This was without a doubt the best year of my golfing career . To win the Public Links and Mid-Amateur in the same season is just amazing and I couldn ’ t be happier .
“ I just hung in there all day and kept thinking that if I could shoot even par , I would have a good chance to win ,” said Hrostek . “ The nerves started to come in on the 10th hole after I hit a poor second shot on the par-5 and had to make a 30-foot par putt .”
Although he was able to save par on the 10th , a costly double-bogey on the par-3 12th hole saw his two stroke lead vanish . Hrostek , Szewczul , and Day battled through the back nine , which challenged the players throughout the week . After three-putting the par-4 17th , Hrostek trailed Szewczul by one standing on the 18th tee at four over-par . His tee shot found the right rough , but he was able to hit a near perfect approach into the par-5 that left him with a twelvefoot putt for eagle .
As Hrostek failed to convert his eagle try and Day failed to reach the green in two on the par-5 1st hole , his final hole of the day , the door seemed open for Szewczul to make birdie for the outright win . Szewczul hit his approach on his final hole to within ten feet from the hole , but as his birdie try narrowly missed falling , both he and Hrostek knew there would indeed be more golf to be played to determine the champion .
After both players hit their approach shots into the green on the par-5 1st hole , Szewczul was first to play , starring down the same fifteen foot putt that he faced in regulation . As it slid by the hole , the stage was clear for Hrostek , who faced a six-foot downhill putt for the win . Relying on the putter that helped him claim his first CSGA championship , he calmly rolled in the putt to win his first Mid-Amateur Championship .
With his win , Hrostek becomes the first player in CSGA history to win both the Mid-Amateur and Public Links Championships in the same year , and only the second player to successfully capture both titles ( Dave Szewczul , 1995 Public Links and 1996 Mid-Amateur ).
~ Chet Hrostek , 28th Connecticut Mid-Amateur Champion
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