(February 9, 2024) – This year for the first time since 1959 the Connecticut Open presented by GSB will return to Shorehaven Golf Club.
“We are very excited to host the 90th Connecticut Open during our centennial year,” head professional Mike Laganza said of the championship scheduled to be played from July 29-31. “We are very proud of the fact that we are hosting the event. Shorehaven is a special place. It has some beautiful views and some great vistas and we are really excited to showcase our club.”
The last time the event was held at Shorehaven GC Richard L. Siderowf earned a dramatic victory by one shot over Wampanoag Country Club pro Bob Kay.
Siderowf entered the 1959 Connecticut Open as the defending champion and was tasked with competing against what was considered one of the best fields in recent memory. A tournament preview by the Hartford Courant highlighted future Connecticut Golf Hall of Famer Jerry Courville, Sr. as one of the players to watch. Courville, Sr., the winner of the 1965 Connecticut Open, was competing on his home course and two weeks before the event he set a new course record with a 7-under 64. Courville, Sr. would end up finishing five shots off the pace.
After day one ended with car lights being used to illuminate the completion of the leaderboard Siderowf began the hot and humid final round three shots off the pace set by Country Club of Darien pro Mario Lauretti.
In the final round, Siderowf opened with a steady even-par 35 on the front side and entered the back nine just one shot behind and locked in a battle with Bob Kay.
On the second nine, Siderowf played stellar golf. The 22-year-old out of Indian Hill Country Club set the tone for his final round charge with a birdie on the 11th and then on No. 13 he pulled even with Kay, who would later win the 1964 Connecticut Open, thanks to some strong bunker play.
Now tied Siderowf, a member of the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame, caught a break on the par-5 16th when his tee shot somehow managed to stay out of the trees. Still tied as they played the last Siderowf found the green with his second shot on the closing par-4 giving himself a 25-footer for birdie.
With the stage set Siderowf drilled the putt and secured the second of his three Connecticut Open titles.
“It was far beyond my expectations winning the Open golf championship for the second straight year,” Siderowf told the Hartford Courant after his final round best 2-under 69.
Siderowf’s victory at the 1959 Connecticut Open was the continuation of one of the best careers in state history. In addition to his three Connecticut Open championships, Siderowf won the British Amateur twice, five Connecticut Amateurs, and two Northeast Amateurs to go along with victories in the Candian Amateur, New England Amateur, Sunnehanna Amateur, and Azalea Invitational.
Siderowf also represented the United States on four winning Walker Cup teams (1969, 1973, 1975, 1977), and in 1979 he captained the team to a victory. Additionally, Siderowf played on the winning 1968 Eisenhower Trophy team and the 1976 squad.
*Information for this article provided by the Hartford Courant. The hero image is courtesy of CTInsider.com.
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.
