29 TH CONNECTICUT PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP
Golf Club at Oxford Greens Oxford, Conn. October 6 - 7
FIRST AT LAST
After nearly twenty years of playing in CSGA competitions and plenty of close calls,
Glen Boggini broke through to win his first individual major championship.
P
LAYING IN the final group and seeking
to win his first championship title, Glen
Boggini of Twin Hills Country Club
began the final round of the 29th Connecticut
Public Links Championship with cautious
expectations. After all, he was one of twenty
competitors within four shots of the leaders Richard Malafronte of Hunter Golf Club and
Philip Boehme of Wheeler Park Golf Course.
Seeking to win his first CSGA
Championship he got off to just the start
he needed, making the turn in even-par
36 to hold steady at two over-par for the
championship. As Boehme and Malafronte
both found trouble on the closing stretch of
the front nine, Boggini continued to climb up
the leaderboard.
“I missed a couple of short putts
early on, but being a bit more mature now, I
just kept telling myself that I needed to focus
on the next shot. I felt like if I could shoot
even-par today, I would have a great chance.”
Boggini’s quest for his first title
would not come without challengers, however.
Brent Dietz of Cedar Knob Golf Course, the
2013 defending champion, bounced back
from an opening round 80 with the low
round of the tournament, a three under-par
69 that moved him to five over-par for the
championship. Dave Szewczul, the 2011
Public Links Champion and six-time Senior
Player of the Year, played steady golf on a day
where bogies were plentiful, and narrowly
missed a birdie putt on the final hole to post
a four over-par total. Josh Cameron, tied with
Boggini at the start of the final round, backed
up his opening round with a round of 74 to tie
Szewczul for the clubhouse lead.
But it was Boggini who seized the
moment when it mattered most. After making
a pair of clutch pars on the 16th and 17th
holes, he stood on the 18th tee clinging to a
one shot lead. Perhaps one of the most difficult
tee shots on the course, with hazards and out
of bounds lurking, hitting the tee-shot in play
was imperative.
“Sometimes, luck is on your side,”
said Boggini. “I took out the driver and I
tugged it a little bit, but I had a great lie in
the rough and had the perfect yardage for a
9-iron.”
From there, Boggini hit the shot
Top: Glen Boggini relished his first chance to hold a
CSGA Championship Trophy; Middle: Szewczul narrowly
missesdwinning for the second straight event. Bottom: Josh
Cameron used his length off the tee to finish second in his
first Public Links Championship.
of the tournament, a magnificent approach
that rolled to within five feet from the hole.
Needing just two putts for the win, he calmly
rolled in the birdie putt for a two-shot victory
and his first CSGA major championship.
“I was worried right up until the
final putt dropped, because I knew there were
so many guys that had a chance,” said Boggini.
“I’ve been playing in CSGA events for so long
and I’ve been close to winning a few times, but
to finally win is so special.”
Where stories of close calls and near
misses had plagued him before, Boggini wrote
his own headline - The 29th Connecticut
Public Links Champion.
29th Connecticut Public Links Championship
Golf Club at Oxford Greens ~ Oxford, Conn. ~ October 6-7
Par: 36-36--72 ~ Yardage: 6,597 ~ Entries: 94
1
Glen Boggini, Twin Hills CC
74-72--146
2
Dave Szewczul, Tunxis Plantation CC
75-73--148
Josh Cameron, Shennecossett GC
74-74--148
4
Brent Dietz, Cedar Knob GC
80-69--149
Ross Kronberg, Great River GC
74-75--149
6
Chet Hrostek, GC at Oxford Greens
74-76--150
7
Kyle Nolin, Middlesex Eclub
77-74--151
152 (8) Jeff Dolin, Manchester CC, Mike Klosowski, Topstone GC 153 (10) Paul Schaeffer, Rockledge CC, Ed Hilario, Norwich
GC, Philip Boehme, Wheeler Park GC 154 (13) Matthew Holub, Orange Hills CC, Chris Flowers, H Smith Richardson GC,
Raymond Greco, Conn. Amateur Golf Tour 155 (16) Frank Geiger, H Smith Richardson GC, Chris Maxwell, Tunxis Plantation
CC, Tom McCarthy, Twin Hills CC 156 (19) Mike Fitzpatrick, H Smith Richardson GC, Dave Renski Jr, Wheeler Park GC, Richard
Malafronte, Hunter GC 157 (22) Fletcher Babcock, Connecticut National GC, Scott Johnson, Green Woods CC 158 (24) Mike
Reddy, Rockledge CC, George Komoroski, Grassy Hill CC 159 (26) Mike Carey, East Hartford GC, Todd Lavoie, Norwich GC 160
(28) Andrew Coats, Topstone GC, Martin Santacroce, Alling Memorial GC 164 (30) Mark Karpiej, Rolling Meadows CC 166 (31)
Kevin Newlan, Grassy Hill CC 168 (32) Mike Thornton, Oak Hills Park GC
www.csgalinks.org
Connecticut State Golf Association 2014
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