Evan Grenus from TPC River Highlands overcame an early deficit to win the 73rd Connecticut Junior Amateur championship Thursday, beating Max Theodorakis of Ridgewood CC 3 and 2 at Watertown Golf Club.

Grenus, 17, was a finalist last year, losing to Conor O’Brien in the final. He was the medalist in the opening round of stroke play on  Monday with a 4-under-par 67. Only five players who claimed medalist honors in qualifying went on to win the match play championship.

Evan Grenus from TPC River Highlands has reached his second straight Connecticut Junior Amateur final after winning both of his quarterfinal- and semifinal-round matches Wednesday at Watertown Golf Club.

Grenus defeated Derek Sudell (EClub of Fairfield) 6 and 4 in the quarterfinals and Nathaniel Dong (Tallwood CC) 2 and 1 in the semifinals. Dong eliminated Andrew Sciarretta (Brooklawn CC) of Fairfield Prep 1-up in the quarterfinals.

Grenus will face Max Theodorakis of Ridgewood CC in today’s 18-hole final at 8 a.m. Theodorakis eliminated Maxx Bugg from Clinton CC and Morgan High 1-up in the semifinals. Bugg had beaten Chris Butler (Wampanoag CC) 6 and 5 in the morning quarterfinal match.

Grenus lost to Conor O’Brien in last year’s final.

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

Evan Grenus from TPC River Highlands in Cromwell fired a 4-under-par 67 to earn medalist laurels at the 73rd Connecticut Junior Amateur tournament at Watertown Golf Club Monday.

Grenus was the only player to shoot under par. Zach Iannone from Notre Dame-West Haven High School and Race Brook CC, and Andrew Sciarretta (Brooklawn CC) from Fairfield Prep, both tied for second with even-par 71s, along with Sam Knowlton (Misquamicut Club) and Nick Harrington (GC at Windham).

Tommy Pellatt of Clinton CC and Hand High (72), Chris Simione of Cheshire (73), Jacob Ecke of Cheshire (74), Maxx Bugg of Clinton CC and Morgan High (74) and defending champion Connor O’Brien of Oak Hills Park GC (75) all advanced to match play beginning today.

Check out all of the scores from Monday's stroke-play action.

Adam Rainaud (pictured, above, courtesy of the CSGA)  was a spectator during the final round of the Travelers Championship, spending time on the 18th hole at TPC River Highlands. He witnessed eventual champion Kevin Streelman’s seventh consecutive birdie on the final hole.

“I couldn’t believe it. That’s unbelievable,” Rainaud said. “Just to birdie 16, 17 and 18 is unbelievable.”
Rainaud went virtually unnoticed for someone who had been competing on the other side of the ropes just 48 hours earlier. Rainaud, the only member of the Connecticut Section PGA to play in the Travelers, missed the cut by six strokes.

He was only there for the final round to return his courtesy car. “My girlfriend wanted to see the gallery on 18,” he said.

Read more about Rainaud's experience at the Travelers and a preview of the CSGA Junior Championship.