Ben Day eliminates state amateur defending champ Richard Dowling

Cheshire native Ben Day eliminated defending champion Richard Dowling on Tuesday afternoon to advance to the 118th State Amateur quarterfinals at Shorehaven Golf Club.

Day, a member at Country Club of Waterbury, is the No. 2 seed. He won the match 4 and 3. Day will face Tom Durkin (Suffield CC) in the quarterfinals.

Two members from Great River GC won both matches Tuesday. No. 3 seed Ben James, a rising junior at Hamden Hall Country Day School and a member of last year’s U.S. Junior President’s Cup team, rallied to beat Connor Belcastro 2 and 1. He will face 2013 winner Cody Paladino, who eliminated Tommy McDonagh (Shorehaven), a former two-time champion, including a win over Paladino in the 2006 final. Paladino won 3 and 2.

No. 4 Adam Friedman, the other member from Great River GC, eliminated Bob Murphy (Brownson CC) 4 and 3. He faces No. 21 Chris Fosdick (Wallingford CC) in the quarterfinals.

Top seed Bradford Tilley (Redding CC) had to go to sudden death to beat No. 32

Michael Hanratty in the first round, then eliminated Josh Cameron 3 and 2. He faces Dan Murphy (Smith Richardson GC) in the quarterfinals.

STATE AMATEUR

(at Shorehaven GC)

ROUND OF 32

Top bracket: Bradford Tilley (Redding CC) def. Michael Hanratty (Farmington Woods GC), 19 holes; Josh Cameron (Shenecossett GC) def. Kyle Roberts (TPC River Highlands), 3 and 2; Chris Ayers (Goodwin Park) def. James Sheltman (Alling Memorial GC), 2 and 1; Dan Murphy (Smith Richardson GC) def. Nick Waddington (Manchester CC), 6 and 5; Adam Friedman (Great River GC) def. Matt Chorches (Hartford GC), 5 and 4; Bob Murphy (Brownson CC) def. Quin Greene (CC of Waterbury), 5 and 4; Jason Jaworski (Shorehaven GC) def. Matt Doyle (Madison CC), 5 and 4; Chris Fosdick (Wallingford CC) def. Matt Fuller (Great Neck CC), 3 and 2. Bottom bracket: Ben Day (CC of Waterbury) def. Hunter Byram (Manchester CC), 3 and 2; Rich Dowling (Golf Performance Center) def. Brian Ahern (Wampanoag CC), 6 and 5; Ben Conroy (New Haven CC) def. Pat Griffin (Chippanee CC), 1-up; Tom Durkin (Suffield CC) def. Anthony Guerrera (Watertown GC), 2-up; Ben James (Great River GC) def. Chase Barbe (Greenwich CC), 6 and 5; Connor Belcastro (unaffiliated) def. Chandler Morris (CC of Waterbury), 1-up; Tommy McDonagh (Shorehaven GC) def. Mike Carey (East Hartford GC), 3 and 2; Cody Paladino (CC of Farmington) def. Mike Kennedy (New Haven CC), 5 and 4.

ROUND OF 16

Top bracket: Tilley def. Cameron 3 and 2; D. Murphy def. Ayers 1-up; Friedman def. B. Murphy 4 and 3; Fosdick def. Jaworski 6 and 4.

Bottom bracket: Day def. Dowling 4 and 3; Durkin def. Conroy 2 and 1; James def. Belcastro 2 and 1; Paladino def. McDonagh 3 and 2.

QUARTERFINALS Wednesday

Tilley vs. D. Murphy, 8 a.m.; Friedman vs. Fosdick, 8:10; Day vs. Durkin, 8:20; James vs. Paladino, 8:30.