Gage rallies for title

Torrington resident has two birdies in stretch

GROTON — Bobby Gage said he has finished runner-up so many times in golf tournaments throughout his career that he couldn’t exactly pinpoint the last time he won a tournament.

It was looking like another second-place finish for Gage on Wednesday at the Connecticut Senior Open — even with two birdies on his final three holes at Shennecosset Golf Course.

He wasn’t expecting Eric Egloff to falter like he did, double-bogeying the final hole to hand the trophy to Gage.

“That’s the last thing I wanted to see happen to him. He’s been a good player for a long time. I feel for him. I’ve been there,” said Gage, a 53-year-old Torrington resident. “This time, everything fell into place for me. That’s why you keep playing until the end, because you never know.”

Those birdies on holes 16 and 18 gave Gage his second-straight 2-under round of 69. His two-round total was two shots better than Egloff, Ken Green and Glen Boggini.

“It’s a golf course you feel you should shoot a million under on it, but it won’t allow it,” Gage said. “The pins are difficult to get to. It has a links-style feel. I enjoy that.”

Both Gage and Egloff have played golf plenty of times in the same group. Both were playing on the Champions Tour last year. Two weeks ago, Gage tied for 31st in the U.S. Senior

Open.

Gage, playing in this event for the first time, has missed most of this season recovering from an injured shoulder. He previously played on the PGA Tour (1998) and the Web.Com Tour and will play in two weeks at the Connecticut Open.

Egloff has his own interesting story. In 2016, the resident of Silver Spring, Maryland, won the Connecticut Senior Open on his first try. Less than six months later, and a month after gaining conditional status on the Champions Tour through its qualifying school, Egloff was fighting for his life.

He had three stents put in to clear his blocked arteries and also had emergency surgery to remove his gallbladder.

“I’m pretty happy to be here. I was pretty close to not being here,” Egloff said.

Egloff had a four-stroke lead with five holes to play, but bogeyed 14 and 15. After making two pars, Egloff hit his drive on 18 a few feet out of bounds.

“I hit a big slinging hook in there and just turned it over,” Egloff said. “I hit it on almost the same line (Tuesday) and was 20 feet inbounds. The right-to-left wind helped it to turn it more.”

Egloff had to re-tee, but was still able to reach the par-5 finishing hole in four. But he missed the par putt that would have put him into a playoff with Gage, then missed a short one for bogey.

“Golf is a funny game. You catch some breaks nobody can understand,” Egloff said. “It looked like I was in pretty good shape.

“This time, everything fell into place for me. That’s why you keep playing until the end, because you never know.”

CT Senior Open winner and Torrington resident Bobby Gage

This wasn’t the first time it happened.”

Green, a former Danbury resident and winner on the PGA Tour, shot his second straight 70. A resident now of both New Fairfield and West Palm Beach, Florida, Green enjoyed the test Shennecosset provided.

“It’s a really good golf course,” Green said. “Tee to green, it provides all different options. This is how golf should be played, options.”

Green, 59, is now nine years past the driving accident that nearly claimed his life. His lower right leg was amputated due to the crash, leaving him with a prosthetic right leg which still gives him a lot of trouble in day-to-day life.

“I can’t complain. This is a tricky golf course that played hard. They (the Connecticut Section PGA) went with some really good pins, you see that in the reflection of the scores.”

Boggini was the tournament’s low amateur. Todd Tremaglio of Wallingford was the first-round leader after shooting a 5-under 66 Tuesday, but an 81 in the final round left him in a tie for 25th place.