The Summer Classic Along the Shore Starts Monday at Shennecossett Golf Course
The Connecticut Senior Open – A golf titleholders’ tournament
GROTON, Conn. (July 9, 2021) – For the 24th consecutive year, Shennecossett Golf Course will host the Connecticut Senior Open. This summer classic along the shore gets underway Monday.
Annually, amateurs and professionals, from near and far, descend upon the New London County town bordering the Thames River and Long Island Sound, where this classic Donald Ross redesigned golf course has stood the test of time and held its own for over 120 years.
These links and the tournament never fail to attract a full field of 156 players who have reached the age of 50, most of whom have had a career of collecting golf titles at clubs, state amateur events, and PGA Section championships, far too many to list. Most of the players, 92 of them, reside in 64 different towns in Connecticut, while 64 hale from 10 other states.
In all, there are 81 professionals and 75 amateurs entered and vying to claim the Bill Fox Trophy, named after the golf professional who started this tournament in 1983 as a friendly 18-hole get together.
Defending Champion Jim Becker of Bloomfield, Conn., recorded a pair of 68s last year for a 6-under par 136 total and a two-shot margin of victory over runner up Robin Byrd, the 2019 champion. Becker became the first three-time Senior Open winner at Shennecossett, tying him for the most titles with Don Hoenig and Charlie Moore, both who won their titles when the tournament was an 18-hole event.
Becker’s other titles came in 2012 and 2015.
Other returning champions in addition to Becker and Byrd, are John “Jumbo” Elliott (2017), Eric Egloff (2016), Jerry Courville (2014, 2009), Kevin Foster (2013, 2004), Dave Szewczul (2010), and Jack McConachie (2001).
Foster and Szewczul are the only amateurs that have won championships at Shennecossett. Szewczul of Farmington, Conn., has been low amateur or tied for low amateur seven times at this tournament.
Low amateur last year was David Jones of Norwich, Conn., who finished at 2-over par 144 and placing in a tie for 8th overall. Jones was also low amateur in both 2012 and 2015, the same years Becker won his other two titles.
PGA of America Member Todd Goodhue has been serving as the golf professional for the Town of Groton at Shennecossett since 1998, and has been a part of every Senior Open held there.
“It is a unique opportunity for us to host an important event year after year,” Goodhue said. “It is not often that a facility will have a chance to be associated with an event that welcomes in players from many different states. It is a lot of fun for our staff and our membership loves volunteering for the event and being part of it.”
Shennecossett will play as a 6,562-yard, par-71 course (36-35) for the tournament. A total of $30,000 in professional prize money and amateur gift certificates will be awarded with a $4,000 first place professional prize. The 2021 tournament is sponsored by Mohegan Sun and the PGA TOUR’s Korn Ferry Tour.
For so many titleholders playing next week, winning the Connecticut Senior Open would be another significant notch on their list of victories.
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