Tiffany Chan and Connor Goode Crowned Junior Connecticut PGA Champions
Four Qualify for PGA Junior Nationals
By Bruce Berlet
HARTFORD, Conn. (June 30, 2021) – Tiffany Chan, Catarina Petrovic and Josephine Genereux all had no idea how they stood headed down backstretch of Junior Connecticut PGA Championship at Keney Park Golf Course on Wednesday.
Probably just as well for the teenagers as only two of the trio would advance to the PGA of America Junior Girls Championship on July 27-30, at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky., home of the national organization.
Fittingly, it came down to the final hole of 36 played in a 100-degree-plus heat index over two days. Chan, 17, who lives in Hong Kong and will be a senior at the Kent School, had a one-stroke lead over Petrovic and Genereux playing the difficult par-3 18th hole and all but clinched her spot to the nationals with a tee shot to 10 feet. She did two-putt for par, a 5-over-par 75 and a 36-hole total of 7-over 147.
“The back nine was definitely a roller-coaster, but it was nice to make the par at the end,” Chan said, alluding to four pars and five bogeys in an incoming 40. “It was very challenging because of the heat so I just tried to stay in the shade and under my umbrella a lot. I lost my focus on a few shots, but I just kept telling myself to stay focused. I’m really excited about going to Kentucky because I’ve only been there once for three or four days.”
So, it came down to the defending champion Genereux and Petrovic, whose opening 69 was a career low and gave her a three-stroke lead over Chan. Both hit the green, but Genereux’s shot rolled about 40 feet past the pin while Petrovic was in much better shape 15 feet below the hole. Genereux, of Greenwich, ran her first putt 10 feet past the cup, while Petrovic needed only 2 feet to make par for 79. When Genereux left her par bid inches short, she was relegated to first alternate for the nationals after shooting 76.
“The difference between my two rounds was 100 percent putting,” said Petrovic, 16, who had five birdies on Tuesday and none Wednesday. “All my putts went in yesterday, but today I just couldn’t any. And my approach shots weren’t very good, either. I have a lot of practice to do, but I’m really excited about going to Kentucky because I’ve never been there. Plus, I like traveling a lot.”
Petrovic’s father is Stephen Petrovic, who used to caddie for his older brother, Tim, a winner on the PGA Tour and now enjoying success on the PGA Tour Champions, having finished second three times. Catarina won the CIAC Division I Girls Championship playing for Farmington High School, but she and the rest of the family were scheduled to move to Naples, Fla., on July 29. There’ll have to be a change in plans with Catarina being in Louisville that week.
The boys’ division wasn’t nearly as riveting as the girls as far as the berths in the national championship, but Ryan Downes certainly made it interesting as far as who would receive the winner’s trophy. Downes and Connor Goode shared the top spots after the first round at 67, and Goode took a one-stroke lead after making four birdies in a 2-under 33 on the front nine.
Goode, 17, of Glastonbury, Conn., maintained his advantage on the back and was two ahead going to the 18th hole. Downes hit his tee shot right on a mound but managed to hole a 60-foot chip shot for a birdie and 70.
“He was trying to make it difficult on me,” Goode joked.
Goode could afford to be in a good mood after he two-putted from 25 feet, making a 3-foot comebacker for 69-136 and a one-stroke victory. He and Downes earned spots in the Boys Junior PGA Championship on July 12-15, at Kearney Hill Golf Links in Lexington, Ky.
“Ryan’s chip shot got me a little nervous, but it felt good to make the 3-footer to win,” Goode said. “I played steady and made some nice birdie putts, which was nice because I knew Ryan wasn’t going to give it away. I shot 7 over and finished T13 in the tournament last year, but I’ve started to figure out where to put the ball in the right spots and didn’t have any double bogeys in two days.
“I’ve always been an average golfer who usually finished in the Top 10, so I’m really excited to be going to Kentucky for the nationals.”
Downes is the son of Billy Downes, a longtime standout in the Connecticut Section PGA who has qualified for the Travelers Championship out of GREATHORSE in Hampden, Mass. He had three birdies in the finish of his third start in the championship.
“I played all right but couldn’t get any putts to drop,” Downes said. “I thought I might have a chance to make the nationals, and I think it’s a great achievement and something that I’ve been looking forward to.”
Jackson Roman of Kensington finished third at 140.
Keney Park hosted both of the championships in 2019 when Jake Heath of Charlotte, NC, and Yuka Saso of the Philippines won the respective titles. Both the women’s and men’s Keney Park course records were set in those championships. Megha Ganne of Holmdel, NJ, shot 62 in the third round and Jake Beber-Frankel of Miami, Fla., shot 60 in the second round.
Earlier this month, Saso won the United States Women’s Open and Ganne finished as low amateur.
