take home the winner’s check.
There are two pairs of brothers in the field:
- Mike, Jr. and Peter Ballo: Mike was the runner-up at the 2014 Connecticut Open and won the 2006
Connecticut Junior Amateur, and Peter was the runner-up at the 2013 Connecticut Amateur.
- Cody and Brent Paladino: Cody won the Connecticut Open in 2015 and currently plays on the PGA
Tour Latinoamerica, and Brent was the 2007 CSGA Player of the Year.
The last Head Professional to win the Connecticut Open when it was played at their own club was Brendan
Walsh, now the Head Professional at The Country Club, who won the title in 1996 at The Patterson Club.
Christopher Bland, Ellington Ridge CC Head Professional who replaced longtime Professional Tony Rowe
this year, will look to become the first player from Ellington Ridge since Kyle Gallo won his second
Connecticut Open at the Country Club of Fairfield.
The host club is represented by a total of six players. They are: Christopher Bland, Drew Brennan (a),
Jackson Buccigross (a), Matt DiRamio (a), David Olender (a), Clark Robinson (a), and John Sawka (a).
Robinson, who was medalist at US Amateur qualifying at Ellington Ridge in 2016, and who completed
an outstanding collegiate career at Marshall University this spring will be making his professional debut
at the Open.
The Connecticut Junior Amateur, open to junior golfers under the age of nineteen, has long represented
the foundation for building lifelong CSGA champions. A total of seven past Connecticut Junior Amateur
champions are in the field, all of whom are seeking to win their first Connecticut Open title. They are:
Will Wilson (a) (2017), Andrew Sciarretta (a) (2015), Evan Grenus (a) (2014), John Flaherty (2011),
Monte Mullen (a) (2010), Mike Ballo (2006), Ian Marshall (1997), and Gerard Courville (1975)
» Click here for Tournament Website
» Click here for Pairings & Tournament Field
Schedule of Events:
Monday, July 31st - First Round of Stroke Play - 18 Holes
Tuesday, August 1st- Second Round of Stroke Play - 18 Holes
*The low 40 players including ties will advance to the final round on Wednesday, August 2nd
Wednesday, August 2nd - Final Round of Stroke Play - 18 Holes
Social Media:
In addition to full championship coverage on our website at csgalinks.org and ConnOpen.com,
players and spectators can join the conversation using the hashtag #CTOpen.
- Like Us on Facebook at Facebook.com/CSGALinks
- Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @CSGALinks
- Championship Photos on Flickr – Flickr.com/csgalinks
www.csgalinks.org
CSGA Links // July, 2017 | 41