- St. Johns University photo
WILTON, Conn. -- (May 25, 2010) -- St. John's Junior Evan Beirne was featured in Golf World (May 24 issue) for an accomplishment that puts him on a very short list of players in the history of the game - a course record 58 at New Haven Country Club.
While it was just a casual round of golf, making 13 birdies and five pars on a classic 6600 yard course was a fairly good sign of the state of Beirne's golf game, and it blasted the old course record right out of it's frame on the pro shop wall by a full four strokes.
At Rolling Hills Country Club, Beirne captured the prestigious Russell C. Palmer Cup today, firing 2-under par in the 54 hole event played in memory of the former Connecticut State G.A. Executive Director.
Beirne, 22, held off perennial Connecticut amateur standout Jeff Hedden by a single shot, as a surging Hedden fired 69 in the final round to Beirne's 72 (after a morning 67). A 6 foot par putt on the final hole gave Beirne his first CSGA major title.
Two strokes back of Hedden in third was John Murphy of Brooklawn, a redshirt senior on the University of California Berkeley golf team.
The day began with forty players ready to claim the CSGA stroke play championship name in honor of 1997 CT Golf Hall of Fame inductee and CSGA Executive Director Russell C. Palmer. (1986-95). However, Evan Beirne from New Haven Country Club would keep his hot streak alive. Recently, Beirne and after shooting the course record 58 he made a hole-in-one a few days later.
After an impressive 67 in his second round, Beirne had a two stroke lead over John Murphy from Brooklawn Country Club with 18 holes to play. Following closely behind was 2009 CSGA Player of the Year Jeff Hedden from Black Hall Club with a two round total of 143 only four strokes off the lead.
Beirne played his first nine holes in the final round at 1 under and looked to be in control of the tournament. Despite a bogey on the 12th and Jeff Hedden’s getting to 3-under on the day through No. 10, Beirne still had a two stroke lead on the 15th hole. His lead was cut to one when he was not able to get up and down from short of the green but Beirne would not relinquish the lead as both players made par on the final three holes.
Other highlights included three sets of brothers making the cut for the first time in the history of the Palmer Cup. Mike and Peter Ballo from Woodway Country Club, Brian and John Murphy from Brooklawn Country Club and Michael and Tom McCarthy from Twin Hills Country Club were all among the players who played all 54 holes in the Championship.
To view complete field scores, click on the "results" link below.
- The Connecticut State Golf Association contributed to this story
View results for Russell C. Palmer Cup
ABOUT THE Russell C. Palmer Cup
Named for Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame
member (1997) and former CSGA
Executive
Director (1986-1995) who bears the same
name, the Russell C. Palmer Cup is the
Connecticut stroke play championship. A
few
of
Palmer’s numerous accomplishments
include
establishing the use of GHIN throughout
CSGA
member clubs and initiating the
construction
of
the Conn. Golf House which houses the
CSGA
and Conn. Section PGA.
View Complete Tournament Information