Hermanson, Szewczul Defend Title at Connecticut Two Man Team Championship

OLD LYME, CT (May 2, 2016) - With a 36 hole score of 5-under par 137, Bill Hermanson of Black Hall Club and Dave Szewczul of Tunxis Plantation Country Club outplayed a field of fifty teams to win the 2016 Two Man Team Championship presented by the Lincoln Motor Company on Monday, May 2nd at Black Hall Club in Old Lyme, Connecticut. The tournament tests the state’s best amateur teams in a grueling, 36-hole team stroke competition. The teams play a Four-Ball (better ball of partners) format in the morning round, and Foursomes (selected drive alternate shot) format in the afternoon round.

Longtime friends and partners in hundreds of events over many years, Hermanson and Szewczul successfully defended the CSGA Two Man Championship that they won in 2015.

“We’ve been playing as partners for 38 years,” said Szewczul, “so we know each others’ games really well. We actually used quite a bit of strategy today, especially in the afternoon alternate shot.”

“We didn’t necessarily use the longest drive every time,” said Hermanson. “It was more about deciding what was the most comfortable yardage for one of us. Dave was putting really well, so I probably hit more of the approach shots. Honestly, we both played solid golf and it was a pretty stress-free day.”

After a 2-under par 69 in the morning Hermanson and Szewczul found themselves in a tie for seventh place, but only two shots behind the leaders. Chet Hrostek (Oxford Greens) and Josh Cameron (Norwich) held the lead with a flawless, four-birdie, fourteen-par round of 4-under par 67 over the 6,666 yard, Black Hall layout. Hrostek and Cameron held the slimmest of leads over five teams bunched at 68.

With a 72 in the afternoon, Hrostek and Cameron finished in third place overall. A pair from New Haven Country Club, Shep Stevens and Aaron Gross produced a 1-under par 70 in the afternoon for a 68-70 138 total, one shot behind the winners.

Hermanson and Szewczul secured the one shot victory with a birdie on the 18th hole. Using Szewczul’s drive, Hermanson struck a 136-yard nine-iron to within twenty-four inches of the hole. Szewczul tapped in the two-footer to secure the victory.

Black Hall has been host to the Two Man Championship since 2008, and is played in honor of Bill Hermanson, a 2012 Connecticut Golf Hall of Fame Inductee. Hermanson is a twenty-three-time club champion at Black Hall whose run of titles includes nineteen consecutive from 1981 through 1999. Hermanson has also won the Black Hall Senior Club Championship each of the past four years. A five-time Connecticut Mid-Amateur Champion, Hermanson earned the title of 2015 CSGA Senior Player of the Year after capturing both the Connecticut Senior Amateur and Senior Match Play championships during the 2015 season.