The U-20 Dirty Dozen
Everyone knows John VanDerLaan has a filthy game (see final round 66 in the 2013 Connecticut Open).
But JV isn’t the only one in the under-20 CSGA crowd making big strides in the transition from junior
competition to college and amateur golf. Here’s a look at a dozen Connecticut boys yet to reach their
20th birthday who’ve already memorized Ben Hogan’s mantra that “the secret is in the dirt.”
Patrick Albanesi
17, Avon, Hartford Golf Club
One of only two junior golfers (along with Jacob Henny) to qualify for the 2013 CSGA Amateur
Championship …finished tied 29th in 2013 New England Amateur…first alternate in 2013 USGA
Junior Amateur qualifier…selected to the CSGA team and finished 5th in the 2013 New England
Junior Championship after shooting 67 in the final round…10th in the 2013 Challenge Cup
Computer Merchant Cup…tied for 23rd in the 2013 Doral-Publix…won the 2012 Golfweek New
England Junior…semi-finalist in the 2012 CSGA Junior Amateur…5th in the 2012 AJGA Killington
Junior…signed National Letter of Intent with Boston College for fall, 2014.
Brian Carlson
17, Madison, Clinton Country Club
Selected to the CSGA team and won the individual title at both the 2012 and 2013 New
England Junior Championship…tied 6th in the 2013 New England Amateur…finished 6th
in the CSGA Player of the Year points standings among all amateur golfers…reached the
Round of 16 in the 2013 USGA Junior Amateur…won the 2013 Challenge Cup Computer
Merchant Cup…won the 2013 Challenge Cup Junior Invitational…tied 3rd in the 2013
Challenge Cup World Series of Junior Golf…runner-up (to Evan Grenus) in the 2013 Stan
Trojanowski Northern Junior…runner-up (to Connor O’Brien) in the 2013 AJGA Killington
Junior…tied 4th in the 2013 AJGA Coca-Cola Junior at Sugarloaf…4th in the 2013 AJGA
Lessings…14th in the 2013 AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions…won the 2012 AJGA
Killington Junior by 11 shots with rounds of 68-69-68…signed National Letter of Intent
with Purdue University for fall, 2014.
Nathaniel Dong
16, Glastonbury, Tallwood Country Club
Semi-finalist in the 2013 CSGA Junior Amateur…runner-up in the 2013 Cas
Coscina Memorial Junior…tied 4th in the 2013 CSGA Junior Amateur stroke play
qualifier…tied 8th in the 2013 AJGA Coca-Cola Junior at Sugarloaf…11th in the
2013 Challenge Cup Spinal Technology Junior…tied 11th in the 14-15 age division
of the 2013 Challenge Cup World Series of Junior Golf…tied 12th in the 2013
Challenge Cup Long Island Junior… tied 12th in the 2013 Granite State Junior…
selected to the 2013 CSGA New England Junior team…won the 2012 Don Miklus
Memorial Junior.
Evan Grenus
17, Glastonbury, TPC River Highlands
Won the 2013 Stan Trojanowski Northern Junior (in a playoff with Brian Carlson)…won
the 2013 Challenge Cup Tournament Players Championship…won the 2013 CIAC Division I
Championship…runner-up in the 2013 CSGA Junior Amateur…medalist in the CSGA Junior
Amateur stroke play qualifier…runner-up in the 2013 Northeast Junior Classic…tied 2nd in
the 2013 FCWT at Red Tail…tied 3rd in the 2013 Cas Coscina Memorial Junior…tied 7th in the
2013 Challenge Cup Computer Merchant Cup…10th in the 2013 AJGA Coca-Cola Junior at
Sugarloaf…selected to the 2012 and 2013 CSGA New England Junior team…6th in the 2012
New England Junior…signed National Letter of Intent with Wofford College for fall, 2014.
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Connecticut State Golf Association