Harwinton, Connecticut (July 13, 2023) – After a grueling four days of wet and then brutally hot conditions at Fairview Farm Golf Course Will Gregware (Farmington Woods CC) prevailed 5&4 in the championship match to win the 82nd Connecticut Junior Amateur and earn his first career CSGA title.
“It feels amazing. This is always a tournament that I have circled on the calendar all year round. I look forward to it,” said Will Gregware who was a member of the 2019 PGA Junior League Fairview Farm GC team. “I had a really good run last year reaching the semifinals but I came up just short and that was in the back of my mind this week. I’m really, really happy to get it done.”
Gregware, a winner in the semifinals against Charles Schrohe (Burning Tree CC) with a miraculous walk-off chip-in birdie on the par-5 18th, dropped the opening hole of the championship match against Gavin Kvadus (Glastonbury Hills CC) but once the match was tied the Maryland commit stepped on the accelerator.
Kvadus, a 3&2 winner over Robby Rosati (Great River GC) in the semifinals, won the par-4 first with a par and held a 1 up lead through the first three holes but after finding trouble on the downhill par-3 fourth resulting in a bogey the door was open for Gregware to win the hole with a par.
Two holes later on the par-5 sixth Gregware took his first lead of the match. It was a lead he would never relinquish. Gregware missed the fairway left and pulled his second shot left as well but he got a fortunate kick off the cart path that catapulted his ball through the bunker and to the back of the green. From there a two-putt birdie resulted in a 1-up advantage.
The advantage was extended to 2 up with a birdie on No. 8 however a short missed par putt on No. 9 by Gregware allowed Kvadus to make the turn just 1 down.
Looking to make his move Kvadus, a survivor of a 10-for-2 playoff late on Monday to get into match play, hit what looked like a good shot into the dramatically downhill par-3 10th but his tee shot came up short allowing Gregware to win the hole with a bogey and restore his 2 up lead.
Once 2 up for a second time Gregware found another gear. He made a clutch 12-footer for par to tie No. 11 and then won the par-3 12th after more trouble off the tee for Kvadus. Leading 3 up with six holes remaining Gregware just kept coming. On No. 14 he rammed home a 25-footer for birdie and then on the ensuing hole he clinched the title with a 12-footer for yet another birdie unleashing a ferocious fist pump as the putt slammed into the bottom of the cup. It was his third consecutive birdie and fifth of the match.
“I was struggling with my putting for most of my tournament and just stuck with it and kept digging and eventually putts started falling and that felt really good. I think when I saw the 12-footer for par drop on No. 11 it flipped a little switch in my mind and I felt a little better after that,” Gregware said. “This win means everything to me. It was a really special one. I’ll remember this one for a long time.”
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut Junior 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.
