Gavin Keefe previews local golf club championships

Some interesting story lines to watch in club championship play over the next few weeks:

• At Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton, the men's club championships get underway this weekend with 36 holes of qualifying play. The field includes defending champion Mike Rege as well as previous champs Steve Chevalier (two titles), Ken Wetmore (five), Jay Dempsey (two), Mitch Marron (one) and Bill Ernst (one).

Rege defeated Corey Jones, 4 and 2, in last year in a meeting between two first-time finalists and Fitch High School graduates.

At least Rege thinks he'll be playing.

As of Wednesday, Rege's wife Jackie was three days overdue with their first child.

"Will see how it goes," said Rege on Wednesday shortly before playing a round at Shennecossett. "Hopefully, I'll get to play."

The last golfer to repeat as champion was Dempsey, who won in 2002 and 2003.

• At Elmridge Golf Course in Pawcatuck, Pete Stefanski is closing in on a chance to set the record for most men's club championships there. He has eight titles, sharing the title mark with Tim Sisk, who's now a member at Shennecossett.

Stefanski has reached this week's semifinals where he'll face Ian MacKay while John Donohue plays Lou Laudone in the other match.

Semifinal winners meet in Sunday's scheduled 36-hole championship. Stefanski has won five of the last six club titles including in 2018 and also is a regular in the winner's circle in the senior club event.

In First Flight semifinal action, Randy Orlomoski plays Eric Piccolo while Jim Celico faces Vin Federico.

• James Stack is the defending champion at Pequot Golf Club, which begins its men's club championship this weekend, in Stonington. The second and third round of stroke play runs Aug. 3 and Aug. 4, respectively. James Lathrop, a multiple title winner, is another golfer to watch.

Last year, Stack won his second championship, which meant a lot to him because he tied his father Hugh's title total.

Kit Bryan will attempt to capture her 10th Pequot women's club championship next month when the tournament tees off on Aug. 20 and finishes Aug. 27.

• The Norwich Golf Course men's club championship begins this weekend and culminates with the final round on Aug. 4. Chris DeLucia, an eight-time winner, is the defending champion.

• Defending champions Eric Briggs and Anne-Marie van der Velde will be playing in the men's and women's club championship, respectively, at Stonington Country Club. The final round will tee off on Sunday, Aug. 4.

Short putts

A few leftovers from the 93rd Norwich Invitational:

• Champion Nick Harrington made an interesting comment after winning his second Norwich Invitational title on Sunday.

He spoke about how strong the home course advantage is for Norwich Golf Course members. He fought off Chris DeLucia and Josh Cameron, two members, in the semifinal and final, respectively.

"It's difficult to play the guys that play here," Harrington said. "I don't know any other home course where I've seen guys from that home course play so well at their home course. Usually that's an advantage but it seems to be a huge advantage here.

"They know everything about it. When there's pins in different spots here, you have to hit different clubs off the tee. Josh hit iron off 16, which is probably a good idea for where that pin is. It was difficult to get past those guys.

Eight of the 16 players in the championship flight were members.

• Nice touch by Norwich Golf Course running the qualifying scores on a screen in the Caddy Shack Restaurant.

• Also, a great job by superintendent Eric Kundahl and his staff keeping the course in great shape on a brutally hot weekend. Maybe Kundahl will finally get a day off now. His last one was March 29.

It was back to work on Monday for pro Mike Svab who had a tournament to run. A number of golfers were over-heard praising the Norwich staff for running another successful Norwich Invitational.

"Great event," Cameron said. "They all do a great job running it. Glad to be a part of it."

• New assistant pro Chris Medeiros enjoyed working the Norwich Invitational for the first time. He manned the scoreboard on Saturday, the longest day of the event.

Medeiros has an interesting off-season job. He's a fishing guide in upstate New York over the winiter on the popular Salmon River.

• Sam Gaboury, The Day's All-Area golfer of the year in 2018, was another local golfer in the tournament. He reached the semifinals in the First Flight. After playing at Mitchell College last year, the Montville High School graduate is trying to transfer to Post University, a Division II school in Waterbury.

• Waterford graduate Nick Hedden, who lost to Gaboury in the First Flight quarterfinals, has a busy summer golf schedule. He's planning on competing in the Rhode Island Mid-Amateur, Connecticut Mid-Amateur and a Rhode Island Stroke Play Championship. He's working on his putting game. "My putting hasn't been the way I want it, but it's getting there," Hedden said.

• Learned something new about local golf history from Tim Sisk, who works in the pro shop at Shenny.

Sisk, who's been playing golf for 58 years, talked about the days of Stonington Manor Golf Club, a now closed nine-hole course once located off of Route 1 between Pawcatuck and Mystic. Wendell Ross, a PGA professional, designed the Manor and Pequot.

• Another successful Caddy Reunion Tournament at Shennecossett is in the books. Tom Edwards reports that foursome of Bob MacDonald, Tom Ward, Rich Wilczewski and Bob Eldridge won low gross honors by shooting 15-under par. Low net honors went to Tim and Dawn Sisk, Bill Ernst and Chris Thomas at 17-under. Glenn Hamler won the putting contest.

Upcoming events

• A number of local golfers are competing in the 79th Four-Ball Championship at The Course at Yale on Thursday in New Haven. Eric Briggs (Stonington CC), Dave Jones and Tony Susi (Mohegan Sun Golf Club), Michael Thompson and Justin Beal (Fox Hopyard) and Bill Hermanson and John Bauman (Black Hall Club) are listed in the field.

• Norwich is hosting a Connecticut Mid-Amateur qualifier on Monday, Aug. 12. The 32nd Connecticut Mid-Am runs Aug. 26-27 at Shuttle Meadow Golf Club in Berlin.

• Pequot Golf Club will hold its junior club championship on Aug. 15. The tournament is open to golfers 22 and under. Stop by or call the pro shop to sign up.

• Have an item for the golf column or an interesting story idea? Please email your information to g.keefe@ theday.com