Links: Match Play Bracket
After day two of the 74th Connecticut Junior Amateur, only eight players remain with a chance to have their name etched on the state’s most prestigious junior amateur trophy. The championship is being conducted July 6th – 9th on the par-71, 6,423 yard course at Watertown Golf Club in Watertown, Connecticut.
The Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship presented by Cobra Puma Golf is open to all Connecticut junior golfers who have not reached their eighteenth birthday by the start of the event. The challenging format tests the state's best junior golfers over a single round of stroke play to determine the low thirty-two match play qualifiers. Two rounds of match play each day culminate in an eighteen-hole final to crown the top junior player in Connecticut.
Chandler Morris of the Country Club of Waterbury was the first to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals after knocking off the medalist and #1 overall seed Jason Liu of Wintonbury Hills Golf Course. Morris, who is making his second career appearance in the quarterfinals, recovered from an early 2-down deficit, winning three of the final ten holes to win the match 1-up. He will face Connor O’Brien of Oak Hills Park, the 2013 Connecticut Junior Amateur Champion, in the first quarterfinal match of the morning.
Also advancing was Tim Rotermund of Madison Country Club, who needed just 26 total holes to win both of his day one matches. After knocking off B.K. Browne of Rolling Hills Country Club, he went on to defeat Justin Clark, also of Rolling Hills Country Club, by a score of 5 and 4. He will face a worthy opponent in Max Theodorakis of Ridgewood CC, the #2 overall seed who advanced to the finals in last year’s Connecticut Junior Amateur before falling to Evan Grenus.
Andrew Sciarretta, who is making his second consecutive appearance in the quarterfinals, also advanced to the quarterfinals and is coming off the biggest win of his junior career. He won the US Challenge Cup Computer Merchant Cup at Wintonbury Hills Golf Course earlier this summer, shooting rounds of 71-70—141.
Four of the eight players were able to punch their ticket to the quarterfinals before play was suspended at 4:15 p.m. due to heavy rain and lightning in the area. Despite nearly an inch of rain falling on the course, players were able to complete their Round of 16 matches before dusk. Among those to advance after the delay was Michael VanDerLaan of Eclub of New Haven. He is making his second quarterfinals appearance with hopes of following in his older brother John’s footsteps, who won the Junior Amateur in 2012.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals was Eric Ganshaw of Tamarack CC (#6 seed), who knocked off Drew Aitken in his Round of 16 match on the final hole, and John Aitken of Connecticut National GC, who needed 22 holes to defeat Louis Gosart. Match play continues with the quarterfinal and semifinal matches Wednesday and concludes with the 18-hole championship final on Thursday morning. For more information and live scoring, visit CTJunior.com.
Quarterfinal Matches
8:00 a.m. – Chandler Morris, CC of Waterbury (#16 seed) vs. Connor O’Brien, Oak Hills Park GC (#8 seed)
8:10 a.m. – Tim Rotermund, Madison CC (#4 seed) vs. John Aitken, Connecticut National GC (#5 seed)
8:20 a.m. – Max Theodorakis, Ridgewood CC (#2 seed) vs. Andrew Sciarretta, Brooklawn GC (#7 seed)
8:30 a.m. – Michael VanDerLaan, Eclub of New Haven (#3 seed) vs. Eric Ganshaw, Tamarack CC (#6 seed)
Round of 16 Results
Chandler Morris, CC of Waterbury def. Jason Liu, Wintonbury Hills GC, 1-up
Connor O’Brien, Oak Hills Park GC def. Aaron Montgomery, Bulls Bridge GC, 3 and 1
Tim Rotermund, Madison CC def. Justin Clark, Rolling Hills CC, 5 and 4
John Aitken, Connecticut National Golf Club def. Louis Gosart, Tashua Knolls GC, 22 holes
Max Theodorakis, Ridgewood CC def. Andrew Szandrocha, Timberlin GC, 2 and 1
Andrew Sciarretta, Brooklawn CC def. Abir Singh, Rock Ridge CC, 5 and 4
Michael VanDerLaan, Eclub of New Haven def. Ryan Levy, Tashua Knolls GC, 2-up
Eric Ganshaw, Tamarack CC def. Drew Aitken, Connecticut National GC, 2 and 1
