The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 4 August 2018 | Page 8

THE INSIDE SCOOP Stay Connected with the CSGA CT Amateurs Keep Making Their Mark F or Connecticut’s amateurs, especially the young ones, 2018 has been a memorable sum- mer. Two juniors made the U.S. Junior Amateur. Two others made the U.S. Girls’ Junior. One, an alternate to the national championship, won the Met Junior Championship. One tied an AJGA tournament record, recorded two holes in one and took the event by ten shots. An- other qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach. Their stories follow. Ben James reaches Round of 32 at U.S. Junior Amateur After medaling at the 77th Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship the week prior, Great River Golf Club’s Ben James continued his strong play at Baltusrol, shooting 73-71 (+3) over the Upper and Lower Courses to reach match play as the 34th seed. James, 15, then beat England’s Cameron Piedra, 2&1, but fell to Ricky Castillo of Yorba Linda, Calif., the 2nd seed. Castillo was six under par when the match ended. Justin Mathew of Rocky Hill also c ompeted but did not reach match play. In early August James won the Northern Junior by one over CIAC Open Champion Chris Fosdick at Jame’s home course, Great River Golf Club in Milford. James shot 68 (-4). Ben James 8 | CSGA Links // August 2018 Alexsandra Lapple Alexsandra Lapple and Max Theodorakis Lapple, Houle lead teams at Mixed Team Championship Fresh off their week at the U.S.Girls’ Junior at Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, Sandy Hook’s Sarah Houle and Ridgefield’s Alexsandra Lapple got to work in Connecticut. Lapple, teaming with Danbury’s Max Theodorakis, and Houle, playing with brother Josh, tied for first in the 81st Mixed Team Championship at Torrington Country Club July 24 with scores of 69 (-3). Lapple and Theodorakis then won with birdie on the first playoff hole. Theodorakis, who won Low Amateur hon- ors at the Connecticut Open, also qualified for the U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach, August 13-19, earning medalist honors at the Country Club of Darien quali- fier. Brad Tilley of Easton and Yale University’s Eoin Leonard have also qualified. Tilley made the quarterfi- nals in the Met Amateur in early August. www.csgalinks.org