Hamden, Connecticut (July 27, 2022) – The final round of the 88th Connecticut Open was déjà vu all over again. Almost exactly one year after rallying to win the 2021 Connecticut Open Peter Ballo did it again firing a bogey-free 4-under 66 in the final round at New Haven Country Club to finish 7-under and earn his second consecutive title. Ballo became the first repeat champion since Nick Cook in 2005 and 2006.
Last year Ballo made history with the victory as he joined his father Mike Ballo, Sr. as a champion marking the first time that a father and son had won the Connecticut Open. Now with a victory on the same course Ballo, Sr. won his first title in 1969, Peter Ballo’s name will join his father on the list of multiple time winners.
“[Winning this year] means a lot more than I can explain right now,” an emotional Ballo said. “With these two wins in the last year, the way it has been with the passing of my father [in April] and the struggles that I have had so far this year playing to be able to gather myself this week which has probably been the hardest week since April, to be able to do this just [leaves me] speechless.”
Ballo struggled with his driver and putter throughout the first two rounds but as the sun was setting late in the second round he was able to roll in a long birdie putt on the par-5 18th to pull within one shot of the 36-hole lead shared by Brett Stegmaier (New Haven CC), Max Theodorakis (Ridgewood CC), and Cody Paladino (Hartford GC) at 4-under.
“The birdie on No. 18 to end yesterday was huge,” Ballo said. “It was the longest putt I made all week.”
Playing in the second to last group Ballo was sharp from the get go on Wednesday and for the first time all week, he felt comfortable with the putter thanks to a tip from his mom Page following the second round. Four consecutive pars began Ballo’s final round before he converted his first birdie of the day on the par-4 fifth to move to 4-under and remain one off the lead that often traded hands throughout the first half of the day.
Still trailing by one as he made the turn Ballo (Connecticut Golf Club) began to take control of the tournament on the 507 yard par-5 10th. Ballo had only hit one fairway on a par-5 all week but with his game locked in he found the short grass with his tee shot giving himself a green light to attack the pin. With just a 9-iron in hand for his second shot Ballo lofted a gorgeous shot high into the air that landed 10 feet from the pin. Moments later he rolled in the eagle putt and jumped from second place to the top of the leaderboard at 6-under. Ballo would never trail again.
Stegmaier, a former PGA Tour pro and member at New Haven CC since he was 8 years old, tied Ballo briefly at 6-under with a birdie on No. 10 but he gave that shot back right away with a bogey on the challenging par-4 11th. At nearly the same time Stegmaier was bogeying Ballo was knocking his approach shot stiff on the par-4 13th leading to a tap-in birdie that moved him to 7-under and into the lead alone where he would remain for the rest of the day.
Playing with the lead for the first time all week Ballo made a number of gutsy pars down the stretch to maintain his advantage. On the par-4 16th he missed the green with his second shot but managed to roll in an 8-footer to save par and then on the ensuing par-3 he rolled in a par putt from the same distance after he found the front right greenside bunker.
Once Ballo got off the tee on the final hole he was able to enjoy his walk down the final fairway. However, at the beginning of the tournament Ballo wasn’t sure how the week would play out.
“I’m not the most spiritual person on planet earth but this week I kind of relied on it. The first day [I went over to the poster of my dad along championship row] and spoke to him after the front nine as I came off the 18th. After that, I did it two to three times before I teed off each of the last two days and I think that played a huge part [in how I played] because after that front nine on Monday there was a calming feeling this week that I didn’t think was possible.”
The final round began with 13 players within four shots of the lead and throughout the final round a number of players held at least a share of the lead however none of them could hold their place atop the leaderboard. Among those who held the lead for parts of the final round were Stegmaier, Jason Thresher, 2020 winner Max Theodorakis (Ridgewood CC), and 2016 champion Adam Rainaud (CC of New Canaan).
Rainaud came out of the gates clicking on all cylinders playing his first 13 holes in 3-under-par to get as low as 5-under only to falter down the stretch and settle for a 2-under tied for seventh finish. Thresher began the day 2-under and after birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 to reach 4-under he was in the hunt however those would be his final birdies of the day as he parred his way to the house. Thresher would finish in a tie for second with Stegmaier and Matt Shubley (Great River GC).
Theodorakis, who had a chance to take control of the tournament in the second round, reached 5-under with a birdie on the par-4 eighth before falling back a couple of shots to 3-under where he finished the week in a tie for fifth. Joining Theodorakis in fifth was low amateur and 2015 champion Cody Paladino (Hartford GC).
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Open 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.
