Waterbury, Connecticut (May 19, 2026) – Day two of the 23rd Russell C. Palmer Cup belonged to Joe Ensign. Beginning a sweltering hot day at the Country Club of Waterbury, 1-over, Ensign fired a stellar 5-under 64 to move to 4-under and the top of the leaderboard.
Ensign will now carry a three-shot lead into the final round over first round co-leader Mike Rothberg (Mill River CC) and Luke Stennett (Tallwood CC), both of whom are in a tie for second place at 1-under.
Playing in the second to last group, Ensign got off to a rocky start with a bogey on No. 2, and through three holes, he was 1-over for the day. However, Ensign, who played the CC of Waterbury layout up to three times a week during his playing career with Post University, was unfazed.
Looking to get himself going, Ensign rolled in a 16-footer for birdie on the par-4 fourth; the first of three birdies in a row. That run moved the two-time collegiate winner into red figures and firmly into contention.
The surge of birdies also proved to be just the beginning. Ensign added a birdie on the par-3 eighth, his second of the week on the hole.
“I was trying to lag the putt,” explained Joe Ensign. “But it ended up going in. (It is lucky) because if it didn’t hit the hole it probably would have been eight feet by. It ended up being a good momentum builder.”
Ensign would continue his wave of momentum with additional birdies in Nos. 9 and 11 before capping his charge with his seventh and final birdie of the day on the 13th.
When all was said and done, Ensign played the 10-hole stretch from Nos. 4-13 in 7-under to get as low as 5-under overall.
Ensign did bogey the challenging par-3 14th before parring his way to the house to conclude a round he didn’t even realize was as good as it was.
“Honestly, I knew I had a good score on the front nine, and then afterwards I just didn’t think about it,” Ensign said. “If you had asked me, I would have thought that I was maybe two or three under at my lowest. So, 64 was a nice surprise.”
That nice surprise will carry Ensign into the final round of the Russell C. Palmer Cup in the lead and in position to win a championship he has come close to winning before.
Rounding out the top five heading into the final round are Peter Tomlinson (Orange Hills CC) and three-time champion Cody Paladino (Hartford GC) at 1-over in a tie for fourth.
The top 30 players and ties made the cut and will compete in Wednesday’s final round, with play set to begin at 7:30 a.m.
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.
