The Connecticut Amateur is the state amateur golf championship in Connecticut. First played in 1899, it is one of the oldest state amateur championships in the United States.
The inaugural tournament was won by Thomas L. Cheney, a Yale University student and Yale Golf Team member.[1] A decade later, the tournament was won in consecutive years by another member of Yale's golf team, Buck Merriman.[2] [3] In 1910, Merriman was the medalist at the event.
In modern times, the tournament usually begins with two qualifying rounds of stroke play. The medalist earns the R.M. Grant Medalist honors. The top 32 players then move on to the match play format of the tournament. The match play consists of two rounds each of the next two days. On the third and final day of match play, the remaining two players compete in a 36-hole final.[4]
Reverend William T. Lee, pastor of the Emanuel Lutheran Church in New Haven, won the Connecticut Amateur three times from 1975 to 1990.[5]
| Year | Champion | Venue | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Richard Dowling III | Darien | ||
| 2022 | Ben Carpenter | Ridgewood | ||
| 2021 | Chris Fosdick | Hartford | ||
| 2020 | Chris Fosdick | Shorehaven | ||
| 2019 | Richard Dowling III | Fox Hopyard | ||
| 2018 | Ben Conroy | Waterbury | ||
| 2017 | Richard Dowling III | Tashua Knolls | ||
| 2016 | Zach Zaback | Wethersfield | ||
| 2015 | Evan Grenus | Black Hall | ||
| 2014 | Zach Zaback | Lake of Isles | ||
| 2013 | Cody Paladino | New Haven | ||
| 2012 | Matt Smith | Race Brook | ||
| 2011 | Tommy McDonagh | Rolling Hills | ||
| 2010 | Bernie D'Amato | Waterbury | ||
| 2009 | R.J. Zielinski | Woodway | ||
| 2008 | Will Strickler | Ellington Ridge | ||
| 2007 | Will Strickler | Woodbridge | ||
| 2006 | Tommy McDonagh | Torrington | ||
| 2005 | Tim Kane | New Haven | ||
| 2004 | Steve Velardi | Patterson | ||
| 2003 | Justin Goodhue | Wampanoag | ||
| 2002 | Jeff Hedden | Farmington | ||
| 2001 | Mark Farrell | Brooklawn | ||
| 2000 | Brian Hedstrom | Ridgewood | ||
| 1999 | Brian Ahern | Waterbury | ||
| 1998 | J. J. Henry | Wallingford | ||
| 1997 | Brian Hedstrom | Darien | ||
| 1996 | Kevin Gai | Farmington | ||
| 1995 | J. J. Henry | Hop Meadow | ||
| 1994 | J. J. Henry | Torrington | ||
| 1993 | William L. Hadden III | Fairfield | ||
| 1992 | Greg Karakashian | New Haven | ||
| 1991 | Bill Hermanson | Patterson | ||
| 1990 | William T. Lee | Hartford | [6] | |
| 1989 | Roger Everin | Tumble Brook | ||
| 1988 | Tim Petrovic | Shuttle Meadow | ||
| 1987 | Fred Kask | Wethersfield | ||
| 1986 | John Ruby | Brooklawn | ||
| 1985 | Dick Siderowf | Wee Burn | ||
| 1984 | Dick Siderowf | Race Brook | ||
| 1983 | Jonas Saxton | Waterbury | ||
| 1982 | William L. Hadden III | Wampanoag | ||
| 1981 | Jerry Courville Jr. | Ridgewood | ||
| 1980 | Fred Kask | Shorehaven | ||
| 1979 | William T. Lee | New Haven | [7] | |
| 1978 | David Szewczul | Brooklawn | ||
| 1977 | Fred Kask | Wethersfield | ||
| 1976 | Robert Zink | Tumble Brook | ||
| 1975 | William T. Lee | Yale Golf Course | [8] | |
| 1974 | Richard Weigold | Waterbury | ||
| 1973 | John Parsons | Wampanoag | ||
| 1972 | Joe Dennis | Race Brook | ||
| 1971 | William Brew | Woodway | ||
| 1970 | Fred Kask | Shuttle Meadow | ||
| 1969 | John A. Gentile | Hartford | ||
| 1968 | Jerry Courville Sr. | Wee Burn | ||
