Darien’s Gu wins State Open crown

OLD LYME — Alex Gu was a man with options. There were several ways the Darien junior could play his second shot on the first hole of the Black Hall Club — his final one of Saturday’s round.

So what would give Gu the best option to make a final par?

“I was behind the tall tree about 80 yards from the hole,” Gu said. “I had three options: go in the bunker, chip it back out to the fairway or go over the left side of the tree. I was trying to figure out where I could leave it to get up and down. If I put it just off the green, it wouldn’t be that bad.

Gu played the best option, pitching his second shot to the front of the green, then getting up and down for par to finish with a 4-over-par 75 to win the second CIAC State Open title by a stroke over Hamden’s Alex Aurora.

“I don’t think it has sunk in yet, but it is pretty special

to win the second CIAC State Open,” Gu said. “It’s a great step in the right direction.”

Gu also had to get up and down for par on the actual 18th hole — his 17th of the day due to a shotgun start — to remain one shot ahead. Not that Gu had any idea.

Gu was so focused on his own game that he didn’t know where he stood until after he holed out.

“I knew that if I kept it going, I might’ve had a chance at the end. Keep plugging along,” Gu said. “Everyone was going to make bogeys, everyone was going to make some mistakes, you have to hang in there and make sure you don’t make any mistakes coming in . ... My playing partner’s dad congratulated me and I said, ‘For what?’ Then I was like, ‘Oh did I (win)?’”

Matt Doyle, the medalist at the Division II state meet to help Hand win the team title, tied for third with Jacob Lindsay (Berlin) with a 77. Avon’s Michael Hanratty placed fifth with a 78 and Tyler Woodward (Coginchaug) and Tommy Rosati Jr. (Notre Dame-West Haven) tied for sixth at 79.

Bethen Fell from Fairfield Warde was the low girls golfer, shooting 88, good enough for 18th place overall.

Black Hall is known for its undulated greens on the calmest of days. Add some wind and putting the pins in tough conditions and that made things even harder for the young golfers.

Back-to-back bogeys on holes 15 and 16 put Aurora at 6-over for his round. Then he played his final six holes in 1-under.

Aurora was already finished before Gu made his final two pars. Darien had been knocking heads with Greenwich in the FCIAC all season long, then finished runners-up to the Cardinals in both the FCIAC and Division I meets.

Gu himself finished second alone at FCIACs and tied for second with Aurora, ironically, at last Monday’s Division I meet. Five days later, Gu stood alone in the final tournament of the high school season.

“Black Hall is an extremely tough golf course. If you put it in the wrong spot on the green, you may be better off off the green,” Gu said.