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Serruta finishes strong to win state women’s amateur golf championship

Autumn Serruta of the Golf Club of Avon won the Connecticut Women’s State Amateur Championship Wednesday by two strokes. (Photo courtesy Connecticut State Golf Association)

MANCHESTER, July 19 – Autumn Serruta of the Golf Club of Avon had a three-stroke lead coming into Wednesday’s third and final round of the 52nd annual Connecticut Women’s Amateur Golf Championships at the Manchester Country Club.

Serruta started off the day well with a birdie and four pars on the first eight holes before running into trouble with five consecutive bogies on holes nine through 13 and losing her lead.

But Serruta didn’t panic, sank a big putt for birdie on the 15th hole and rallied to win her first state amateur golf title with a two-stroke win over Jennifer Holland. Serruta shot a final round of six-over-par 78. It was her highest score of the tournament but it was enough to best Holland, who shot a 77 Wednesday.

“I knew why I was struggling,” said Serruta. “I wasn’t hitting fairways so I couldn’t get to the green in regulation to have a shot at birdie or par. I was making it really tough on myself, so I just tried to go back to my game plan of taking it shot by shot and hitting fairways.”

Serruta, who played golf at Avon High and Mount St. Mary, recovered on the 14th hole with par. She trailed Holland by one stroke going into the 15th hole.

After hitting her approach to a modest 35 feet from the cup, she did the unexpected – drained the putt in the center of the cup for a share of the lead.

“Making that putt was a huge change mentality-wise for me,” said Serruta. “I didn’t really have an idea of where I stood all day and I just tried to focus on playing my own game.”

Holland bogeyed the 16th hole while Serruta made par to take the lead for good. Serruta finished the tournament with three consecutive pars.

“This is huge for me,” said Serruta.” I’ve been competing in state golf tournaments since I was ten years old. To win a state tournament, especially since I don’t get to play as often as I’d like, is huge for me.”

Julia Kemmling of Timberlin Golf Course in Berlin shot the low round of the tournament on Wednesday, making two birdies and just three bogies for a final round 73. She was able to jump into a tie for third with first round co-leader Alexandra Sazhin of the Golf Performance Center and Sara Houle of Rock Ridge Country Club, all of whom finished at a total of 232 (+16). Houle was the CIAC girls champion from Newtown High in June.

Serruta is the second state amateur women’s champion from the Golf Club of Avon and the first since Gail Appell won the title in 1975 at Glastonbury Hills Country Club. Serruta had a piece of the lead after all three rounds of the tournament.

2017 Connecticut State Women’s Amateur Championship
At Manchester Country Club

  Player Club Final R1 R2 R3 Total
1 Serruta, Autumn GC of Avon +12 76 74 78 228
2 Holland, Jen Lyman Orchards GC +14 78 75 77 230
T3 Kemmling, Julia Timberlin GC +16 80 79 73 232
T3 Sazhin, Alexandra Golf Performance Center +16 76 81 75 232
T3 Houle, Sarah Rock Ridge CC +16 77 79 76 232
6 Johnson, Debbie Oronoque CC +22 78 84 76 238
T7 Fern-Boros, Lisa Highland GC +23 82 82 75 239
T7 Migliorati, Julia Wethersfield CC +23 78 80 81 239
9 Rogers, Taylor Hop Meadow CC +26 80 79 83 242
10 Browne, Anelise Rolling Hills CC +27 77 80 86 243

Information from the Connecticut State Golf Association was used to compile 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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