Record-Breaking Season for Adam Rainaud
A
dam Rainaud, Assistant Professional at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme, made Connecticut
Section PGA history in 2014 when he became the first PGA Member to win five individual
Championships in a single season. Rainaud, who was elected to PGA membership April
of 2014, won the Spring PGA Championship, the 83rd Connecticut PGA Championship by
three shots, the Connecticut Section PGA Assistant Championship by a record nine shots, the
Connecticut PGA Professional Championship by seven shots, and completed the season by winning
the Connecticut PGA Match Play Championship. He is also the Assistant Player of the Year and
Section Player of the Year, winning by a margin of almost double the points over second place in
each contest.
Junior Golf Thriving
T
his year, 500 junior golfers
from Connecticut and Western
Massachusetts joined the Junior Golf
Association and played in the 24 events that
were conducted from June through August.
An average of 120 per event participated.
Along with playing opportunities, the juniors
and their parents were offered rules seminars
and a “Road to College Golf ” seminar to help
them in their pursuit of college golf.
A new joint initiative between The
Masters Tournament, the United States
Golf Association, and the PGA of America,
was offered this season. The free nationwide
junior competition focusing on the three
fundamental skills employed in golf was
offered to girls and boys, ages 7-15. The
Connecticut Section hosted 5 qualifiers and a
sub-regional, with a total of 300 participating.
The culminating Championship is a once in a
life time invitation to Augusta National Golf
Club to compete in the second annual Drive,
Chip and Putt Championship National Finals.
The season ended with the Jack
Kelly Tournament of Champions at the
Shennecossett Golf Course and the Remy
Cup where the Connecticut Section juniors
(pictured above in red shirts) prevailed for the
third straight year against top New England
PGA junior golfers.
Registration for 2015 JGA membership
will open in April. For more information, please
visit www.ctpga.com/juniorgolf or contact
Junior Golf & Finance Project Director Sally
Sohn, [email protected].
2014 SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS
Golf Professional of the Year
Dave DiRico, Dave DiRico’s Golf & Racquet
2014 PGA Hall of Fame Inductees
Bill Fox, PGA Life Member
Teacher of the Year
Chuck Lasher, PGA Life Member
Tom Gleeton, CC of Waterbury
Youth Player Development Award
George DeVita, Farmington Woods CC
Jack McConachie, North Ridge GG
Bill Strausbaugh Award
Gary Sassu, Chippanee GC
2014 Jack Kelly Sportsmanship Awards Vienna Winalski, West Hartford, Conn.
Horton Smith Award
Mike Martin, Tashua Knolls GC
Logan French, Tolland, Conn.
Public Merchandiser of the Year
Jeff DelRosso, Prospect Driving Range
2014 JGA Player of the Year
Angela Garvin, Feeding Hills, Mass.
Private Merchandiser of the Year
Tim Quirk, Longmeadow CC
Brian LeBlanc, Newtown, Conn.
Assistant Professional of the Year
Aaron Chaffin, Shuttle Meadow CC
2014 Section Player of the Year
Adam Rainaud, Black Hall Club
Player Development Award
Kevin Cloud, Goodwin Park GC
2014 Senior Player of the Year
Fran Marrello, PGA Life Member
President’s Award
Kyle Hedstrom, Stanley GC
2014 Assistant Player of the Year
Adam Rainaud, Black Hall Club
Sales Representative of the Year
Barry Dennis, Kensington, Conn.
Walter Lowell Public Golf Course
Distinguished Service Award
Willow Brook Golf Course, South Winds