The Summer Classic Along the Shore Starts Monday at Shennecossett Golf Course
The Connecticut Senior Open – A golf titleholders’ tournament
GROTON, Conn. (July 7, 2023) – For the 26th consecutive year, the Town of Groton’s Shennecossett Golf Course will host the Connecticut Senior Open. This unofficial 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 125 years.
The tournament never fails to attract a full field of 144 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. More than half of the players, 74 of them, are from Connecticut, and reside in 53 different towns, while 70 hail from 13 other states.
In all, there are 89 professionals, and 55 amateurs entered this year vying to claim the Bill Fox Trophy and over $26,000 in prizes.
Defending Champion Alan Sorenson from Bakersfield, Calif., recorded rounds of 66 and 73 for a 3-under par 139 total and a two-shot margin of victory over runner up Bobby Gage, the 2018 champion.
Sorenson and Gage will be among the 10 former champions competing next week.
Among them are Jim Becker who is the only 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 titles came in 2012, 2015, and 2020.
Other returning champions are Charlie Blanchard (2021), Robin Byrd (2019), 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 a low amateur or tied for low amateur seven times at this tournament.
The low amateur last year was David Jones of Norwich, Conn., who finished at 3-over par 145 and placed in a tie for 10th overall. It was Jones’ fourth low amateur finish.
The Town of Groton’s Eric Morrison and Todd Goodhue have both served as hosts for the Senior Open for over 20 years. Morrison became the Golf Course Superintendent/Golf Course Manager in 2001. Goodhue was named Shennecossett’s golf professional in 1998 and has been a fixture for all Senior Opens held at the golf course.
Shennecossett will play as a 6,562-yard, par-71 course (36-35) for the tournament. First place professional prize is $3,800. The 2023 tournament is sponsored by Mohegan Sun and the PGA TOUR’s Korn Ferry Tour.
The Connecticut Senior Open is a 36-hole, stroke play competition. There will be a cut to the 70 lowest scores and ties following round 1.
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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