Young West Hartford Golfer Wins Major State Championship

Connecticut State Golf Association

WEST HARTFORD/HARWINTON, CT — A rising Conard High School in West Hartford senior was crowned the state's top young golfer under difficult conditions.

After a grueling four days of wet and then brutally hot conditions at Fairview Farm Golf Course in Harwinton, Will Gregware (of the Farmington Woods Country Club in Avon) prevailed 5&4 in the championship match to win the 82nd Connecticut Junior Amateur and earn his first career CSGA title.

“It feels amazing. This is always a tournament that I have circled on the calendar all year round. I look forward to it,” said Gregware who was a member of the 2019 PGA Junior League Fairview Farm GC team. “I had a really good run last year reaching the semifinals but I came up just short and that was in the back of my mind this week. I’m really, really happy to get it done.”

Gregware, a winner in the semifinals against Charles Schrohe with a miraculous walk-off chip-in birdie on the par-5 18th, dropped the opening hole of the championship match against Gavin Kvadus (Glastonbury Hills CC) but, once the match was tied, the University of Maryland commit stepped on the accelerator.

Two holes later on the par-5 sixth Gregware took his first lead of the match. It was a lead he would never relinquish.

“I was struggling with my putting for most of my tournament and just stuck with it and kept digging and eventually putts started falling and that felt really good. I think when I saw the 12-footer for par drop on No. 11 it flipped a little switch in my mind and I felt a little better after that,” Gregware said. “This win means everything to me. It was a really special one. I’ll remember this one for a long time.”

The Connecticut Junior Amateur is one of 20 championships conducted by the Connecticut State Golf Association. The CSGA functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association.

For a full report on the tournament, click on this link.