Orange, Connecticut (October 7, 2025) – A long day at Race Brook Country Club resulted in three teams qualifying for spots in the 2026 men’s and women’s U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships.
In 11th U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Qualifying, medalist honors were earned by the tandem of Hunter Stone (Marblehead, MA) and James Smith (Jupiter, FL). The duo combined for a 7-under 64 to earn a three-shot victory.
Level-par after the first two holes, Stone eagled the par-5 third to jump-start their day. A birdie on No. 6 and another eagle on the par-5 10th by Stone followed to move the group to 5-under. Looking for more, Smith birdied Nos. 14 and 16 to solidify their spot atop the leaderboard.
The second qualifying spot was earned by Rick Dowling (Shelton, CT) and Nick Taylor (New York, New York) with a birdie on the first extra hole of a 9-for-1 playoff.
Three-time Two Man Championship winners, Dowling and Taylor, played their way into a playoff thanks to a 4-under 67 that included five birdies and just one bogey.
Kevin Josephson (Avon, CT) and Taylor Fontaine (Southbridge, MA) finished as the first alternates, while Connor Goode (Glastonbury, CT) and Colin Spencer (Mashpee, MA) are the second alternates.
Meanwhile, in 11th U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball qualifying Mia Sessa (Augusta, GA) and Ashley Yen (Houston, TX) fired a 9-under 65 to capture the top spot.
The Yale golf teammates put together a flawless round that included five birdies and two eagles. For the Yale seniors, the birdies dropped on Nos. 3, 5, 8, 11, and 13 while the eagles came on Nos. 7 and 16.
A pair of alternate spots were also available with Natalie Spiska (Jersey City, NJ) and Samantha Galantini (West Orange, NJ) earning first alternate while Araballe Lopez (Ridgefield, CT) and Juyeon Paek (Cheshire, CT) took the second alternate spot.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association 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.
