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Branden Chicorka took advantage of the best conditions of the early golf season and walked away with his first CSGA major title at the 8th Russell C. Palmer Cup at Hop Meadow Country Club in Simsbury.
Chicorka shot a second round 69 to take a one stroke lead over Matt Dziubina from Race Brook Country Club. After 45 holes, Chicorka had extended his lead to seven strokes. Despite four bogeys in his final nine holes, Chicorka was able to hold on to his lead with a birdie on the seventeenth hole and a par on the eighteenth hole. Chicorka, a member of eClub of River Valley (one of the five regional Type 3 clubs established through the CSGA Clubs for Schools Program) is a graduate of Enrico Fermi High School in Enfield and just completed his sophomore year at the University of Rhode Island.
2010 CSGA Senior Player of the Year, Dave Szewczul from Tunxis Plantation rode a two under par opening nine holes in his third round to finish in a tie for second with Dziubina, a senior at the University of Connecticut. Andy Mai, another member of one the Clubs for Schools Program (eClub of New Haven), played the final thirty-six holes two under par to finish in fourth place alone.
Next year the Russell C. Palmer Cup will move to its permanent home at the Country Club of Waterbury, site of three consecutive Palmer Cup Championships from 2006-08.
The Russell C. Palmer Cup, the CSGA stroke play championship, is named for Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame member (1997) and former CSGA Executive Director (1986-1995) who bears the same name. A few of Palmer’s numerous accomplishments include establishing the use of GHIN throughout CSGA member clubs and initiating the construction of the CT Golf House which houses the CSGA and CT Section PGA.
