New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
State’s Northern Junior tournament continues upward swing in stature
Brent Paladino took over as executive director of Golf House Kentucky at the start of the calendar year. He wears several hats for the job based out of Louisville.
But even when he interviewed for the job, Paladino made sure he mentioned being allowed to return to Connecticut to help run a tournament near and dear to his heart — the Northern Junior.
“It was a negotiating point to come back the first week of August,” said Paladino, a former standout golfer who worked for the Connecticut State Golf Association. “This tournament encompasses what (golf) associations across the country are looking for.”
The 17th Northern Junior Championship is being held Tuesday and Wednesday at the Great River Golf Club in Milford. Boys and girls under age 19 from 21 different states, provinces, and countries are scheduled to compete in the 36hole, stroke-play event.
The event started as a one-day event on the Connecticut Junior PGA calendar named after Paladino’s late grandfather, Stan Trojanowski. It was changed to its current name in 2009 and the field has kept growing ever since to include the top boys’ and girls’ junior players along the East Coast — and elsewhere.
“It’s one of the strongest fields for girls in New England by the rankings. It’s one of the top fields up and down the East Coast,” Paladino said. “(The players) can gain exemptions into other events. Every year, kids tell their friends (about playing in the event).”
Paladino, 31, said kids playing the Northern Junior, a non-profit 501 C3 event, can earn exemptions into the Bobby Chapman Junior Invitational in Spartanburg, South Carolina in October, the 2019 NorthSouth Junior in Pinehurst, North Carolina and the Northern Amateur in Indiana. This week’s tournament is competing against the Massachusetts Junior Amateur and an American Junior Golf Association event in Maine, yet still has a stellar field.
“We make it a special event for the kids. Our group of friends and committee members have all played junior and maybe college golf. For a week we go on the other side of the rope,” Paladino said. “This means a lot to our family and means a lot to the other volunteers as well. That’s why we’ve been able to have so many people come out every day (a total of 50-60 volunteers). A lot of work goes into it from everyone.”
John VanDerLaan of Southbury, who just turned pro last month and won the Connecticut Open at New Haven CC last week, is a former participant in the Northern Junior. Among the other state golfers competing include: Middlefield’s Chris Fosdick, who just finished tied for 17th in the 43rd Boys Junior PGA Championship last week at Valhalla, Kentucky; Milford’s Ben James, who qualified for the U.S. Junior Amateur; Durham’s Tyler Woodward, who also qualified for the Junior PGA; Connor Belcastro, the Connecticut Junior Amateur winner from Rowayton; Kyle St. Pierre from Shelton; and both Alex Aurora and Kevin Morris from Hamden.
Among the girls participants are Sydney Nethercott from Greenwich, Liz Garfield from Fairfield and Emily Cohen from Darien.
The Northern Junior had previously been held at New Haven CC the last several years but moved to Great River GC because the course hosted the Connecticut Open held last week. Paladino hopes to rotate the tournament between the two courses in the future.
NEW ENGLAND JUNIOR
Connecticut looks to have fielded its strongest team for the New England Junior since last winning the event in 2012.
Six golfers are set for Connecticut’s team: Fosdick, a two-time Register Area MVP from Xavier High in Middletown; James, a two-time All-Area pick at Hamden Hall Country Day; Jackson Fretty, James’ teammate at Hamden Hall and also an AllArea pick; Belcastro; Matt Doyle of Madison; the runner-up in the Junior Amateur; and Alexander Gu from Darien. The last spot was still undetermined.
Longmeadow CC in Longmeadow, Massachusetts will host the 54-hole, stroke-play event beginning Aug. 13 with two rounds and the final round on Aug. 14.
Massachusetts is the two-time defending champion and has won four of the last five titles.