Ben Hunter of Sterling Farms Golf Course has the lead after shooting a 3-under par round of 69 in the opening round of the 28th Connecticut Mid-Amateur Championship. He leads by a single shot over Paul Schaeffer of Rockledge CC and Kevin Ward of Grassy Hill CC.
Conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association, the Connecticut Mid-Amateur Championship is a 54-hole stroke play competition being played at the Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton, Conn. on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 20th and 21st. The championship is open to bona fide members of a CSGA club who are twenty five years of age and over by the start of the tournament.
Hunter, who plays out of Sterling Farms Golf Course, recorded a total of six birdies in his round to grab the overnight lead. After making birdies on three of his first six holes, Hunter turned in three-under par with the outright lead. Although his back nine featured a pair of birdies matched with a pair of bogey’s, his round of 69 was good enough for the outright lead.
Among the players just one shot behind is Paul Schaeffer of Rockledge Country Club, who was a semi-finalist earlier this year at the Connecticut Amateur. Schaeffer finished his round on a high note by making birdie on the tricky par-4 17th and an eagle three on the 530 yard par-5 18th hole to jump into a tie for second.
Although he didn’t quite turn back the clock, 71 year-old Dick Weigold “felt like one of the kids again” after completing his round. Weigold, winner of the 1974 Connecticut State Amateur, had reason to feel he’d found the fountain of youth. His four birdies negated four bogeys to produce an even-par round of 72, and if not for a bogey on the 18th hole, the nine-time club champion from Torrington Country Club would have accomplished the rare feat of shooting his age.
“I feel pretty good,” said Weigold, “I’ve shot my age around fifteen times, and it would have been nice to do so today, but I really can’t complain with 72.”
Weigold is one of eight players who are tied for 7th place, as six players in the field of 99 broke par over the 6,619 yard layout. The field is tightly bunched with only six shots separating all players, as a total of forty-two survived the 18-hole cut at three over-par 75. Players will play 18-holes in the morning and 18-holes in the afternoon, with the lowest 54-hole total claiming the title.
