HAMDEN >> For almost two full decades, Steve Gettings has been a top-flight amateur golfer playing out of Orange Hills Country Club, where he has won multiple club championships.

Although he has played in his share of Connecticut State Golf Association events throughout that time, Gettings didn’t have his best season until last year. Among those results was a third-place finish in the State Public Links event.

“I want to win a tournament,” Gettings said. “I’ve played with a lot of the kids now. Now I know I can play with them at any given tournament.”

Maybe that victory will come this season for Gettings. Last year’s results got him into the 46th edition of the Julius Boros Challenge Cup matches played Thursday at New Haven CC. Gettings lost his singles match to James Giampaolo as the Connecticut Section pros defeated the CSGA Amateurs 37.5-22.5 for their sixth straight win in the series.

“I’ve hit balls every day into my net always dreaming about making a team like this,” said Gettings, 40. “This is the culmination of the entire last year. You have to earn your spot, it’s not who knows who. There’s also the prestige of being on the team.”


46TH CHALLENGE CUP
CT Section pros defeat CSGA Amateurs 37.5-22.5
(at New Haven CC)

Match 1: Bill Hermanson (Black Hall Club) def. Fran Marrello (Canaan CC); Dave Szewczul (Tunxis Plantation CC) def. Dave Dell (Springfield CC), Hermanson-Szewczul def. Marrello-Dell

Match 2: Kevin Giancola (Golf Quest) def. Kevin Josephson (Indian Hill CC); Brian Ahern (Wampanoag CC) def. Frank Leja (Crestview CC); Giancola-Leja halved best ball match with Josephson-Ahern.

Match 3: Jordan Gosler (Manchester CC) def. Jason Jaworski (Shorehaven CC); Billy Downes (Great Horse) def. Shep Stevens (New Haven CC); Gosler-Downes def. Jaworski-Stevens.

Match 4: Mike Martin (Clubs to Go) def. Monte Mullen (TPC River Highlands); Kyle Nolin (Tallwood CC) def. Donny Kirkpatrick (Wampanoag CC) Mullen-Nolin def. Martin-Kirkpatrick.

Match 5: James Giampaolo (Hawks Landing CC) def. Steve Gettings (Orange Hills CC); Tony Kelley (Wyckoff CC) def. David Giulietti (GC of Avon); Giampaolo-Kelley def. Gettings-Giuletti.

Match 6: Bill Wallis (New Haven CC) def. Chet Hrostek (Oxford Greens GC); Brent Dietz (Cedar Knob GC) def. William Street (Whitney Farms CC); Hrostek-Dietz def. Wallis-Street.

Match 7: Chris Maxwell (CC of Farmington) def. Marc Bayram (Timberlin GC); Ian Marshall (Watertown GC) def. John Sawka (Ellington Ridge CC); Bayram-Marshall def. Maxwell-Sawka.