The CSGA Links Volume 6 Issue 4 August 2018 | Page 13

I AT JUNIOR AMATEUR
Patient, come-from-
behind style surprises
strong field at Watertown
c
onnor Belcastro plays from behind more often than the
New York Mets.

In the 77th Connecticut Junior Amateur final at Water-
town Golf Club, Belcastro came from behind for the fourth time
in five matches to defeat Matt Doyle of Madison and take home
the William A. Salvatore trophy.

Down two after the opening nine, a familiar position for
him, Belcastro won four straight holes to overtake 15-year-old
Doyle, whose steady putting had begun to falter. After winning
15 with par, Belcastro closed things out with another on 16.

“You know, I really don’t feel uncomfortable coming
from behind,” said the 17-year-old from Rowayton. “I’ve kind of
learned to play when down. It doesn’t bother me to be down. But
maybe it’s about time I learned how not to do that!”

Doyle, who the day before had defeated highly-regarded
Justin Mathew, one of only two Connecticut juniors to qualify
for the U.S. Junior Amateur at Baltusrol Golf Club, was not able
to place his approaches as close as he had earlier in the week.
Three putts from the fringe on both ten and 11 hurt.

“It’s tough when you’re leaving yourself 50- and 60-foot-
ers,” Doyle said. “Off the tee I was leaving myself in places where
it was was difficult to get the ball close. My distance control was
not quite there.” When he did put an approach close, as he did
on the par-5 seventh and the 12th, so did Belcastro, who birdied
both. Normally accurate off the tee, Doyle had driven it out of
bounds on the 13th, exacerbating his problems. He hit his fourth
to about 12 feet and made the putt for five, Belcastro, after leav-
ing a 40-foot approach putt more than ten feet long, made the
come-backer.

It was at 13 that things might have gone very differently
were it not for a moment of sportsmanship on Doyle’s part.

Belcastro had moved is marker for Doyle, and was about
www.csgalinks.org
CSGA Links // August 2018 13