Links: Match Play Bracket
After day two of the 73rd Connecticut Junior Amateur, only eight players remain with a chance to have their name etched on the state’s most prestigious junior amateur trophy. The championship is being conducted July 7th – 10th on the par-71, 6,423 yard course at Watertown Golf Club in Watertown, Connecticut.
The Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship presented by Cobra Puma Golf is open to all Connecticut junior golfers who have not reached their eighteenth birthday by the start of the event. The challenging format tests the state's best junior golfers over a single round of stroke play to determine the low thirty-two match play qualifiers. Two rounds of match play each day culminate in an eighteen-hole final to crown the top junior player in Connecticut.
Evan Grenus of TPC River Highlands, who fired a round of four under-par 67 to claim medalist honors in stroke play qualifying, was the first to punch his ticket to the quarterfinals. Grenus followed up his impressive play yesterday with an equally dominating performance in the first two rounds of match play. He knocked off Ben James of Great River GC by a score of 7 and 5 in the morning, and Connor Looney of TPC River Highlands by a score of 6 and 5 in the afternoon.
Grenus enters the quarterfinals with hopes to become just the sixth player in Connecticut Junior Amateur history to capture both the stroke play qualifying and match play championship trophies. He also claimed medalist honors in last year's event, but narrowly lost in the finals to Connor O'Brien of Oak Hills Park.
Thomas Labbe of Watertown Golf Club is the only remaining player from the host club with a chance to win the title. He advanced after defeating Joshua Unkrich of the CT PGA Junior Golf Association and Rasmey Kong of the Course at Yale. Labbe will look to become just the third player in the 73-year history of the championship to win the tournament at his home course (James Healey, Race Brook CC 1947, William Salvatore, Watertown GC 1956-58).
Also advancing were Derek Sudell of Eclub of Fairfield, Andrew Sciarretta of Brooklawn CC, Nathaniel Dong of Tallwood CC, Max Bugg of Clinton CC, Chris Butler of Wampanoag CC and Max Theodorakis of Ridgewood CC.
Match play continues with the quarterfinal and semifinal matches Wednesday and concludes with the 18-hole championship final on Thursday morning. For more information and live scoring, visit CTJunior.com.
Quarterfinal Matches
8:00 a.m. – Evan Grenus. TPC River Highlands vs. Derek Sudell, Eclub of Fairfield
8:10 a.m. – Andrew Sciarretta, Brooklawn CC vs. Nathaniel Dong, Tallwood CC
8:20 a.m. – Maxx Bugg, Clinton CC vs. Chris Butler, Wampanoag CC
8:30 a.m. – Thomas Labbe, Watertown GC vs. Max Theodorakis, Ridgewood CC
Round of 16 Results
Grenus, Evan, TPC River Highlands def. Looney, Connor, TPC River Highlands, 6 and 5
Sudell, Derek M, Eclub of Fairfield def. Rupp, Austin, Ct PGA Junior Golf Association, 6 and 4
Sciarretta, Andrew, Brooklawn Country Club def. Simione, Chris, Ct PGA Junior Golf Association, 5 and 4
Dong, Nathaniel, Tallwood CC def. Shortell, Preston, Ct PGA Junior Golf Association, 2 and 1
Bugg, Maxx, Clinton CC def Iannone, Zach, Race Brook CC, 3 and 2
Butler, Chris, Wampanoag Country Club def. Aitken, Drew, Connecticut National Golf Club, 19 holes
Labbe, Thomas, Watertown GC def. Kong, Rasmey, The Course at Yale, 3 and 1
Theodorakis, Max, Ridgewood CC def. Clark, Justin, Rolling Hills CC, 4 and 3
