Rainaud returns to defend title

Adam Rainaud was more than satisfied to remain as an assistant golf pro at the Black Hall Club in Old Lyme for another year and wait for an opportunity to be a head pro somewhere.

But in February, an opportunity to be an assistant elsewhere was too good to pass up. So now, Rainaud, 31, works at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York.

“When they told me what the job description would be like, I had to give this a shot,” Rainaud said. “I absolutely love it. The job is a 10 out of 10. The members couldn’t be any nicer and more supportive and fun. They are all positive people. I’m happy to be there.”

Winged Foot is a part of the Met Section so Rainaud now plays in those events — and the Connecticut Section PGA lost its top golfer. But Rainaud does return to play in two events — the Connecticut Open next week at Ellington Ridge CC and the Connecticut PGA Championship Aug. 29-30 at Keney Park in Hartford.

A Chester resident, Rainaud sometimes takes the commute home when he is working at Winged Foot. But three nights a week he stays on the course grounds.

“Two totally different places. At Black Hall, I was the membership director, gave a lot of lessons, sort of managed the staff, you kind of oversee everything while you work there,” Rainaud said. “Here at Winged Foot, it’s more about the golf shop retail operation. It’s so busy, selling much merchandise every day.”

Among the merchandise being sold is for the 2020 U.S. Open, which will be held at Winged Foot. Rainaud wouldn’t specify on what merchandise is available, but did say, “Its a lot busier than you would think it is.”

Rainaud has had a pretty big year on and off the course. He got married in March and he also qualified for the PGA Championship for the second time by finishing in the top 20 in the PGA Professional Championship last month in Oregon. He’s also qualified for the PGA Cup — very similar to the Ryder Cup — where a 10-man team of club pros from the U.S. faces players from both Great Britain and Ireland in September.

“This is bigger than making the PGA Championship,” Rainaud said about the PGA Cup.

Rainaud will be defending his title at the Connecticut Open. Last year, he rallied from 10 shots down in the second round to win his first Open title by five strokes at Woodway CC. He shot a 65 in the third and final round.

“Those two weeks, I’ll play Keney Park and Ellington Ridge, stay at home in Chester and it will feel totally normal,” said Rainaud, who has played Ellington Ridge CC about a half-dozen times. “To be honest, every tournament I play in, I don’t think any further ahead than the (current) shot. I take the same thought process and plan of attack every tournament, every round of golf. A PGA Tour event or major os no different.”

Rainaud said the only time it changes is if its the final nine holes and he needs to be aggressive like last year’s Open. And his game, as always, is in tournament shape.

“Playing Winged Foot a few times a week, the course is so tough, it’s helped my game,” Rainaud said.

Rainaud will go off at 9 a.m. in Monday’s opening round. He is paired with Zack Zaback and Jason Thresher. Rainaud qualified for the Travelers Championship in both 2014 and 2016 while Zaback, a Cromwell resident, qualified this past June.

The 7:40 a.m. group has Jeff Evanier of Clinton CC and Bill Hermanson of Black Hall paired together. Former two-time winner Jeff Curl is paired with Cheshire native Eric Dietrich (7:50).

Chris Simione of Race Brook CC, also a Cheshire native, and Geoff Vartelas of TPC River Highlands, both go off at 8:10 a.m. at holes 1 and 10, respectively. Steve Sokol, the 2003 winner at Black Hall, tees off 1 at 8:40. Three-time champ Frank Bensel of Norwalk goes off the 10th at 9 a.m.

In the afternoon pairings, North Haven native Rasmey Kong tees off No. 1 at 1:20 p.m. while Brent Paladino (New Haven CC) goes off the 10th at 1:30.

Cody Paladino, Brent’s younger brother and the 2015 champ, tees off at 2 p.m. on No. 1 while Milford resident Ben James, a rising eighth grader at Hamden Hall, goes off the same time on the 10th. Four-time winner Kyle Gallo tees off No. 1 at 2:20. The low 40 players and ties advance to Wednesday’s final round.

Double eagle

Congratulations to 13-year-old Gabby Dellacroce, who recorded a double-eagle, or albatross, this past week on the 194-yard sixth hole at Race Brook CC’s O’Sullivan nine-hole course. Gabby was playing with her mom Jennifer and her brother Joey.