CHAMPIONSHIPS
McGuiness is the Man at Match Play
Senior Amateur Champ wins again at Gillette Ridge
Co-medalist McGuiness made 17 birdies over three days
D
on’t call it the McGuiness Slam just yet, but Keney Golf Club’s Patrick McGui-
ness has now won the last two Connecticut senior major championships.
In October McGuiness shot rounds of 71-69 at Fairview Farm Golf Course to win
the 72nd Connecticut Senior Amateur Championship.
Early this month he added the 12th Senior Match Play Championship, winning 5&4
over Mike Hooper of Brooklawn.
While the final went relatively smoothly for McGuiness, his semi-final against 2016
Senior Amateur Champion Bruce Kraczkowsky of Blue Fox Run was another story. In that
match McGuiness escaped from four down after nine to catch Kraczkowsky on the 17th and
win one up with an up-and-in, short-side par on the difficult 18th. “Bruce played really well
and put a lot of pressure on me, got me way down. I didn’t think I was going to be able to
turn it around.” But he did, beginning with a lengthy birdie putt on 10.
McGuiness’ iron play was for the most part flawless—Hooper’s was close—but it was
putting that made the difference in both matches, particularly in the final. “I really putted
16 | CSGA Links // July 2018
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