Tournament Preview: 72nd Senior Amateur

Links: Tournament Field  | Round One Starting Times  

On Wednesday, October 4th, ninety of the state’s top senior amateur golfers will begin their quest for the 72nd Connecticut Senior Amateur presented by the Lincoln Motor Company. The championship is open to bona fide members of a CSGA club who are fifty five years of age and over by the start of the tournament, and who have a USGA Handicap Index not exceeding 14.0.

Schedule of Play:

Wednesday, October 4th – Round one of stroke play (18-holes). Cut to the low 39 scores including ties

Thursday, October 5th – Round two of stroke play (18-holes). The lowest 36-hole total will be declared the champion.

Defending Champion: Dave Szewczul of Tunxis Plantation CC shot rounds of 72-67—139 at Madison Country Club to win the 71^st Connecticut Senior Amateur Championship by four strokes over Bob Murphy, Jr. and Randy Keleher. The 2010 Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee captured his third Senior Amateur title, which clinched his record seventh Dick Siderowf Senior Player of the Year award.

What the Winner Receives: The 2017 Connecticut Senior Amateur Champion will earn 400 points in the Dick Siderowf Senior Player of the Year race, and will also earn a one year exemption to the 2018 Russell C. Palmer Cup, 2018 Connecticut Amateur and 2018 Connecticut Open, and 5 year exemptions to the Connecticut Senior Amateur and Connecticut Mid-Amateur.

There are a total of nine past champions in this year’s field:

–         Dave Szewczul, Tunxis Plantation Country Club – 2011, 2012 and 2016 Champion

–         Bill Hermanson, Black Hall Club – 2015 Champion

–         Mark Vasington, Wampanoag Country Club – 2014 Champion

–         Jack Bracken, Hartford Golf Club – 2013 Champion

–         Manny Cavalieri, Wethersfield Country Club – 2009

–         William Lee, Course at Yale – 2008 Champion

–         Richard Stevens, Eclub of Connecticut – 2007 Champion

–         Shawn McLoughlin, Ridgewood Country Club – 2001 Champion

–         Bill Dober, Brooklawn Country Club – 1997 and 2000 Champion

Average age of the field: 60.7 years of age

Senior Player of the Year: Dave Szewczul is in control of the Dick Siderowf Senior Player of the Year race entering the season’s final major championship. Szewczul has a 409 point lead over Tom Brett of Tallwood Country Club, having won the Connecticut Public Links and Tournament of Champions earlier this season. While the champion only earns 400 points, Brett would need to win the Senior Amateur and also accumulate points at one of the final two One Day tournaments to have a chance at catching Szewczul, who also holds a commanding lead in the Dick Tettelbach Player of the Year race.

Robert Dimattei, Craig DuBois, and Joe Laroche will be representing the host club in this year’s Senior Amateur Championship. The last player to win the Senior Amateur at their home club was Jerry Courville, Sr., who won his second consecutive title at Shorehaven Golf Club in 1992.

About the Course:  The 72nd Connecticut Senior Amateur will mark the third CSGA major championship hosted at Fairview Farm Golf Course, having previously hosted the Mid-Amateur Championship in 2013 and Public Links Championship in 2015. Construction of the Fairview Farm Golf Course began in October, 1998, when owner Bob Ferrarotti purchased what had been a dairy farm from the Delay family. All eighteen holes of the championship layout was completed and opened for play in 2000.

Par and Yardage: Fairview Farm Golf Course will be set up at 6,483 yards and will play to a par of 36-36–72.

Hole-by-Hole:

Holes 1-9 will play at 3,275 yards and a par of 36

Holes 10-18 will play at 3,208 yards and a par of 36

Social Media:

In addition to full championship coverage on our website at csgalinks.org and CTSeniorAm.com, players and spectators can join the conversation using the hashtag #CTSeniorAm.

– Like Us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CSGALinks

– Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @CSGALinks

– Championship Photos on our Flickr page – Flickr.com/csgalinks