Bruce Kraczkowsky makes history at Connecticut Senior Match Play

6/9/2016 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

(CSGA Photo)

Bruce Kraczkowsky defeats four-time champion Dave Szewczul 2 and 1 to claim his first CSGA major championship

Simsbury, CT (June 8, 2016) - When the Connecticut Senior Match Play commenced at Hop Meadow Country Club on Monday, Bruce Kraczkowsky began his journey to victory. In the opening 18 hole qualifying round, Kraczkowsky would fire 75 to finish T7 and claim one of sixteen spots in match play. Over the next two days, he would have to battle through 4 rounds of match play, and defeat Connecticut’s best senior players to claim the title. The road to victory was not easy for Kraczkowsky. In the round of sixteen, it took 20 holes to get past Jim Romaniello, and the quarterfinals would require an upset of qualifying medalist Scott Newman. After handling Newman 3 and 2, Kraczkowsky found himself in the semifinals. He also found himself in a head to head battle with Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee Bill Hermanson. The match was tight the whole way, and as they went to 18 all square, Kraczkowsky would drain a clutch par putt to win 1 up and advance to the finals. The final match pit Kraczkowsky against four-time champion Dave Szewczul, another Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee. He would need to continue his solid play if he wanted to hoist the coveted trophy. That is exactly what Kraczkowsky did, opening with a birdie to go 1 up and he would never trail in the final match. Szewczul would get it back to all square after 13, and with Kraczkowsky’s drive on the par 4 14th finding the trees, it briefly looked like this match could change direction. However, Kraczkowsky pulled off a heroic recovery shot from the trees that found the green and left him with a birdie putt. With the match still up for grabs, Kraczkowsky would capitalize on mistakes by Szewczul and win the 15th and 16th. A solid par was all it took on 17 to secure a 2 and 1 victory for Kraczkowsky, and his name etched on the trophy forever. After the round Kraczkowsky told the CSGA, “For me to have won, it’s surreal. In my mind, I was the winner before I teed off this afternoon because I had never made it this far before – I was just excited to be in the final match.”

About the Connecticut Senior Match Play

The tournament, which is the first of two majors for senior golfers on the CSGA schedule, challenges competitors with a round of stroke play to determine the low sixteen match play qualifiers followed by two rounds of match play each day that culmina...

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