Watertown, Connecticut (July 14, 2022) – The 81st Connecticut Junior Amateur at Watertown Golf Club will come down to an 18-hole championship match between top-seed Will Lodge and three-seed Elias Kennon.
Lodge (CC of Darien) earned his spot in the title match with a dramatic birdie on the final hole of his semifinal duel against Will Gregware (Farmington Woods GC).
With the match tied both players piped drives into the fairway and were left with wedges into the green. Gregware’s second shot came to rest 10 feet past the hole while Lodge’s approach shot took a hard hop and stopped 20 feet beyond the pin.
Playing quickly and with confidence Lodge struck his putt and unleashed a fist pump as the birdie putt slammed into the bottom of the cup. Now all Lodge could do was watch as Gregware had a chance to extend the match however his birdie try slid by sending the incoming Yale freshman onto the finals.
“On the [18th tee] I was focused on my [one or two swing thoughts] rather than the situation which was important and hit a nice one,” said Lodge who defeated Ethan Cramer 3&1 (Hop Meadow CC) in the quarterfinals. “I had 55 yards in and 65 yards is a stock wedge for me so I opened up the 60-degree wedge a little bit to take a touch off. I didn’t quite get the bounce I wanted but I left it in makeable range. Then over that putt I was weirdly calm. I liked the look of the putt.”
Gregware, a 2 up winner over Andrew Beauton (Madison CC), in the quarterfinals, held the early advantage in the match winning the par-4 fifth with a birdie. After Lodge tied the match with a birdie on No. 6 Gregware again took the lead with a victory on No. 8 and he held that advantage until Lodge captured the 11th to tie the match. A number of times on the back nine it looked as if Gregware had the upper hand but time and time again Lodge rolled in clutch putts to tie holes and keep the match all square.
“I am extremely excited to have made it to the finals,” said Lodge who had to concede his Round of 32 match last year due to a back injury. “That was the goal at the beginning of the week and it is exciting to be here.”
Kennon (Golf Performance Center) made his way to the finals with a dramatic 19 hole quarterfinal win over 2020 runner-up Kyle St. Pierre (Newtown CC). After St. Pierre tied the match with a birdie on the par-4 17th play went to extra holes where Kennon sealed the deal in impressive fashion. After bombing a drive Kennon knocked his second shot to within 25 feet on the par-5 first hole. Two putts and a birdie later the Greens Farms Academy senior was moving on.
In the semifinals against Robby Rosati (Great River CC), a 4&3 winner over Austin Perkins (Hartford GC) in the quarterfinals, Kennon took control early and never looked back.
“My mentality was to get up early and to never be worse than 1 down because then it becomes a different game,” Kennon said of his approach for the week.
Kennon jumped out to a 1 up lead with a birdie on the opening hole and then spent the remainder of the match maintaining and then extending his lead. Still, 1 up at the turn Kennon rolled in a long putt to save par and win the 11th. Two holes later a birdie on the par-4 13th pushed the lead to 3 up setting the stage for a match winning par on No. 16.
“It is pretty nice [to reach the finals]. I have played in this event the last two years and last year I made the quarterfinals but it is pretty nice because I haven’t had the greatest summer so far but coming into this tournament I just forgot about all the feels in my swing and just played golf,” Kennon said.
Kennon will just play golf one more time tomorrow morning when he squares off against Will Lodge at 8 a.m. in the championship match of the 81st Connecticut Junior Amateur.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Junior Amateur 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.
