8 TH SENIOR MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
The Farms Country Club Wallingford, Conn. May 27 - 29
FOURTH TIME’S A CHARM
Dave Szewczul overcame an early deficit in the final match to outlast Jon
Groveman for his fourth Senior Match Play title in five years.
A
T THE START of each season, there
are always events where picking the
champion seems like an obvious
choice. When it comes to the Senior Match Play
Championship, there is no clearer choice than
Dave Szewczul of Tunxis Plantation Country
Club.
Entering the championship as a threetime defending champion (2010, 12 and 13),
Szewczul picked up right where he left off,
claiming medalist honors by two strokes with a
round of 71. On his road to the finals, Szewczul
knocked off Gary Mattesen, Craig Dubois and
William Lee, three-time Connecticut Amateur
champion.
However, the finals proved to be
Szewczul’s toughest test yet, where he faced off
with Jon Groveman of Connecticut Golf Club.
Szewczul trailed early in the match; however,
he would claw his way back and standing in the
middle of the fairway on the par-5 12th, his
lead was one. After hitting a hybrid from 220
yards to a mere twelve feet from the hole, and
subsequently sinking the birdie putt, Szewczul
seized his largest lead of the match.
1
Dave Szewczul, Tunxis Plantation CC (72)
16 Gary Mattesen, Cedar Knob GC (78)
8
Trailing Szewczul by one, Groveman
failed to hit the green on the final hole. When
his chip came up just short of the hole, Szewczul
knocked in a three foot par putt for the victory
and his fourth Senior Match Play title.
In the four rounds of match play,
which amounted to a total of sixty-seven holes,
Szewczul only trailed for six of them. Even more
remarkable, he recorded twelve birdies and an
eagle against just seven bogies.
The victory marked the fourth Senior
Match Play title for Szewczul (2010, 12, 13 and
14) in the eight years since the inception of the
event. In the one hundred-sixteen year history
of the CSGA, it is only the sixth time that
any player has won the same CSGA amateur
championship four or more times. Szewczul
now shares that distinct honor with Richard
Siderowf (Amateur 1955, 60, 65, 84 and 85),
Fred Kask (Connecticut Amateur 1970, 77, 80
and 87), Sam Petron (Senior Amateur 1962, 6870, 74 and 75), Bill Hermanson (Mid-Amateur
1990-93), and Jeff Hedden (Mid-Amateur
2002, 05, 06 and 09).
Szewczul
3 and 2
Craig Dubois, Wintonbury Hills GC (77)
9
Tom Gorman, Topstone GC (77)
4
Szewczul
2 Up
Dubois
2 and 1
Shawn McLoughlin, Ridgewood CC (75)
13 William Lee, Course at Yale (77)
5
Lee
3 and 2
Bill Dober, Brooklawn CC (75)
12 Bill Torza, Wethersfield CC (77)
2
Bob Spaniotis, Wethersfield CC (78)
7
Lee
5 and 3
Torza
1 Up
Mike Natale, East Mountain GC (73)
15
Szewczul
4 and 3
Top: Dave Szewczul’s precision and accuracy propelled
him to another Senior Match Play victory; Middle: Jon
Groveman lines up a par-saving putt on the ninth hole;
Bottom: Szewczul claimed the Champions Trophy for the
fourth time in five years.
Frank Geiger, H.S. Richardson GC (75)
10 Robert Carroll, Wampanoag CC (77)
3
11
Natale
21 Holes
Carroll
20 Holes
Groveman
1 Up
Tom Yellin, Stanwich Club (73)
14 Wayne Tymosko, Timberlin GC (77)
6
Natale
7 and 6
Yellin
6 and 4
Jon Groveman, Connecticut GC (75)
Manny DaSilva, Blue Fox Run GC (77)
www.csgalinks.org
Groveman
1 Up
Groveman
19 Holes
Dave Szewczul
Champion, 2 Up
Connecticut State Golf Association 2014
19