Trumbull, Connecticut (July 7, 2022) – At times during Thursday’s final round of the 57th Connecticut Women’s Amateur at Tashua Knolls Golf Course it looked like it was going to be easy and at times it looked like it was going to be impossible. However, when all was said and done Meghan Mitchell had completed a wire-to-wire victory and became the 11th player to win multiple Connecticut Women’s Amateur titles.
“Today I really couldn’t get a great feel for the greens,” Meghan Mitchell. “I really had to stay patient which was difficult given the nerves but I just had the same mentality as yesterday to take it one shot at a time.”
One year removed from being diagnosed with bulging disks and facet joint impingement in her back Mitchell (CC of New Canaan) was finally feeling felt like herself during Wednesday’s first round. The 2019 champion got off to a fast start firing a 1-over 73 to take a two-shot advantage into the final round. That lead would double by the turn on Thursday.
2-over on her front nine and struggling with the putter Mitchell left herself 82 yards into the par-4 ninth. Her father and caddie Steven knew Mitchell was having difficulty on the greens and told her to, “just hit it to a foot.” Mitchell listened and stuffed her approach shot to 6-inches resulting in a tap-in par that saw the senior on the Appalachian State golf team make the turn with a full tank of momentum.
“My dad did a really good job calming me down and helping me focus on one shot at a time [all day long],” said Mitchell.
Following a par on No. 10 Mitchell’s lead grew to five shots and it looked as if she would be in cruise control the rest of the way but then in an instant, everything changed. Mitchell bogeyed the next two holes to fall to 4-over and then she missed a short par putt on the par-5 14th to drop to 5-over.
Meanwhile, in the group ahead reigning Liz Janagelo Caron Player of the Year Mia Grzywinski (CC of Farmington) was making a charge. Grzywinski started the final round four shots off the pace but played a strong round and was just 2-over for the day when she arrived at the par-4 15th. Without a birdie in the tournament, Grzywinski found the fairway with her drive and then hit her approach shot to 8 feet. When she drained the putt for her first birdie of the week all of a sudden she was just one shot back.
“That birdie was kind of funny,” Grzywinski said. “After my drive I took a bathroom break and then I was rushing to hit my second shot because my playing partners had already hit their approach shots. I actually thinned the shot but it ended up 8 feet from the hole.”
Now in the thick of it Grzywinski made a good bogey on the par-5 16th rolling in a 20-footer after she put herself in a difficult position to the left of the green. Still in the hunt Grzywinski, a recent graduate of Quinnipiac University where she was a member of the golf team, struggled down the stretch bogeying Nos. 17 and 18 as well to sign for a 4-over 76 that put her at 9-over for the tournament and in second place.
“I am disappointed with the finish now but I know in a couple of hours when I look back on it I will be pretty happy,” said Grzywinski who will be heading to Virginia Tech in the fall to pursue a Masters of Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease. “Overall, this has been a tough season. It has been a grind so I am proud that I kept working hard and believing in myself and maybe this is the first step to really getting things back on track.”
In the final group Mitchell was doing everything she could to hold onto her lead. She created some extra wiggle room with a birdie from seven feet on No. 15 that pushed her lead back to two strokes.
“I tried not to look at the leaderboard,” Mitchell said. “My dad kept telling me, ‘you are okay, just breath and you have room.’ He just kept assuring me the whole time.”
That birdie proved to be crucial as Mitchell bogeyed the final three holes before ultimately holding on for a 7-over finish and a two-shot victory.
“It has been a really tough year physically and mentally. After six months it was hard to get back into the tournament setting. It is just so different from playing for fun. It feels amazing to be back and play in tournaments again and be competitive because for a few weeks at school [this spring] I doubted my game and I doubted myself. It feels really good to know I have my game after so long and it shows that my hard work has paid off,” Mitchell said.
2008 champion and this year’s Senior Division winner Jen Holland (Lyman Orchards GC) shot the round of the day, a 1-over 73, to finish in third place at 10-over while Violet Robbins (EClub of Connecticut) and Mia Holbrook (Silver Spring CC) shared fourth at 12-over. Robbins and Holbrook also shared the Junior Division title.
The Super Senior Division was captured by Lisa Fern-Boros (Highland GC) by one shot over Jo Rasmussen (Tashua Knolls GC).
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Women’s 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.