| 1967 | James Grant | Waterbury | ||
| 1966 | Ron W. Smith Jr. | Brooklawn | ||
| 1965 | Dick Siderowf | New Haven | [9] | |
| 1964 | Ron W. Smith Jr. | Wethersfield | ||
| 1963 | Allan Breed | Wampanoag | ||
| 1962 | Robert Allen | Waterbury | ||
| 1961 | T. Lenczyk | Race Brook | ||
| 1960 | Dick Siderowf | Shorehaven | ||
| 1959 | Pat Mazzarella | Indian Hill | ||
| 1958 | James T. Healey | Waterbury | ||
| 1957 | Don Hoenig | New Haven | [10] | |
| 1956 | Alpheus Winter Jr. | Brooklawn | ||
| 1955 | Dick Siderowf | Wampanoag | [11] | |
| 1954 | John Netcho | Yale Golf Course | ||
| 1953 | Ernest Gerardi | Race Brook | ||
| 1952 | Robert M. Grant | Shuttle Meadow | ||
| 1951 | James T. Healey | Ridgewood | ||
| 1950 | W. W. Markham | Brooklawn | ||
| 1949 | Holly Mandly | Wethersfield | [12] | |
| 1948 | Alpheus Winter Jr. | Greenwich | ||
| 1947 | Holly Mandly | Waterbury | [13] [14] | |
| 1946 | Robert M. Grant | New Haven | ||
| 1943-45 | No tournament due to World War II | |||
| 1942 | Edward Wilkos | Waterbury | [15] | |
| 1941 | R. J. Walsh | Brooklawn | ||
| 1940 | Holly Mandly Jr. | Shuttle Meadow | [16] | |
| 1939 | A. Kosinski | Wampanoag | ||
| 1938 | Dick Chapman | Racebrook | ||
| 1937 | A. Kosinski | Woodway | ||
| 1936 | Dick Chapman | Greenwich | ||
| 1935 | Charles Clare | Hartford | [17] | |
| 1934 | A. Kosinski | Brooklawn | [18] | |
| 1933 | Charles Clare | Waterbury | [19] [20] | |
| 1932 | Robert M. Grant | Shuttle Meadow | [21] [22] | |
| 1931 | Charles Clare | Wee Burn | [23] | |
| 1930 | Frank Ross | Wampanoag | [24] | |
| 1929 | Ken Reid | New Haven | [25] [26] [27] | |
| 1928 | P. Haviland | Woodway | ||
| 1927 | F. K. English | Hartford | ||
| 1926 | Frank Ross | Shennecossett | ||
| 1925 | A. C. Giles | New Haven | ||
| 1924 | Parker Seeley | Shuttle Meadow | [28] | |
| 1923 | H. J. Topping | Shennecossett | ||
| 1922 | W. P. Seeley | Shennecossett | ||
| 1921 | R. M. Lewis | Greenwich | ||
| 1920 | Roger H. Hoovey | Brooklawn | [29] | |
| 1919 | Roger H. Hoovey | Shuttle Meadow | [30] | |
| 1918 | H. S. White | New Haven | ||
| 1917 | No tournament due to World War I | |||
| 1916 | R. M. Lewisy | Greenwich | ||
| 1915 | H. K. Kerr | Brooklawn | ||
| 1914 | W. P. Seeley | Hartford | ||
| 1913 | R. Abbott | New Haven | ||
| 1912 | C. G. Waldo Jr. | Hartford | ||
| 1911 | C. G. Waldo Jr. | Hartford | ||
| 1910 | Roger H. Hovey | New Haven | ||
| 1909 | Buck Merriman | Greenwich | ||
| 1908 | Buck Merriman | New Haven | ||
| 1907 | W. K. Shepard | Hartford | ||
| 1906 | R. D. Sanford | Wee Burn | ||
| 1905 | W. K. Shepard | New Haven | ||
| 1904 | S. H. Patterson | Hartford | ||
| 1903 | Charles H. Seeley | New Haven | ||
| 1902 | Charles H. Seeley | Hartford | ||
| 1901 | Charles H. Seeley | New Haven | ||
| 1900 | Carl E. Martin | Wee Burn | ||
| 1899 | Thomas L. Cheney | Brooklawn |
The R.M. Grant Medalist goes to the medalist of the qualifying rounds. It is named after the amateur golfer Robert M. Grant. Grant won the Connecticut Amateur three times in the mid-20th century.[32]
| Year | Medalist | Ref. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Jack Woods | ||
| 2021 | Bradford Tilley | ||
| 2020 | Bradford Tilley | ||
| 2019 | Chris Ayers | ||
| 2018 | Evan Grenus | ||
| 2017 | Nick Cook / Benjamin Day | ||
