for the past six years and Connecticut is now
my home,” said Rainaud, who is originally
from South Hadley, Massachusetts. “I’ve
never won a state open so this is a huge win
for me and is a tournament I’ve been looking
forward to since the winter.”
Finishing runner-up at two
under-par was the pair of Corey Birch and
Michael Ballo, Jr. of Woodway Country
Club. This year’s Connecticut Open marked
Birch’s debut as a professional and his third
consecutive runner-up finish at a CSGA
championship, having finished runnerup at the Russell C. Palmer Cup and the
Connecticut Amateur Championship. For
Ballo, it was his second runner-up finish at
the Connecticut Open in three years, and
although falling just short, a closing round
of 68 put him in contention to win his first
Connecticut Open Championship in front
of the home crowd.
For Paladino, the overnight leader
and defending champion, there were
certainly plenty of positives to take away
from a week that nearly saw the 2013 CSGA
Player of the Year capture his fifth CSGA
championship title.
“We guessed wrong on a few club
selections and I didn’t quite drive it as well
today as the first two days, but that’s the way
it goes,” said Paladino. “I’ve been playing
really well so I’m not flustered or bothered
by it, I just had a bad day at the wrong time.
I know I’ll come back even stronger the next
time.”
Following his win at the
Connecticut Open, Rainaud competed in
his second Travelers Championship, where
he was in the field as the representative of
the Connecticut Section PGA. Rainaud
won the PGA Spring Stroke Play with a
two-round total of ten under-par at The
Ledges Golf Club in Massachusetts to
earn the exemption. It marked his third
PGA Tour appearance, having played in
the 2014 Travelers Championship and 2015
12 / CONNECTICUT STATE GOLF ASSOCIATION / 2016 ANNUAL
PGA Championship. He would go on to
shoot rounds of 74-74--148 at TPC River
Highlands.
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Adam Rainaud rode a hot putter
in the final round to charge up the leaderboard; Overnight
leader Cody Paladino tees off on the par-4 11th hole with
CSGA Rules Official John Novakowski looking on; Mike Ballo
of Woodway Country Club recorded a final round 68 in
front of family and friends to vault into a tie for second in
the Connecticut Open.