Darien, Connecticut (June 12, 2023) – With lightening quick greens and a tricky wind to contend with only two players broke par on day one of the 121st Connecticut Amateur at the Country Club of Darien.
Connor Goode (Glastonbury Hills CC), playing in the morning wave, was the first to accomplish the feat. The rising UConn sophomore started his round with a bang jarring his second shot of the day for an eagle on the opening par-4 first and then stuck his tee shot on the par-3 second to two feet setting up a tap-in birdie and a 3 under through two holes start.
“On the third tee, I was pretty jacked up and my heart was pounding and my caddie Nick just told me that a new round starts now,” Goode, the 2021 Connecticut Junior Amateur winner said.
Goode did reset and he played solid golf the rest of the day getting as low as 4-under on two separate occasions before signing for a 3 under 68 opening round.
“I can’t ask for a better start and I will try to keep it rolling tomorrow and put myself in a good position heading into match play,” Goode said.
The only other player to break par on Monday was AJ Ouimet (CC of Waterbury) who carded a first round 2 under 69. Beginning on the back nine Ouimet birdied his first hole of the day as he put together a flawless 3 under 32 on his opening nine. Ouimet lost strokes on the first and seventh holes but rebounded with his fourth and final birdie of the day on the short par-4 eighth.
Two-time champion Chris Fosdick (Wallingford CC), playing in his first Connecticut Amateur since he won in 2021 is in third place at even-par while Ben Day (New Haven CC) and two-time champion Rick Dowling (Golf Performance Center) are tied for fourth at 1-over.
Play at the 121st Connecticut Amateur will resume tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. with the final round of stroke play qualifying. The top 32 players will advance to match play slated to begin on Wednesday with the Round of 32 in the morning and the Round of 16 in the afternoon. The quarterfinals and semifinals will follow on Thursday ahead of the 36-hole championship match on Friday.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Amateur 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.
