The Matches
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Vs. |
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| Time | Connecticut State Golf Association | Connecticut Section PGA | |
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12:30pm |
Dave Szewczul, Tunxis Plantation CC* Bill Hermanson, Black Hall Club* |
Vs. |
Dave Dell, Springfield CC* Fran Marrello, Canaan CC* |
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12:30pm |
Patrick Griffin, GC of Avon John Sawka, Ellington Ridge CC |
Vs. |
William Street, Whitney Farms GC William Wallis, New Haven CC |
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12:40pm |
Glen Boggini, Twin Hills CC Michael Thompson, Glastonbury Hills CC |
Vs. |
Michael Martin, Clubs to Go Tony Kelley, Wyckoff CC |
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12:40pm |
Phil Perry, Black Hall Club Brian Ahern, Wampanoag CC |
Vs. |
Kevin Giancola, Golf Quest Frank Leja, Crumpin-Fox GC |
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12:50pm |
Chet Hrostek, GC at Oxford Greens Brent Dietz, Cedar Knob GC |
Vs. |
Paul Barnsley, Race Brook CC Billy Downes, GreatHorse |
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12:50pm |
Kevin Josephson, CC of Farmington Zack Zaback, TPC River Highlands |
Vs. |
Jordan Gosler, Manchester CC Kyle Bilodeau, Ellington Ridge CC |
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1:00pm |
Ben Day, New Haven CC Josh Cameron, Norwich GC |
Vs. |
Adam Rainaud, Black Hall Club Kevin Shea, Great Neck CC |
| *Indicates Seniors | |||
ROCKY HILL, Conn. – The Connecticut Section PGA and Connecticut State Golf Association Team Captains Dennis Coscina and Jack Bracken met and released their respective team lineups for the Julius Boros Challenge Cup, being played Thursday, May 5th at New Haven Country Club in Hamden, Connecticut.
This year marks the 45th anniversary of the matches, which first began in 1972 at Tumble Brook Country Club. The matches are an annual gathering of the state’s top amateur and professional golfers, which showcases Connecticut PGA Section Professionals against amateurs from the Connecticut State Golf Association in a match play format. The Challenge Cup was founded in memory of Julius Boros, a bona-fide Connecticut resident and World Golf Hall of Fame inductee. Boros is perhaps the most successful player in the history of Connecticut golf, having won eighteen times on the PGA Tour including two United States Open Championships and a PGA Championship. The Connecticut Section PGA won the inaugural matches by a score of 33 ½ to 20 ½.
Each team consists of fourteen players, who earned their way onto their respective teams through their accomplishments in the previous season. Each player will play an Individual Match Play competition worth three points, and will also participate in a Four Ball Match worth three points. A total of sixty-three points are available in the Matches, with the Connecticut Section PGA needing 31 ½ points to retain possession of the Cup, and the CSGA needing 32 points to regain possession of the Cup. Last year, the Connecticut Section PGA Professionals captured the Challenge Cup for the fourth consecutive year by a margin of 34 points to 29 points.
Captain Dennis Coscina is a Challenge Cup veteran, having perhaps the most impressive playing record in Connecticut Section PGA history. Coscina won a total of eight Connecticut PGA Championships and six Section Player of the Year titles, and played in a total of fourteen Challenge Cup Matches, including the first twelve Matches. This will be the sixth year that Coscina has captained the Connecticut PGA squad, and his team will enter this year’s event having won the past four years.
“The Challenge Cup is a great opportunity to gather the two premiere golf organizations in Connecticut for an event that is rich in history and tradition,” said Captain Coscina. “As always we are looking forward to a great day of camaraderie and competition. The day will be filled with fun, laughter and great food spent with good friends.”
By contrast, this will be only the second year that Captain Jack Bracken will lead the CSGA team. Bracken’s competitive record includes becoming the first Club Champion at the historic Hartford Golf Club to win the championship in four different decades. Bracken was also twice a Runner-Up in the Connecticut Amateur Championship and won the 2013 Connecticut Senior Amateur Championship. For the CSGA team, 2015 marks an opportunity to snap a streak of four consecutive losses. Incoming team captain Jack Bracken, the 2013 Senior Amateur Champion who takes over for Dr. Bob Ruby, hopes that this year’s team will be able to break the trend.
“I am truly honored to have been selected to captain the CSGA team for the second consecutive year, and I am really thrilled with the team and matchups we have selected,” said Captain Bracken. “I think we have a great compliment of youth and experience on our team and I think we will be able to hold our own against the professionals. We are really looking forward to what promises to be a truly a special day for the players, family and spectators.”
2016 will mark the forty-first time that New Haven Country Club has hosted the Challenge Cup, having played host to the Matches all but four years. Founded in 1898, New Haven Country Club was first designed by Robert D. Pryde, with the present layout completed by Willie Park, Jr. in 1922. In addition to hosting the Challenge Cup, the club has a rich history of hosting the state’s top amateur and professional events. New Haven Country Club has hosted a total of sixteen Connecticut Amateur Championships, seven Connecticut Open Championships and one Connecticut PGA Championship, and will also host local qualifying for the 116th United States Open Championship. The course will be set up at approximately 6,686 yards for the Challenge Cup and will play to a par of 34-36—70.
The longest consecutive streak of victories by either team belongs to the Connecticut Section PGA, who won the Cup nine times in a row from 1984-92. The Connecticut Section PGA currently owns a 32-12 record over the CSGA.
The Challenge Cup Matches will begin with an Opening Ceremony on the 1st tee at 12:15pm, followed by matches on both the 1st & 10th from 12:30pm to 1:00pm. Spectators are welcome and encouraged to attend.
About the Associations
The Connecticut Section PGA is one of 41 sections chartered that together comprise the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA of America). There are a total of 364 golf professionals affiliated with the section (287 PGA Members, 67 Registered Apprentices and 10 Pre-Apprentices).
Founded in 1899, the Connecticut State Golf Association is the country’s oldest state golf association and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. The CSGA functions as an extension of the USGA and is dedicated to providing golfers a full range of services for the good of the game and golf in Connecticut. The CSGA is comprised of over 42,000 members and 183 member clubs, providing and administering handicaps for all of its members throughout the state.
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For more information, visit the Connecticut PGA website at ctpga.com or the CSGA website at csgalinks.org