| 2016 | Brian Ahern | ||
| 2015 | John Flaherty | ||
| 2014 | Sean Gaudette | ||
| 2013 | Kevin Josephson | ||
| 2012 | Brendan Lem | ||
| 2011 | John Murphy | ||
| 2010 | Jeff Hedden | ||
| 2009 | Kevin Josephson | ||
| 2008 | Philip Perry | ||
| 2007 | Richard Jung | ||
| 2006 | Cody Paladino / Pete Catanzaro | ||
| 2005 | Chet Hrostek | ||
| 2004 | Nick Cook | ||
| 2003 | Justin Goodhue | ||
| 2002 | Chris Maxwell | ||
| 2001 | Kevin Henry | ||
| 2000 | Tim Kane / Mark Farrell | ||
| 1999 | Dave Szewczul | ||
| 1998 | Paul Delucco | ||
| 1997 | Steve Ligi | ||
| 1996 | Joe Dennis | ||
| 1995 | Kevin Gai | ||
| 1994 | Jerry LaPlaca | ||
| 1993 | Joe Dennis / George Zahringer | ||
| 1992 | Joe Dennis | ||
| 1991 | Fred Hyatt / Tom Yellin | ||
| 1990 | John Bracken | ||
| 1989 | Jerry LaPlaca | ||
| 1988 | Andrew Brock | ||
| 1987 | Joe Dennis | ||
| 1986 | Dick Siderowf / William Hadden III | ||
| 1985 | Dick Siderowf | ||
| 1984 | Alan Helfer | ||
| 1983 | Jon Saxton / Ron Henry Jr. / Ralph Salito Jr. | ||
| 1982 | Roger Everin | ||
| 1981 | James Saldamarco / Allan Breed | ||
| 1980 | Brian Claar | ||
| 1979 | Jeff Duncan | ||
| 1978 | George Wilson Jr. / Richard Weigold | ||
| 1977 | Fred Kask | ||
| 1976 | Fred Kask | ||
| 1975 | Paul Maloney | ||
| 1974 | Edward Day Jr. / Richard Weigold | ||
| 1973 | John Parsons | ||
| 1972 | Dick Siderowf | ||
| 1971 | Clem Miner / Fred Kask / P. J. Zaccagnino | ||
| 1970 | Fred Kask | ||
| 1969 | Jerry Courville | ||
| 1968 | Jerry Courville | ||
| 1967 | James Grant | ||
| 1966 | Pat Mazzarella | ||
| 1965 | Allen Breed / Dick Siderowf | ||
| 1964 | Jerry Courville | ||
| 1963 | Dick Siderowf | ||
| 1962 | J. A. Grant | ||
| 1961 | Jerry Courville | ||
| 1960 | S. Petrone | ||
| 1959 | C. E. Creed | ||
| 1958 | J. T. Healey | ||
| 1957 | D. Hoenig | ||
| 1956 | A. Fuchs / T. N. Lenczyk | ||
| 1955 | T. Lenczyk | ||
| 1954 | A. Winter | ||
| 1953 | H. L. Emanuelson Jr. | ||
| 1952 | L. Lostoski | ||
| 1951 | R. E. Tarrant (won playoff) | ||
| 1950 | E. J. Gerardi | ||
| 1949 | Julius Boros | [33] | |
| 1948 | Julius Boros | ||
| 1947 | F. Torza (won playoff) | ||
| 1946 | C. C. Clare | ||
| 1943-45 | No tournament due to World War II | ||
| 1942 | W. A. Hughes (won playoff) | ||
| 1941 | W. Galla | ||
| 1940 | A. Kosinski | ||
| 1939 | C. C. Clare | ||
| 1938 | R. M. Grant | ||
| 1937 | A. Kosinski | ||
| 1936 | R. M. Grant | ||
| 1935 | S. Brainard | ||
| 1934 | A.Kosinski | ||
| 1933 | C. C. Clare | ||
| 1932 | C. C. Clare (won in playoff) | ||
| 1931 | Robert M Grant | ||
| 1930 | Robert M Grant | ||
| 1929 | Paul Haviland | ||
| 1928 | F. Jarvis Jr. | ||
| 1927 | R. M. Grant | ||
| 1926 | W. K Reid | ||
| 1925 | C. F. Stoddard | ||
| 1924 | J Sill Jr. | ||
| 1923 | Billy Burke | ||
| 1922 | F.R English | ||
| 1921 | Buck Merriman | ||
| 1920 | R. H. Hovey | ||
| 1919 | W. P. Seeley | ||
| 1918 | F. K. English | ||
| 1917 | No tournament due to World War I | ||
| 1916 | W. P. Seeley | ||
| 1915 | W. P. Seeley | ||
| 1914 | Percy Rothwell | ||
| 1913 | W. K. Shepard | ||
| 1912 | Roger H. Hovey | ||
| 1911 | Roger H. Hovey | ||
| 1910 | Buck Merriman | [34] | |
| 1909 | Buck Merriman | ||
| 1908 | Roger H. Hovey | ||
| 1907 | W. A. Jackson | ||
| 1906 | Roger H. Hovey | ||
| 1905 | J. E. Sprott | ||
| 1904 | |||
| 1903 | J. E. Sprott |