Liucci finishes second in CWGA championship

Mackenzie Hawkes, right, won the CWGA title with a win over Canton’s Nikki Liucci.

REDDING, June 10 – Canton’s Nikki Liucci was second in qualifying and won three matches at the Connecticut Women’s Golf Association’s championship tournament before falling to two-time defending champion MacKenzie Hawkes in the finals Friday, 4-and-3.

For Hawkes, who plays out of the Madison Golf Club, it was her third consecutive CWGA championship. Liucci, who earned All-ECAC Tournament honors last fall with a school record low round of 75, graduated from St. Francis-Brooklyn this spring.

Liucci was second in qualifying with a seven-over-par 79 behind Hawkes, who shot a 76. The top 16 players qualified for the single-eliminate match play series. Liucci beat Priscilla Wargo of Heritage Village in Southbury, 5-and-4 and eliminated Nicole Elliott of Pequabuck, 2-up in the quarterfinals.

In the semifinals, Liucci beat Lisa Fern Boros on the 19th hole in a playoff to advance to her first CWGA final. Liucci represents Farmington Woods Country Club.