Hermanson adds to his impressive amateur golf resume
Pete Stefanski, right, shakes hands with Anthony Kargul after the senior men's championship at Elmridge Golf Course on Sept. 1. Stefanski beat Kargul on the first playoff hole for the title. (Photo courtesy of Bob Gay)
Published September 05. 2018 7:46PM | Updated September 05. 2018 8:21PM
By Gavin Keefe Day staff writer
g.keefe@theday.com GavinKeefe
Bill Hermanson has won his share of golf tournaments during his highly-successful amateur career.
No one has captured more Black Hall Club men's championships than Hermanson, who's from East Lyme. He also has state amateur, state mid-amateur and state senior amateur titles on his resume.
Add one more victory to his total.
Competing in the 13th Tournament of Champions on Tuesday at Bull's Bridge Golf Club in South Kent, Hermanson fought off a stiff challenge from his fellow competitors and closed out the senior division win on the third playoff hole.
Hermanson, 61, fired an even par 72 to earn a spot in the playoff against Mike Fitzpatrick of H. Smith Richardson and Patrick McGuiness of Keney Park. He birdied the first two extra holes and earned the victory with a par on the 393-yard, par 4, third hole.
His round featured an eagle on the first hole, 14 pars and a birdie on No. 18. He played solid golf, hitting 17 greens in regulation.
"I hit the ball really well," Hermanson said in a release from the Connecticut State Golf Association. "I hit a lot of greens, even missing a few birdie putts. But I'm pleased."
Tony Siragusa of Great Neck Country Club in Waterford tied for 10th at 4-over 76.
It also was a good day for another local golfer.
Josh Cameron, a member at Norwich Golf Course, placed second in the open division, shooting a 72 to trail winner Patrick Griffin of Blue Fox Run by just one stroke. Cameron had three birdies, 12 pars and three bogeys. He tied for third in last year's event.
Justin Beal of Fox Hopyard tied for ninth with a 76.
• Two Elmridge Golf Course veterans battled for the club's senior championship on Saturday, with Pete Stefanski using a birdie on the first extra hole to nip Anthony Kargul. Stefanski also won the club championship this summer. Ken Textor defeated Bruce Lowe to win the senior first flight title.
• First-time club champions grabbed the headlines at Monday's Championship Day at Great Neck Country Club in Waterford.
Andrew Cavasino scored a satisfying break-through victory after falling short in his previous two trips to the men's club final. A runnerup last year, he clinched the crown by beating first-time finalist Tony Siragusa in the 36-hole event. Cavasino knocked off Tim Ververis and Siragusa downed Matthew Shea in the semifinals.
In the women's club championship, Caroline Petchark of Waterford defeated Karen Anderson, a two-time champion and runnerup each of the last three years. She also won the junior club title. Catherine Guinn was the flight champion.
Jim Stefanski beat Jim O'Neill to win the men's senior club championship. O'Neill finished first in the men's first flight while Tom Poblete won the second flight and Bob Fournier took the third flight.
In other results, Tim Haggerty and Bill Mayo combined to win the men's Four Ball title and Deb Cook and Guinn won the women's Four Ball. Walt and Rachel Deane captured the Mixed Team Championship.
• Lake of Isles in North Stonington recently crowned its club champions on the weekend of Aug. 25-26. In the men's tournament on the South Course, Kenny McGinley was the gross division winner and Chris Anderson took the net division while Mark Gilluly won the senior gross division and Will Orkney placed first in the senior net competition.
Eleanor McKay won the gross division in the women's club championship tournament and Susan Swain was the net champion. Linda Drago (senior gross) and Lorraine Tiberii (senior net) won their respective events.
• Mitchell Etess owns bragging rights for the second straight year at Old Lyme Country Club. Etess, the defending men's club champion, beat Bill Jacaruso, 3&2, on Monday.
It was his third straight trip to the final. Etess earned runnerup status in 2016 before capturing last year's title for his first club championship victory in about 10 years.
• Brian Quilter enjoyed home course advantage at the Connecticut Section Assistant PGA Championship Tuesday at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme. He finished tied for sixth with a two-round total of 9-over 151 (80-71). Winner Michael Jezierski of Raceway Golf Club posted a three-shot victory with a 3-over 145 (72-73).
• Adam Rainaud, a former Black Hall Club assistant, is back in the state after working as an assistant at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He's the head pro at New Canaan Country Club. What hasn't change is his golf game.
Rainaud won his third Connecticut PGA Championship Wednesday at Keney Park Golf Course in Hartford. The three-time Connecticut Section PGA player of the year (2014-2016) fired a course-record tying 62 in the first round and a 70 in the second round to finish at 8-under 132. He won by three shots.
• Connecticut National Golf Club in Putnam is hosting the 37th Senior Four-Ball Championship on Thursday, Sept. 13.
• The Mohegan Sun Golf Club in Baltic is the site of the Connecticut PGA Pro-Veteran event on Wednesday, Sept. 19.
g.keefe@theday.com
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