(May 10, 2022) – The CSGA season hits its stride on Monday with the beginning of the 19th Russell C. Palmer Cup presented by Chris Cote’s Golf Shop hosted by Wampanoag Country Club. A field of 91 players will be highlighted by five past champions including 2013 winner Cody Paladino the two-time reigning Dick Tettelbach Player of the Year and 2018 winner Brian Ahern who will be competing on his home course.
“I think the course will play nicely for everyone,” Ahern said. “The course has been undergoing many beautiful changes for the future so it will look quite different than everyone is used to but I fully expect the course to be very fair, playable, and the greens should be at a nice pace.”
Annually played at the Country Club of Waterbury the Palmer Cup will be contested at the 1924 Donald Ross designed Wampanoag CC for the first time. A relatively short course set to be played at roughly 6,600 yards the par-72 layout will challenge the field in other ways.
“The course is right in front of you,” said Head Professional Donny Kirkpatrick. “When you step on the tee you will see everything right out in front of you but if you put the ball in the wrong spot you are battling to get up and down. Because we aren’t long players need to hit it to the right spot off the tee and around the green.”
Hitting the ball in the right spot will present players with the opportunity to go low. All four par-5s are reachable in two with no hole playing longer than 509 yards. “If you are walking away with 5s of the par-5s then you are giving away a shot to the field,” Kirkpatrick said.
Birdie opportunities will be plentiful but there will be a number of challenges to navigate down the stretch beginning with the 220 yard par-3 13th which features a tough green and is surrounded on the left and right by bunkers. Following a one hole reprieve players will have to deal with the 427 yard par-4 15th that requires a precision fade off the tee setting up a good angle into the green.
One more birdie chance presents itself on the short par-4 17th before players have to buckle in for the difficult 432 yard par-4 closing hole. Finding the fairway is imperative as players have to hit their approach shots into an elevated green. If an approach shot doesn’t land in the right spot it could roll back 50 yards.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the scoring is at a new venue,” said 2015 Russell C. Palmer Cup winner Ben Day. “Wampanoag CC is a great venue but this year the event will be more unknown because there isn’t a lot of scoring history at the course. It will be interesting to see what guys play well.”
Play at the 19th Russell C. Palmer Cup will begin on Monday morning at 7:30 a.m. Following the completion of play on Monday the top 39 and ties will advance to Tuesday when the second and third rounds will be contested.
Notes on the Field:
Number of Players: 91
Past Champions (5): Cody Paladino (2013), Ben Day (2015), Brian Ahern (2018), Rick Hayes (2019), Rick Dowling (2020)
Dick Tettelbach Player of the Year Winners (5): Bill Hermanson (1991), Brian Ahern (1999), Cody Paladino (2006, 2013, 2020, 2021), Ben Conroy (2018), Rick Dowling (2019)
Dick Siderowf Senior Player of the Year Winners (3): Dick Stevens (2017), Bill Hermanson (2015), Dave Jones (2021)
Players to Watch:
Brian Ahern (Wampanoag CC): The 2018 Russell C. Palmer Cup winner had a strong season in 2021 finishing in fourth at the Palmer Cup and tied for seventh at the Connecticut Mid-Amateur. Ahern won the Connecticut Amateur in 1999.
Chris Ayers (Goodwin Golf Club): Following a strong 2020 season that saw Ayers nearly win the Connecticut Public Links he had another good season in 2021. His year was highlighted by a Round of 16 run at the Connecticut Amateur.
Kyle Bilodeau (Blackledge CC): For a better part of the last decade Kyle Bilodeau has been one of the best players in the Connecticut Section PGA. He has played in two Travelers Championships and in 2019, his final season as a professional, he was the Connecticut PGA Player of the Year. Fast forward to 2022 and he has regained his amateur status and he is ready to compete right away.
Ben Conroy (New Haven CC): Conroy won the 2018 Connecticut Amateur and in 2020 he won the Connecticut Mid-Amateur. Last year he made match play at the Connecticut Amateur and finished T7 at the Connecticut Mid-Amateur.
Ben Day (New Haven CC): The 2015 Russell C. Palmer Cup winner nearly won the title for a second time in 2020 only to fall a little short. Always a threat Day is looking for a big year in 2022.
Rick Dowling (Golf Performance Center): Dowling nearly won his second consecutive Russell C. Palmer Cup last year only to falter late. However, he did bounce back a few months later to claim the Connecticut Mid-Amateur title.
Rick Hayes (Silver Spring CC): Hayes won the title in 2019 and is always dangerous. He started this season off in fine form finishing seventh at the Two Man Championship on a difficult day at the Black Hall Club.
Mike Kennedy (Great River GC): The 2017 Connecticut Mid-Amateur winner had a strong 2021 season reaching the Round of 16 at the Connecticut Amateur and tying for 10th at the Connecticut Mid-Amateur.
Cody Paladino (Hartford GC): The two-time reigning Dick Tettlebach Player of the Year is back and motivated to put together an even stronger 2022 campaign. In 2021 Paladino won the New England Amateur and reached match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur. His CSGA season included runner-up finishes at the Connecticut Amateur, Connecticut Mid-Amateur, and a win at the Tournament of Champions.
Jamie Sheltman (Wallingford CC): Last year Sheltman nearly won his first CSGA individual title on two occasions. First he tied for second at the Connecticut Mid-Amateur then one week later he led for much of the Connecticut Public Links before settling for a third place finish.
Nick Waddington (Manchester CC): Last year Nick Waddington found his way into the winner’s circle by capturing the Connecticut Public Links.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Russell C. Palmer Cup 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.
