71ST Connecticut Senior Amateur
September 26 - 27, 2016 ~ Madison Country Club
I
SEALING THE DEAL
f there's one thing we've learned over
the past few years, winning is hard,
even for Dave Szewczul of Tunxis
Plantation Country Club. One of
Connecticut's most storied amateur golfers,
Szewczul's last CSGA victory came at the
2014 Senior Match Play Championship.
Although he had plenty of high finishes since
that victory, including a runner-up finish
at last year's Mid-Amateur Championship
and losing in the finals of this year's Senior
Match Play, it had been a series of close calls
and near misses that left him on the outside
looking in.
After opening with a two overpar round of 72 on the 6,280-yard layout
at Madison Country Club, Szewczul began
his quest for his third Senior Amateur
title two strokes behind overnight leader
Bill Hermanson of Black Hall Club. With
ten players within four strokes of the lead
heading into the final round, the path to
victory for the eventual champion would
certainly not be an easy one.
“I just tried to go out and play well
today,” said Szewczul. “I knew that I’ve been
playing well and striking the ball well, so it
was just a matter of making a few putts. I
made a couple of great par-saving putts on
the back nine that kept me going, and those
are almost as good as making birdies.”
Szewczul, who started on the 3rd
hole in the shotgun start format, found
himself behind early after a bogey on the
short par-4 5th hole. Although he was able
to recover with a birdie on the 6th hole, a
missed opportunity on the drivable par4 7th hole left him far from the top of the
leaderboard.
“I didn’t get off to a great start
today, but I just stuck with it and tried to
play solid golf for the final fifteen holes,” said
Szewczul. “I let the drive slip
away on #7 and I was definitely
disappointed to not give myself
a decent chance at birdie there.
But after that, I started hitting
some quality shots and was able
to get some momentum going.”
Indeed, he did. With
the back nine playing nearly
three strokes harder than the
front nine, Szewczul managed
three birdies and no bogies on
the inward stretch. The newly
“
designed green complexes were no match for
Szewczul’s near-perfect ball striking – in fact,
he missed just one fairway and one green all
day.
But it wasn’t until the very end
that Szewczul could lay claim to the Senior
Amateur trophy, as six different players held
a share of the lead throughout the day at
even-par. As bogies began to pile up, it was
Szewczul’s consistency that brought him to
the top. His birdies on #10, #12 and #14
boosted him into sole possession of the
lead with just six holes to play, and a string
of two-putt par’s was all that was needed to
secure the four-stroke victory.
The six-time CSGA Senior
Player of the Year and 2010 inductee into
the Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame has
already written his place among the greats
in Connecticut golf. The win marks his
third Senior Amateur Championship and
seventh CSGA senior title, and he becomes
just the third player in CSGA history to
win three or more Senior Amateur titles.
Finishing runner-up was Randy Keleher
of Sterling Farms Golf Course and Robert
Murphy, Jr. of Brownson Country Club, both
of whom finished at three over-par for the
championship.
LEFT: Dave Szewczul made nary a mistake in his final
round, making four birdies and a lone bogey to vault up
the leaderboard.
This one means a lot - I’ve been playing well for
the last year and a half and I just haven’t been able
to finish it. I’ve been putting myself in position and
I’ve been close, but to finally close the deal and bring it
home is truly gratifying for all the work that you
put into it.
- Dave Szewczul
”
Madison, Conn. ~ Yardage: 6,280 ~ Par: 70 ~ Entries: 155
1
Dave Szewczul, Tunxis Plantation CC 72-67--139
151 (11) Mark Vasington, Wampanoag CC // Richard Stevens, Middlesex Eclub 152 (13) Jon Groveman,
2
Randy Keleher, Sterling Farms GC 72-71--143
Connecticut GC // Bob Ruby, Jr., Madison CC // Al Germano, Manchester CC // David Miller, Timberlin GC //
Robert Murphy, Jr., Brownson CC 71-72--143
Paul Stancs, Litchfield CC 153 (18) Mark Vassalotti, Sterling Farms GC // Michael Hooper, Brooklawn CC //
Rob Bartha, Tallwood CC 154 (21) Dennis Bongiovanni, Rockledge GC // Bill Dober, Brooklawn CC 155
4
Bill Hermanson, Black Hall Club 70-74--144
5
Tom Brett, Tallwood CC 74-71--145
Richard Malafronte, Hunter GC 73-72--145
7
Frank Geiger, H. Smith Richardson GC 75-74--149
8
Ed Cashman, Middlesex Eclub 75-75--150
Michael Moraghan, CC of Waterbury 73-77--150
Spaniotis, Wethersfield CC // Robert Carroll, Club at River Oaks 165 (39) Gary Mattesen, Cedar Knob GC
Tom Scarrozzo, Blue Fox Run GC 71-79--150
166 (40) Kenneth Comerford, Tallwood CC
(23) Drew Greenland, Rockrimmon CC 156 (24) Mark Durand, Wethersfield CC // Rod McCorkill, Cedar
Knob GC 157 (26) Jim Bidwell, Tallwood CC // James Curtis, Clinton CC // Jim Romaniello, Shorehaven
GC // Jack Murphy, CC of Woodbridge 158 (30) Terry Ruzzo, Tallwood CC 159 (31) Jim O"Neill, Great
Neck CC // Douglas Shildneck, Great River GC 162 (33) Roger Everin, Wethersfield CC // Larry Bolduc,
Wethersfield CC 163 (35) Ivan Lendl, Torrington CC 164 (36) John Kuzia, Simsbury Farms GC // Bob
2016 ANNUAL / CONNECTICUT STATE GOLF ASSOCIATION / 39