Cody Paladino of Wethersfield Country Club shot 70 and 71 over his final two rounds to win the 10th annual Russell C. Palmer Cup event Tuesday by three strokes over Blake Morris at the CC of Waterbury.
Morris, who plays out of the CC of Waterbury, shot the identical scores to Paladino to finish second. Paladino’s 54-hole total was 208. Yale University golfer Sam Bernstein, the defending champion, shot 69 in his final round to finish third at 212.
Kevin Josephson (Personal Golf Network) was fourth (213) and John Flaherty (TPC River Highlands) placed fifth (215).


RUSSELL C. PALMER CUP
(at CC of Waterbury)
FINAL RESULTS
Cody Paladino (Wethersfield CC), 67-70-71-208; Blake Morris (CC of Waterbury), 70-70-71-211; Sam Bernstein (The Course at Yale), 68-75-69-212; Kevin Josephson (Personal Golf Network), 71-70-72-213; John Flaherty (TPC River Highlands), 68-80-67-215; Nick Torrance (Lake of Isles GC), 76-71-70-217; Rob Tedoldi Jr. (Tallwood CC), 71-74-72-217; Chris Wiatr (CC of Waterbury), 74-68-75-217; Geoff Vartelas (Lyman Orchards GC), 75-73-72-220; Ben Day (New Haven CC), 73-73-74-220; Alex DiClemente (Fairview Farms CC), 72-73-75-220; Dave Szewczul (Tunxis Plantation CC), 68-75-77-220; Ben Conroy (Lyman Orchards GC), 76-72-73-221; Phil Perry (Black Hall Club), 75-72-74-221; Glen Boggini (Twin Hills CC), 74-71-76-221.

Hall of Fame golfer Billy Casper was at The Golf Center at Lyman Orchards on Monday, conducting a clinic and a Q&A with the general public.
Billy Casper Golf manages the three golf facilities at Lyman Orchards, which also includes the Robert Trent Jones Course and the Player Course. Casper, a htree-time major champion who is months from turning 83, spoke on a variety of topics, including his idol Ben Hogan.
Some you will be able to read about in Tuesday’s edition of the Register. More you will read in my Sunday golf column. But when it comes to the world’s No. 1 golfer, inquiring minds want to know RIGHT NOW.

"I’m the only player he hugs," Casper said.

"He made some bad decisions. Those decision  he made probably curtailed his career by 2-2/12 years. Now he's back on top. I admire him  tremendously not only as a player, but as an individual."

"Where is his comfort zone? He can’t go out to eat. His comfort zone is between the ropes. I wouldn’t want to be in that situation. He's just a great individual and he can handle all phases of it. Some people think he's a ltitle abrupt, but they are not in his shoes."

Cody Paladino of Wethersfield Country Club shot a 2-under-par 67 Monday to take a 1-shot lead after the opening round of the Russell C. Palmer Cup at CC of Waterbury.
Defending champion Sam Bernstein, who was named the Ivy League Player of the Year this past season as a junior at Yale University, John Flaherty (TPC River Highlands) and Dave Szewczul (Tunxis Plantation CC) all shot 1-under 68s. Blake Morris from CC of Waterbury is fifth after a 1-over 70. Ben Day (New Haven CC) and Jeff Schroeder (Madison CC) were among the group of golfers at 73, six strokes behind Paladino.
The low 41 golfers survived the cut for today’s 36-hole finale.