The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Rainaud hoping for better result at Travelers
DARIEN >> There are plenty of good golfers in the Connecticut Section who have never been able to qualify for a PGA Tour event.
At age 30, Adam Rainaud has already qualified for three. In fact, this is the third straight year the assistant pro from the Black Hall Club in Old Lyme has qualified for a PGA Tour event.
Rainaud will tee it up this week in the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. He earned the berth last month by winning the Connecticut Section’s Spring Stroke Play event for the second time in three years.
“To think growing up, that’s all I wanted to do, and now I’ve done it for the third year in a row,” Rainaud said. “That’s the highlight of the year. Every time I’m practicing, all I’m thinking about is getting ready in case I have another opportunity to play in an event like that and try and represent the Connecticut Section PGA pros. I know they are rooting me on.”
He now may have an entire state of golfers rooting him on. Rainaud rallied from six shots behind at the start of the final round to win the 82nd Connecticut Open last week at Woodway Country Club in Darien. He did this despite shooting 4 over par in the opening round Monday, then pulling a muscle in his back on the second shot of his second round Tuesday.
He considered withdrawing when the pain got intense, but instead proceeded to play, hitting no more than three-quarter shots the rest of the tournament to avoid putting further strain on the back. After an even-par front nine on Tuesday, Rainaud shot 11-under over his final 27 holes. His final round of 65 tied the course record at Woodway CC and he became the first active member of the Connecticut Section PGA to win the Open since Jim St. Pierre in 2002 at New Haven CC.
Rainaud, a Massachusetts native, has been at Black Hall for six years and just bought a house in Chester. So he now feels like a true state resident.
Playing a more conservative style due to his back could help this week. Woodway CC is a little bit longer than TPC River Highlands and the greens at Woodway CC were rolling pretty fast.
“This (Woodway) is a pretty tough course, about the same yardage (as River Highlands) and the greens are pretty fast. I was also hitting certain shots that I know I will have to hit at the Travelers,” Rainaud said.
Even though he missed the cut in the Travelers two years ago and the PGA Championship last year, Rainaud has confidence going into this week.
“In that atmosphere, I’m definitely comfortable. I know I’ve done it before,” Rainaud said. “I’ll always be nervous, that always happens. My ball striking was really great in both events (the last two years). I have to keep that up and really focus on my short game. That really has to carry me to the next level. I need to make some birdie putts and get up and down when I miss the green.”