New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
State players set sights on making cut for U.S. Open
Qualifying will be held on Monday
Old Oaks and Century Country Clubs in Purchase, New York are combining once again to host 36-hole U.S. Open Sectional qualifying on Monday.
The two courses count as one of eight host sites nationwide. The other seven are: The Olympic Club (Ocean Course) in San Francisco; The Club at Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter, Florida; Ansley GC in Roswell, Georgia; Woodmont CC in Rockville, Maryland; Pronghorn Resort in Bend, Oregon; Springfield CC in Springfield, Ohio; and Wedgewood Golf and CC in Columbus, Ohio.
A handful of familiar Connecticut golfers will attempt to gain one of those precious spots in the U.S. Open, which will be held June 16-19 at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass.
Cody Paladino has made several trips to Century and Old Oaks CC in the past, including last year. A twotime winner of the Russell C. Palmer Cup and the reigning New England Amateur champion, Paladino has won the CSGA Dick Tettlebach Player of the Year, including the last two years.
Paladino tees off at Old Oaks at 7:47 a.m., then plays his afternoon round at Century.
Ben James, from Milford, completed one of the greatest junior careers in state history by defending at the Team TaylorMade Invitational on Monday. That victory lifted James into the No. 1 spot in the American Junior Golf Association rankings.
James already has a big event scheduled for this week: he is graduating from Hamden Hall Country Day. Then he heads off to play at the University of Virginia.
James tees off at 7 a.m, at Old Oaks.
Jackson Fretty is a former standout at Greenwich High now playing at Princeton University. He tees off at 8:16 a.m. at Century CC.
Caleb Manuel of UConn, who qualified for NCAA Division I East Regional held at Yale GC last month and finished second to Paladino at the New England Amateur last July, tees off at 7:28 a.m. at Old Oaks CC.
Alex Beach of Stamford, who just played in his fifth PGA Championship, and Casey Pyne, an assistant pro at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich who played in his first PGA, are also attempting to qualify. Former PGA Tour pros Johnson Wagner, Kelly Kraft and Ricky Barnes are also in the field.
Brian Carlson of Madison, a former standout at Purdue, is attempting to qualify out of Bend Oregon.
Dave Pastore of Greenwich and Anthony Guerrera of Watertown are trying to qualify out of Admiral’s Cove in Jupiter. A number of PGA Tour pros are also there on Monday including Rickie Fowler, who is paired with Guerrera.
CT WOMEN’S OPEN
Five champions will be in the field when the 23rd Connecticut Women’s Open begins on Monday at Hop Meadow CC in Simsbury.
That includes defending champion Melissa Siviter, from Georgia, who made last year’s tournament her first professional victory. She grew up in England, There are no state restrictions to compete in this event.
The other former champs competing are as follows: four-time winner Liz Caron, 2008 winner Lynn Valentine, 2009 champion C.J. Reeves and 2011 champ Jordan Lintz. Kyra Cox, a two-time winner of the Connecticut Women’s Amateur, is also in the field this week as is 2020 winner Sophia Sarrazin, a rising senior at Hamden Hall Country Day who tied for second in this event last year.
Caron, Lintz and Siviter are all playing the same group Monday at 8:40 a.m.
The field of 60 will play the 36-hole event with no cut.
JONES WINS SENIOR MATCH PLAY
Dave Jones (Mohegan Sun GC) defeated Hugh Duffy (Madison CC) 3 and 2 to win the 16th CSGA Senior Match Play Championship on Friday at Madison CC.
This was Jones’ first individual CSGA title. Duffy finished 31st out of 32 in stroke-play qualifying to get to match play, then pulled four seeded upsets on his home course to reach the final.