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Canton’s Liucci earns top 7 finish at Connecticut state amateur tournament

Canton's Nikki Liucci

Canton’s Nikki Liucci

SOUTHBURY, Aug. 17 — Defending champion Catherine McEvoy will be heading to Michigan State shortly as the two-time Connecticut Women’s Amateur golf champion.

McEvoy fired a final round 71 for a three round total of 218 (-1) and a six stroke victory at the 51st Connecticut Women’s Amateur golf tournament. The state’s most prestigious women’s amateur championship was contested over 54-holes at Heritage Village Country Club.

McEvoy, who lives in Greenwich, made headlines in Tuesday’s second round with a remarkable four under-par round of 69 that catapulted her from five strokes behind to six strokes ahead.

Canton’s Nikki Liucci was third after the first and second round after shooting 77 on consecutive days. She finished tied for seventh after a third round 85. A few bad holes slowed down Liucci in the tournament.

On Tuesday, she had an eight on the 16th hole but rallied with birdies on the 17th and 18th hole to finish with a 77. On Wednesday, Liucci finished with a 10 on the par-5 18th hole. Liucci finished the tournament with a score of 239, 19 shots off the pace set by McEvoy. Liucci had six birdies in the first two rounds but none on Wednesday when she had five bogeys.

Still, it was an improvement on Liucci’s finish from 2015 when she finished tied for 15th with a three-day total of 249 (89-85-88) and in 2014 when she was 24th with a 256 (83-85-88).

Avon’s Donna Harris (Farmington Woods GC) finished tied for 24th with a 254 (84-82-88) while Burlington’s Nicole Elliott (Pequabuck Golf Club) was tied for 11th with a 246 (80-86-80).

McEvoy was able to stay focused on the front nine, making just one bogey in windy conditions and standing on the 9th tee, she had maintained her six-shot advantage.

“Going into today, I really didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself but I knew if I was able to hit fairways and greens, I’d be pretty successful,” said McEvoy. “My goal was to make the turn at even-par or one over-par at the most, and I was able to birdie No. 9 to get back to even-par going to the 10th tee. I felt like once I turned in even-par, I was able to put it on cruise control and play my own game on the back nine.”

McEvoy, who is just 18, made three birdies on the back nine, including a birdie on #16, to finish with a final round score of 71 and a six shot victory.

Her win on Wednesday marks the eleventh time in the 51-year history of the event that a player has successfully defended their title.

After an opening round of 78, McEvoy played the final 36-holes at six under-par, an extraordinary accomplishment given that the scoring average for the field on the challenging par-73 layout was 85.7.

“It means a lot for sure,” said McEvoy. “All of the previous winners are tremendous players so to have my name on the trophy with them is really special.”

Finishing second was 2015 CWGA Junior Champion Maisie Filler of Hartford Golf Club, who began the day seven strokes behind the lead and was able to close the gap to within five early on the back nine. Despite coming up short in the overall division, she shot the low tournament round of her career with a final round 70 and took home Junior Division trophy.

Filler and Liucci each shot rounds of 77 in the first two days of the tournament.

“My putting was definitely a little off the first two days, but today everything seemed to go in,” said Filler. “It was in the back of my mind that I might be able to catch Catherine, but I was seven shots back and I just wanted to make some ground up.”

First round leader Ellen Nighbor of Great River Golf Club finished in third place with a final round score of 76. Nighbor, who earned NEC Conference Player of the Year honors this past spring, will begin her senior year at nearby Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. MacKenzie Hawkes of Madison Country Club, the reigning CWGA Champion, finished alone in fourth place with a three round total of 235 (+16), and Jen Holland of SNEWGA and Sarah Houle of Rock Ridge Country Club rounded out the top five at nineteen over-par.

Overall Division
1. Catherine McEvoy, Innis Arden Golf Club – 78-69-71—218 (-1)

2. Maisie Filler, Hartford Golf Club – 77-77-70—224 (+5)
3. Ellen Nighbor, Great River Golf Club – 73-80-76—229 (+10)

Junior Division (17 and Under)
1. Maisie Filler, Hartford Golf Club – 77-77-70—224 (+5)

2. Sarah Houle, Rock Ridge Country Club – 82-77-79—238 (+19)

Senior Division (50-59 years of age)
1. Jen Holland, Southern New England Women’s Golf Assoc. – 82-77-79—238 (+19)

2. Lisa Fern-Boros, Highland Golf Club – 83-82-81—246 (+27)

Super-Senior Division (60+ years of age)
1. Jean Sennett, Wampanoag Country Cub – 85-81-81—247 (+28)

2. Lynda Foster, Madison Country Club – 88-77-84—249 (+30)

Content from the Connecticut State Golf Association was used in compiling this report.

Since 2009, the Collinsville Press has been providing award-winning coverage of sports and news in the Farmington Valley and across Connecticut.

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