Top seed Evan Grenus from TPC River Highlands won both of his matches convincingly to advance to the quarterfinals of the 73rd Connecticut Junior Amateur Championship at Watertown Golf Club Tuesday.

Grenus defeated Ben James (Great River GC) 7 and 5 and Connor Looney (TPC River Highlands) 6 and 5. In other matches, Andrew Sciarretta ofBrooklawn CC and Fairfield Prep (pictured above) also won twice, including 5 and 5 against Cheshire’s Chris Simione in the Round of 16. Simione beat defending champion Connor O’Brien (Oak Hill Park GC) in the opening round.

Maxx Bugg of Clinton CC won both of his matches 3 and 2, including the second one against Zach Iannone from Race Brook CC and Notre Dame-West Haven High. Rasmey Kong of North Haven, who advanced to match play Monday in a sudden-death playoff, came from behind to beat Sam Knowlton 1-up before falling to Tom Labbe 3 and 1.

Connecticut Junior Amateur
(at Watertown GC)
First round
Evan Grenus (TPC River Highlands) def. Ben James (Great River GC), 7 and 5; Connor Looney (TPC River Highlands) def. Jacob Ecke (Eclub of New Haven), 1-up; Austin Rupp (CT PGA Junior Golf Association) def. Tom Pellatt (Clinton CC), 1-up; Derek Sudell (EClub of Fairfield) def. Mike Vanderlaan (EClub of New Haven), 2 and 1; Andrew Sciarretta (Brooklawn CC) def. French Logan (Ellington Ridge CC), 3 and 2; Chris Simione (CT PGA Junior Golf Association) def. Connor O’Brien (Oak Hills Park GC), 1-up; Nathaniel Dong (Tallwood CC) def. Nick Harrington (GC of Windham), 20 holes; Preston Shortell (CT PGA) def. Tyler Mazut (Smith Richardson GC), 4 and 3; Zach Iannone (Race Brook CC) def. Louis Gosart (Tashua Knolls GC), 4 and 3; Maxx Bugg (Clinton CC) def. Connor Henderson (Round Hill Club), 5 and 3; Chris Butler (Wampanoag CC) def. Jordan Spicci (Rock Ridge CC) 3 and 2; Drew Aitken (Connecticut National GC) def. Jason Liu (EClub of River Valley), 19 holes; Rasmey Kong (Course at Yale) def. Sam Knowlton (EClub of Fairfield), 1-up; Tom Labbe (Watertown GC) def. Josh Unkrich (CT PGA), 3 and 1; Justin Clark (Rolling Hills CC) def. Mani Capece (Watertown GC), 6 and 4; Max Theodorakis (Ridgewood CC) def. Blake Kelley (Manchester CC), 4 and 3.
Round of 16
Grenus def. Looney, 6 and 5; Sudell def. Rupp, 6 and 4; Sciarretta def. Simione, 5 and 4; Dong def. Shortell, 2 and 1; Bugg def. Iannone, 3 and 2; Butler def. Aitken, 19 holes; Labbe def. Kong 3 and 1; Theodorakis def. Clark, 4 and 3.
Today’s quarterfinals
Grenus vs. Sudell, 8 a.m.; Sciarretta vs. Dong, 8:10; Bugg vs. Butler, 8:20; Labbe vs. Theoforakis, 8:30.
Semifinals to follow