11 TH RUSSELL C. PALMER CUP
Country Club of Waterbury Waterbury, Conn. May 20 - 21
OLD-FASHIONED COMEBACK
Trailing the leaders by eight strokes heading into the final round, Blake Morris fashioned a
southern-style rally in front of the home crowd to claim his first CSGA title
A
FTER OPENING with a seven overpar 76, Blake Morris, a rising senior at
the University of Mississippi, stood a
total of nine shots back heading into the second
round. Competing in front of friends and
family on his home course at the Country Club
of Waterbury, it seemed as though a chance at
the title was out of reach. Even after shooting a
two under-par 67 in the morning round of the
36-hole finale, he only picked up a single stroke
on the overnight leader Raymond Floyd, Jr. of
Innis Arden Golf Club. Trailing by eight strokes
with only 18-holes to play, Morris’ chances of
winning indeed seemed slim, and even slimmer
after making a bogey on #7 to fall to +1 on his
final round.
However, Morris held strong and put
together a remarkable string of four straight
birdies that saw him jump from 12th place to
a tie for the lead. With US Open-type rough
and fast greens, birdies were at a premium and
bogies were a dime-a-dozen. Starting a full hour
in front of the leaders, Morris shot an impressive
final round 68 to post a four over-par total and
grab the clubhouse lead.
However, Morris was not without
chasers. As Floyd, Jr. faltered in the final round,
John Flaherty and Monte Mullen, both of TPC
River Highlands, made their own moves up
the leaderboard. Mullen, a senior at Central
Connecticut State University, birdied three of
his final ten holes, while Flaherty, a senior at
the University of Connecticut, birdied the nearimpossible 18th hole. After rounds of 72 and 69,
respectively, both found themselves in a playoff
with Morris for the title.
Both Flaherty and Morris made birdie
on the first playoff hole to advance, followed by
par saves on the second and third playoff holes.
Heading up to the first tee to begin the fourth
playoff hole, Morris felt right at home, with a
crowd of members cheering on the young man
they had watched for so many years. After both
players hit their approaches to within fifteen
feet, Morris hit one of the best putt’s of his life,
a right-to-left slider that fell in the center of the
cup. When Flaherty’s putt slid by, Morris had
finally realized his first CSGA victory on his
home course.
“The key today was that I missed in the
right spots, which I failed to do the first round.
Donald Ross courses are all about position and
today, I felt like I was in position all round, and
that was the difference.”
Clockwise from Top: Blake Morris holds the Russell C.
Palmer Cup trophy, named for the former CSGA Executive
Director and Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee;
Monte Mullen holds his finish as he hits his tee shot
on the 16th hole; John Flaherty fashioned a number of
impressive short-game shots in his bid for the title.
11th Russell C. Palmer Cup
Country Club of Waterbury ~ Waterbury, Conn. ~ May 20-21
Par: 35-34--69 ~ Yardage: 6,558 ~ Entries: 149
1
Blake Morris, CC of Waterbury
76-67-68--211
2
4
5
6
8
9
10
John Flaherty, TPC River Highlands
Monte Mullen, TPC River Highlands
Raymond Floyd Jr., Innis Arden GC
Peter Ballo, Woodway CC
John Jackopsic, Gillette Ridge GC
Zach Zaback, TPC River Highlands
Tom McCarthy, Twin Hills CC
Geoff Vartelas, Lyman Orchards GC
Ben Day, New Haven CC
71-68-72--211
69-73-69--211
67-68-78--213
74-71-69--214
73-72-70--215
69-72-74--215
78-72-66--216
74-70-73--217
73-71-74--218
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