Watertown, Connecticut (July 8, 2025) – After two days of play in hot and steamy conditions at Watertown Golf Club just eight players remain at the 84th Connecticut Junior Amateur presented by Chris Cote’s Golf Shop.
Quarterfinal #1 (7:30 a.m.): #16 John Ahern (Patterson Club) vs. #8 James Sagnella (Lyman Orchards GC)
John Ahern: It was an easy day for Ahern as he bested Kim Phillips (Great River GC) 5&4 in the Round of 32 and then Henry Barry (Manchester CC) 7&6 in the Round of 16. Of the 27 holes that Ahern played, he only lost one hole.
James Sagnella: In the Round of 32 against Griffin Lawlor (Golf Performance Center), Sagnella held a comfortable 4-up lead before holding on 2&1. In his Round of 16 match Sagnella got the better of Luke Hoglund (CC of Fairfield) by a tally of 4&3.
Quarterfinal #2 (7:40 a.m.): #13 Alex Halpert (Highfield Club) vs. #5 Andrew Beauton (Madison CC)
Alex Halpert: The day for Halpert began with a 3&2 triumph over Brennan Cunnion (Innis Arden GC) in the Round of 32 and ended with a 4&3 victory over Will Lord (Suffield CC) in the Round of 16. Lord won the opening hole in the Round of 16 but Halpert tied the match on the par-4 second and then took the lead for good on No. 5
Andrew Beauton: In the Round of 32 Beauton gutted out a 19-hole victory over Andrew Antonelli (Club River Oaks) and then cruised past Maxwell Pawloski (eClub of Connecticut) 5&3 in the Round of 16.
Quarterfinal #3 (7:40 a.m.): #31 Wilson Ouimet (USGA/CSGA GC) vs. #23 Caden Piselli (Great River GC)
Wilson Ouimet: In both of his matches on Tuesday, Ouimet needed extra holes to advance. First in the Round of 32 he defeated co-medalist Thomas Bonomo (The Stanwich Club) in 19 holes and then in the Round of 16 he needed 22 holes to get the better of Avery Phillips (Chippanee CC).
In the Round of 32 Ouimet won the last two holes to force extra holes and then in the Round of 16 he rebounded after losing a late lead.
Caden Piselli: It was a pair of 1-up victories for Piselli on Tuesday. In a battle of Maryland commits Piselli faced Robby Rosati (Great River GC) in the Round of 32. Piselli trailed 3-down after 11 holes before winning Nos. 12-15 to take the lead. Three consecutive ties followed as Piselli was able to complete his comeback.
Squaring off against Chase Robustelli (Shuttle Meadow CC) in the Round of 16, Piselli led 3-up after 15 holes before holding on to win with a tie on the last.
Quarterfinal #4 (8:00 a.m.): #3 North Chery (Great River GC) vs. #22 Austin Perkins (Hartford GC)
North Chery: The highest remaining seed and last year’s runner-up Chery opened his day with a 3&2 win over Stephen Miklos (Tashua Knolls GC) and then he punched his ticket to the quarterfinals thanks to a 2&1 win over Tiger Zhang (USGA/CSGA GC) in the Round of 16.
Trailing 1-down after 13 holes in his Round of 16 match, the DePaul commit won Nos. 14, 16, and 17 to pull out the victory.
North Cherry on his Round of 16 Victory
“The front nine for both of us was a struggle. Only one birdie for me, no birdies for him, and we just had a bunch of bogeys. I think we both ended up three over. And it was basically just a grind.”
Austin Perkins: The 2024 Connecticut Amateur champion punched his ticket to the quarterfinals with a pair of 4&2 victories. First, the Florida commit defeated Nick Riccelli (Suffield CC) and then in the Round of 16 he ended the run of Hudson Hagmann (The Connecticut GC).
Austin Perkins on his Round of 16 Victory
“How I approached this match helped me succeed. I just tried to play smart. I didn’t make any bogeys which helped. I hit a couple of lag putts that helped me save holes. Overall, everything felt pretty good.”
Play at the 84th Connecticut Junior Amateur presented by Chris Cote’s Golf Shop will continue on Wednesday at 7:30 a.m. with the playing of the quarterfinals and semifinals. The week will conclude on Thursday with the 18-hole championship match.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Junior Amateur presented by Chris Cote’s Golf Shop 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.
