for sixth. Last year, he finished 3rd at the New England Amateur Championship and this spring, he led his team this spring with a scoring average of 74.85 that included an individual win at the New England Division I Championships.
Monte Mullen, TPC River Highlands (#7 seed)
This year marks the first occasion that Mullen has advanced to the quarterfinals in the Connecticut Amateur. A rising senior on the Division I golf team at Central Connecticut State University, Mullen needed the full 18-holes for both of his victories. He defeated Chris Pavelic of Round Hill Club in his morning match, and John VanDerLaan of Heritage Village CC, the 2012 Connecticut Junior Amateur Champion in the afternoon. A past Connecticut Junior Amateur Champion himself (2010), Mullen is coming off a near-miss at the Russell C. Palmer Cup last month, where he narrowly lost in a three-man playoff after shooting rounds of 69-73-69—211.
Patrick Albanesi, Hartford Golf Club (#3 seed)
Albanesi enters the quarterfinals at just eighteen years of age and is the youngest remaining player in the championship. A member of the 2013 New England Junior Team, Albanesi will be attending Boston College this fall where he will play for their Division I collegiate golf team. He will be seeking to become the first player to capture the Connecticut Amateur before entering their first year of college since Tommy McDonagh accomplished the feat at Torrington Country Club in 2006.
Branden Chicorka, Eclub of River Valley (#6 seed)
Chicorka enters the quarterfinals in familiar territory, as he is one of only two remaining players to have successfully advanced to the semifinals in a previous Connecticut Amateur. He was a semifinalist in the 2012 Connecticut Amateur, and a quarterfinalist in 2010. Chicorka also won the 2011 Russell C. Palmer Cup at Hop Meadow Country Club with a three-round total of 213 (-3).
The quarterfinal matches will be played on Thursday morning beginning at 8:00 a.m. and the Semifinal matches will follow Thursday afternoon. The championship will conclude on Friday with a 36-hole final. Live hole-by-hole scoring will be available for the quarterfinal and semifinal matches, and the final match will feature Live, Shot-By-Shot Coverage. For more information, visit CTAmateur.com.
Quarterfinal Matches
8:00 a.m. – Kevin Josephson, CC of Farmington vs. Jeffrey Evanier, Eclub of New Haven
8:10 a.m. – Philip Perry, Black Hall Club vs. John Flaherty, TPC River Highlands
8:20 a.m. – Zack Zaback, TPC River Highlands vs. Monte Mullen, TPC River Highlands
8:30 a.m. – Patrick Albanesi, Hartford Golf Club vs. Branden Chicorka, Eclub of River Valley
Round of 16 Results
Kevin Josephson, CC of Farmington def. Sean Gaudette, The Course at Yale, 2 and 1
Zach Zaback, TPC River Highlands def. Dave Szewczul, Tunxis Plantation CC, 4 and 3
Patrick Albanesi, Hartford GC def. Chris Wiatr, CC of Waterbury, 1 up
John Flaherty, TPC River Highlands def. Nick Torrance, Lake of Isles GC, 20 holes
Branden Chicorka, Eclub of River Valley def. 11 Kyle Buschmann, Fox Hopyard GC, 6 and 5
Monte Mullen, TPC River Highlands def. John VanDerLaan, Eclub of New Haven, 2 up
Jeffrey Evanier, Eclub of New Haven def. Evan Grenus, TPC River Highlands, 1 up
Philip Perry, Black Hall Club def. Ross Kronberg, Great River GC, 2 and 1
