University of Connecticut Athletics
Chandler Morris Reaches State Amateur Final
6/23/2019 10:27:00 PM | Men's Golf
Two Huskies In Semifinals
EAST HADDAM, Conn. – The UConn golf team was well-represented in the 117th Connecticut Amateur Championship last week, with Husky golfers Chandler Morris and Finn Boynton squaring off in the match-play semifinals and Morris advancing to compete in the championship finals.
In the final match at the Fox Hopyard Golf Club, Morris (Hobe Sound, Fla.), a rising senior who plays out of the Country Club of Waterbury, staged a tremendous comeback on the final holes before finishing as the runner-up to Rick Dowling of Ridgefield.
Dowling, who was also the 2017 state amateur champion, built a 5-up lead on the front nine before Morris started his thrilling comeback. He won the 9th, 11th, 13th, and 15th holes, then tied the match with a birdie on No. 17. Dowling, however, won No. 18 to capture the championship, 1 up.
"I got myself in kind of hole on the front but I hit a lot of good shots on the back," Morris said afterward. "I came back. I hung in there. I'm happy with that."
Both Morris and Boynton (Milford, Conn.), who is a rising junior at UConn, qualified for match play in the Amateur Championship by finishing among the top 32 players in stroke play. Morris fired a 1-over 75-68=143 in stroke play to tie for second place behind Christopher Ayers (4-under, 70-68=138. Boynton, who plays out of Great River Golf Club in Milford, finished in a tie for 18th with a 7-over 72-77=149.
In match play, Morris defeated Michael Thompson, 5&4; defeated David Renski, 5&3; and defeated Matthew Chorches, 3&2 to reach the semifinals.
Boynton topped Justin Beal, 3&1; defeated Matthew Doyle, 3&2; and defeated Christopher Delucia (another former UConn player), 2-up, to get to the semis.
The UConn teammates played a close match that was tied as late as the 15th hole. A three-putt by Boynton on the 15th turned the match. Hitting a wedge from a lie that left the ball below his feet, Boynton hit to the middle of the green and then watched his approach putt roll out 6 feet.
"Fifteen was big," Boynton said. "I made a bad decision there. I've played those last couple holes well and I felt good about the playing the last three. But that putt rolled out far more than I thought. It was disappointing."
Morris went on to a win over Boynton, 2&1, earning the right to meet Dowling for the title.
Players Mentioned
