Brett Stegmaier has traveled all over the world playing golf. He has nearly won a PGA Tour event and this year he has made the cut twice on the PGA Tour. On a steamy hot Wednesday at Shuttle Meadow Country Club in Berlin, Stegmaier’s golf journey came full circle as he captured the 89th Connecticut Open with a two-stroke victory.
“I have been trying to win the Connecticut Open for quite a while,” Stegmaier said. “I played in this a lot when I was a kid. I lost in a playoff in 2004 to Kyle Gallo who I played with today and I was close in 2005. It is definitely nice to win a golf tournament, it has been a while since I won one and it was good to win my state open.”
Stegmaier (New Haven CC) began the final round at 8-under and two shots off the pace set by 36-hole leaders David Pastore and two-time defending champion Peter Ballo. However, by the time he stepped onto the final green he had flipped that deficit into a three-shot lead and he was just one par save away from securing the title.
With a large crowd that included his parents surrounding the closing par-5, Stegmaier faced a difficult chip from below the right side of the green for his third shot. Playing conservatively the chip ran through the green. Forced to chip again Stegmaier displayed deft touch nestling his ball to within 5 feet. Moments later Stegmaier brushed in the par putt, pumped his fist, and smiled as the realization that he had won the Connecticut Open began to set in.
Stegmaier won with a 15-under-par 198 for three rounds with David Pastore of Fairview CC at 13-under 200 and West Suffield’s Jason Thresher at 12-under 201.
Four local golfers participated in the tournament but none made the cut to play in the third round. Blue Fox’s Griffin Patrick had the best score of the four local golfers with a two round score of four-over-par 146 with a pair of 73s.
Blue Fox’s Jim Becker finished at nine over 151 with a 75 on day one. Steve Madison of the Golf Club of Avon finished 12 over 154 with a 75 on day two. Blue Fox’s Alexander Phibbs finished 14 over 156 with a 77 on day two for his best round.