Final Results – Girls Championship
Final Results – Boys Championship results
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Contact: Tom Hantke, Connecticut Section PGA, 860-430-2302, thantke@pgahq.com
Girls Championship:
1 Tiffany Chan Kent, CT 72-75–147 +7
2 Catarina Petrovic Farmington, CT 69-79–148 +8
3 Josephine Genereux Greenwich, CT 73-76–149 +9
4 Yvette OBrien Greenwich, CT 76-74–150 +10
5 Laniah Moffett Waterbury, CT 75-78–153 +13
6 Annie Dai Longmeadow, MA 80-76–156 +16
7 Aoife Devaney Waterbury, CT 82-78–160 +20
T8 Leni Lemcke Westport, CT 80-81–161 +21
T8 Mia Holbrook Pound Ridge, NY 79-82–161 +21
10 Jensie-Rose Nicholas Trumbull, CT 83-79–162 +22
T11 Caroline Cermignani Glastonbury, CT 83-80–163 +23
T11 Morgan Peterson Glastonbury, CT 77-86–163 +23
13 Kenna Roman Kensington, CT 88-76–164 +24
14 Elizabeth Dunn Berlin, CT 79-86–165 +25
T15 Brooke Zajac Plantsville, CT 90-79–169 +29
T15 Violet Robbins Fairfield, CT 86-83–169 +29
T17 Julia Smith Plainville, CT 91-83–174 +34
T17 Samantha Dunn Berlin, CT 87-87–174 +34
19 Giada Izzo Wallingford, CT 95-84–179 +39
20 Connie Dai Longmeadow, MA 93-88–181 +41
21 Lauren Ogrodowicz Stratford, CT 95-90–185 +45
Did Not Finish
WD Samhita Kakarlapudi Wilton, CT +18
WD Sydney Dweck Darien, CT
WD Kate Hong Old Greenwich, CT
Boys Championship:
1 Connor Goode Glastonbury, CT 67-69--136 -4
2 Ryan Downes Longmeadow, MA 67-70--137 -3
3 Jackson Roman Kensington, CT 73-67--140 E
4 Bradley Sawka Ellington, CT 72-69--141 +1
T5 Will Gregware West Hartford, CT 69-74--143 +3
T5 Michael Rothberg Fairfield, CT 70-73--143 +3
T7 Kyle St.Pierre Shelton, CT 73-72--145 +5
T7 Garrett Brown West Hartford, CT 73-72--145 +5
T7 Alex Elia Wilton, CT 71-74--145 +5
T10 Charlie Dolan South Glastonbury, CT 72-75--147 +7
T10 Sean Dowd North Granby, CT 70-77--147 +7
T12 Ethan Beauchemin Palmer, MA 77-71--148 +8
T12 John Soltys Ware, MA 75-73--148 +8
T12 Luke Stennett Portland, CT 75-73--148 +8
T12 Daniel Casanta Southbury, CT 75-73--148 +8
T12 John Guerrera Farmington, CT 74-74--148 +8
17 Colin Murphy Middlefield, CT 74-76--150 +10
T18 Vasily Konachenkov Wallingford, CT 81-70--151 +11
T18 Colin Firda Monroe, CT 75-76--151 +11
T18 Cody Brew West Hartford, CT 74-77--151 +11
T18 William Huntington Southport, CT 73-78--151 +11
T18 Sean Watchmaker New Canaan, CT 68-83--151 +11
T23 Luke Karpiej East Haddam, CT 79-73--152 +12
T23 Colin McAuliffe Falls Village, CT 76-76--152 +12
T23 Cameron St.Pierre Shelton, CT 74-78--152 +12
T23 Christian Yanovitch Griswold, CT 73-79--152 +12
T27 Andrew Beauton Guilford, CT 77-76--153 +13
T27 Charlie Duffy Bridgeport, CT 77-76--153 +13
T27 Max Baldwin Tolland, CT 74-79--153 +13
T27 Andrew Dunn Middletown, CT 74-79--153 +13
T27 Nick DiNino Glastonbury, CT 73-80--153 +13
T32 Will Lord Suffield, CT 80-74--154 +14
T32 Theo Allen West Hartford, CT 80-74--154 +14
T32 Phillip Kim Woodbridge, CT 78-76--154 +14
T32 Brett Chodos Orange, CT 76-78--154 +14
T32 Brandon Frye Bristol, CT 74-80--154 +14
T32 Jacob Lindsay Berlin, CT 72-82--154 +14
T38 Samuel Pieczynski Fiskdale, MA 81-74--155 +15
T38 Johnathan Harlukowicz Hamden, CT 78-77--155 +15
T38 Daniel LeBlanc Jr Danbury, CT 78-77--155 +15
T41 Hudson Hagmann Wilton, CT 78-78--156 +16
T41 Gavin Kvadus Glastonbury, CT 77-79--156 +16
T41 Christopher Davidson New Milford, CT 76-80--156 +16
T41 Tyler Bauer Fairfield, CT 76-80--156 +16
T41 Charles Kristofak West Hartford, CT 77-79--156 +16
T46 Peter Meehan Fairfield, CT 81-76--157 +17
T46 Michael Litke Glastonbury, CT 78-79--157 +17
T48 Tyler Pearson Shelton, CT 77-81--158 +18
T48 Trevor Hislop Newtown, CT 77-81--158 +18
50 Terrence Dornfried Berlin, CT 80-79--159 +19
51 Blake Barrett Avon, CT 82-78--160 +20
T52 Peter Keanna Guilford, CT 86-76--162 +22
T52 Aidan Phillips Westport, CT 81-81--162 +22
T52 Caden Piselli Milford, CT 80-82--162 +22
T55 Riley Breen Belchertown, MA 82-81--163 +23
T55 Peter Magliocco Riverside, CT 82-81--163 +23
T57 Miguel Pearce Madison, CT 86-79--165 +25
T57 Scott Petrosky Bristol, CT 82-83--165 +25
T59 Luke Brower Middlebury, CT 82-84--166 +26
T59 Amir Ardolino Wilbraham, MA 81-85--166 +26
T59 Austin Perkins West Hartford, CT 81-85--166 +26
62 Zachary Durant Glastonbury, CT 79-88--167 +27
63 Henry Poissant Belchertown, MA 90-86--176 +36
Did Not Finish
WD Will Lodge Darien, CT +2
WD Pieter Hartman Pelham, MA +12
WD Reece Scott Madison, CT
NS Chris Camerlin Longmeadow, MA +13