Top-seeded John VanDerLaan from Heritage Village Country Club beat No. 15 seed Patrick Hallisey of Shuttle Meadow Country Club 3 and 1 to win the 71st Connecticut Junior Amateur at Watertown Golf Club Thursday.
VanDerLaan is only the fifth medalist to go on to win the match play championship in the event's history.

Top-seeded John Vanderlaan won his quarterfinal- and semifinal-round matches Wednesday to reach the final of the Connecticut Junior Amateur at Watertown Golf Club.
Vanderlaan, who plays out of Heritage Village Country Club in Southbury, beat Ed Hill (Crestbrook Park GC) 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals and Jason Hogan (Watertown GC) 2 and 1 in the semifinals. He will face Pat Hallisey (Shuttle Meadow CC) in the final Thursday at 8 a.m.
Hallisey eliminated Ryan Karbowicz 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals and Pat Albanesi (Wintonbury Hills GC) 3 and 2 in the semifinals.

CONNECTICUT JUNIOR AMATEUR
(At Watertown GC)
Quarterfinals
John Vanderlaan (Heritage Village CC) def. Ed Hill (Crestbrook Park GC), 3 and 2; Jason Hogan (Watertown GC) def. Michael Vanderlaan (Heritage Village CC), 7 and 5; Pat Hallisey (Shuttle Meadow CC) def. Ryan Karbowicz (Farmington Woods GC), 4 and 3; Pat Albanesi (Wintonbury Hills GC) def. Evan Grenus (Glastonbury Hills GC), 20 holes.
Semifinals
J. Vanderlaan def. Hogan, 2 and 1; Hallisey def. Albanesi, 3 and 2.
Final
Vanderlaan def. Hallisey, 8 a.m.

Top-seeded John Vanderlaan won his first two matches Tuesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Connecticut Junior Amateur at Watertown GC.
John’s brother, Michael, also of Heritage Village, won his first two matches as the No. 13 seed. Eric Austin of Lyman Orchards GC, the No. 2 seed, fell to Pat Hallissey (Shuttle Meadow CC) in the Round of 16, 3 and 1.



CONNECTICUT JUNIOR AMATEUR
(at Watertown GC)
ROUND OF 32
John Vanderlaan def. Owen McGowan 3 and 2; Nate Dong def. Stephen Colodny, 5 and 4; Ed Hill def. Dave Dell Jr., 19 holes; Joe Klokus def. Jason Liu 2 and 1; William Lohrey def. Conner Beakley 2 and 1; Michael Vanderlaan def. Ryan Zetterholm 1-up; John Collins def. Chris Troy, 21 holes; Jason Hogan def. JP Raftery 2 and 1; Eric Austin def. Alex Taylor, 19 holes; Pat Hallisey def. Paul Pastore, 19 holes; Tom Labbe def. Mike Nowosadko, 2 and 1; Ryan Karbowicz def. Will Delmastro, 3 and 2; Pat Albanesi def. Max Bugg, 5 and 3; Danny Guise def. Chris Bennett, 3 and 1; Matt Fuller def. John Roberts, 19 holes; Evan Grenus def. Brendan Quintana, 1-up.

Round of 16
J. Vanderlaan def. Dong, 8 and 6; Hill def. Klokus, 3 and 2; M. Vanderlaan def. Lohrey, 1-up; Hogan def. Collins, 2-up; Hallisey def. Austin, 3 and 1; Karbowicz def. Labbe, 4 and 3; Albanesi def. Guise, 2 and 1; Grenus def. Fuller 4 and 2.

Today’s quarterfinals
8 a.m.: J. Vanderlaan vs. Hill; 8:10: M. Vanderlaan vs. Hogan; 8:20: Hallisey vs. Karbowicz; 8:30: Albanesi vs. Grenus.

Jim Becker of Windsor posted a second-round 70 Tuesday to win the 30th Connecticut Senior Open golf tournament by two shots over Tony Kelley and Fran Marrello at Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton.

Becker, who finished sixth and third the last two years respectively, shot a 4-under-par total of 138 for two rounds. Kelley and Marrello were both at 2-under 140, followed by Jerry Courville Jr. and David Jones, both at 141.

Tom Joyce finished sixth (143) while first-round leader Bob Kay tied for seventh at 144.


30th Connecticut Senior Open

(at Shennecossett GC)
James Becker (Windsor) 68-70--138 -4
Tony Kelley (Holyoke, Mass.), 69-71--140 -2
Fran Marrello (Plymouth), 69-71--140 -2
Jerry Courville (Stratford) 72-69--141 -1
David Jones (Norwich) 68-73--141 -1
Tom Joyce (Huntington, NY), 72-71--143 +1
Mike Diffley (Pelham Manor, NY), 72-72--144 +2
John Gentile (Ormond Beach, Fla.), 71-73--144 +2
Derek Waddington (Hebron), 71-73--144 +2
Bob Kay (Hartford), 66-78--144 +2
Bob Affelder (Berlin, MD), 73-72--145 +3

Eric Austin of Lyman Orchards GC and a junior at Notre Dame-West Haven High shot an even-par 71, along with John Vanderlaan of Heritage Village CC to earn co-medalist honors in the 71st Connecticut Junior Amateur at Watertown GC.


Pat Albanese of the Hartford GC was third after posting a 1-over 72. Match play begins today with the Round of 16.

Other area juniors advancing to match play are Stephen Colodny from the Course at Yale (76), Chris Bennett from Madison CC (77) and Maxx Bugg from Clinton CC (79).

Bob Kay of Hartford shot a 5-under-par 66 to hold a two-shot lead after the opening round of the 30th Connecticut Open at Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton Monday.


Defending champion Lloyd Fisher of Grand Rapids, Mich., David Jones of Norwich and James Becker of Windsor are all tied for second at 3-under 68. Fran Marrello of Plymouth and Tony Kelley of Holyoke, Mass. are tied for fifth with 69s. The final round is Tuesday.