Baltic, Connecticut (June 30, 2026) – After two days of work under the hot sun at Mohegan Sun Golf Club, it is down to eight players at the 20th Connecticut Senior Match Play.
Quarterfinal #1 (8 a.m.): #17 Kurtis Babczenko (The Stanwich Club) vs. #24 Eric Ashworth (Orange Hills CC)
Kurtis Babczenko: It took two tight matches for Babczenko to advance to the quarterfinals. First he bested Randy Rizy (Timberlin GC) in 19 holes before he birdied the par-5 18th to defeat medalist and 2015 winner Bill Hermanson (Black Hall Club) 1 up in the Round of 16.
Eric Ashworth: The day for Ashworth began with a 2&1 win over Al Alminas (East Hartford GC). The difference in the match proved to be Nos. 11-14 when Ashworth won three of four holes to take a 2-up advantage. In the Round of 16, against Dave Olender (Ellington Ridge CC), Ashworth was 1 down after three holes before tying the match on No. 4. The victory on the fourth was the first of his seven wins in the next 13 holes to take control of the match and win 3&2.
Quarterfinal #2 (8:08 a.m.): #4 Rick Malafronte (Wallingford CC) vs. #12 Brian Hedstrom (Indian Hill CC)
Rick Malafronte: The defending champion continued to march on thanks to a pair of 2&1 wins. The first was over Russell Guerin (Timberlin GC), while in the afternoon he got the better of Chet Hrostek (eClub of Connecticut). So far, through two matches, Malafronte is yet to trail.
Brian Hedstrom: In a battle of Indian Hill CC members, Hedstrom sprinted out to an early lead and got the better of Ken Parisi in the Round of 32 by a tally of 3&2. In the afternoon Round of 16, Hedstrom, the runner-up two years ago, once again started fast on his way to defeating five-time winner Dave Szewczul (TPC River Highlands) by the same tally, 3&2.
Quarterfinal #3 (8:16 a.m.): #2 Ronald Soccoli (New Haven CC) vs. #26 David Marshall (Quinnatissett CC)
Ronald Soccoli: The day for Soccoli began with an impressive 5&4 win over Stuart Goldstein (Keney GC) before needing wins on the 16th and 18th holes of his Round of 16 match against Jim Abbott (Timberlin GC) to pull out a 2-up victory.
David Marshall: No stranger to deep runs in the event, Marshall started his day with a 21-hole triumph over Keith Salamon (Tunxis CC). Then in the Round of 16, Marshall went deep again, this time hanging on for a 1-up win over past champion Glen Boggini (Ellington Ridge CC). Boggini was 3 down with three to play, but he aced No. 16 and then won No. 17 to force play to the final hole. However, when the two matched pars, Marshall was able to hang on.
Quarterfinal #4 (8:24 a.m.): #3 Shane Hassett (Glastonbury Hills CC) vs. #27 Patrick McGuiness (Keney GC)
Shane Hassett: On a day where he only briefly trailed, Hassett never made it past the 16th hole. First, he bested Donal Reilly 5&3 in the Round of 32. Then he sprinted out to an early lead to defeat Craig Platt 4&2 in the Round of 16.
Patrick McGuiness: In his Round of 32 match against Jason Zaniewski (Watertown GC), McGuiness never trailed, but he still needed an eagle on the par-5 last to win 2 up. Facing Richard Stevens (eClub of Connecticut) in the Round of 16, McGuiness won the first three holes on his way to a 7&5 win.
Play will resume on Wednesday morning at 8 a.m. with the quarterfinal matches, followed by the semifinals in the afternoon. Wednesday’s play will set the stage for Thursday’s 18-hole title match.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Senior Match Play 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.
