Conn. Open: Bensel leads, amateur Szewczul 2nd

July 26, 2011 | by AmateurGolf.com Staff

Dave Szewczul, a 2010 Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee, shot 67 and sits in 2nd place

FAIRFIELD, Conn. (July 26, 2011) -- Frank Bensel from Danbury, Conn. leads by two strokes heading into the final round of the 77th Connecticut Open Championship at Brooklawn Country Club.

Bensel, an assistant golf professional at Century Country Club in Purchase, New York, fired his second consecutive round of three-under par 68.

Bensel will be looking to win his second Connecticut Open in the past three years having won the title in 2009 at Hartford Golf Club. A conflict with a Metropolitan PGA event kept Bensel from defending his title last year at Country Club of Fairfield.

“I stayed patient out there today,” said Bensel when asked about his thoughts on his round for the day.

“I drove the ball really well, caught a couple of good breaks, and made a few long putts.”

After starting his round with a bogey on the first hole Bensel drained a nearly seventy-five foot putt on the par three second hole to get his round jump started.

He would go on to make four more birdies to go along with two bogeys to put him two strokes ahead of Dave Szewczul from Tunxis Plantation Golf Club and Jack McConachie from Pine Valley Country Club.

Dave Szewczul, a 2010 Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame inductee and two time defending CSGA Senior Player of the Year, finished with the round of the day carding a four-under par 67. Szewczul made only two bogeys in his round with six birdies. Szewczul will be looking for his first title this year after winning three major tournaments in 2010 (Conn. Senior Match Play, Conn. Senior Open, and New England Senior Amateur).

Jack McConachie, the head golf professional at Pine Valley Country Club in Southington, Conn., finished with his second consecutive round of two-under par 69 helped by a thirty-three on his last nine holes. McConachie is looking for his second Connecticut Open victory having won in 1984 at Tumble Brook Country Club. If McConachie is successful he will hold the record of longest period of time (27 years) between Connecticut Open titles currently held by Richard Siderowf who claimed his second and third Open titles in 1959 and 1973.

About the Connecticut Open

Conn. Open: Bensel leads, amateur Szewczul 2nd

Open to Professionals and amateurs. Amateurs must hold an active USGA handicap at a CSGA club not exceeding 6.4.

Most Popular Articles

GOLF'S LONGEST DAY: 2026 U.S. Open Final Qualifying Monday June 8

Jun 5, 2026Follow along from 10 locations - our team is on the ground looking for the best stories

2026 U.S. Open Final Qualifying: A final rundown from Golf's Longest Day

Jun 8, 202612 amateurs qualified for Shinnecock at 10 sites around the country on June 8. Two of them were medalists.

2026 NCAA Men's Golf Championship: Live Coverage, Field & Daily Updates from La Costa

Jun 3, 2026Auburn defeats UCLA at La Costa to capture its second NCAA men’s golf championship in three years.

Stanford Wins 4th NCAA Women's Golf Title, Tops USC

May 26, 2026The Cardinals closed a dominant week at La Costa with another match-play crown — their fourth national title

2026 NCAA DI Men's Regionals Recap: The 30 Teams Through to Omni La Costa

May 21, 2026Texas, Arizona and Oklahoma rolled, Vanderbilt outdueled No. 1 Auburn, and Texas Tech headlined a brutal bubble.

Filters

Related Tournament

Connecticut Open

View Details

Loading latest news...

Loading article...