Date: Fri 21-Jul-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Fallon-CSGA-Qualifer

Full Text:

Fallon Qualifies At 14 For CSGA

By Kim Harmon

WATERTOWN - Tommy Fallon had nothing to lose.

As one of the youngest golfers entered in the Connecticut State Golfer's

Association (CSGA) junior championship, Tommy, 14, had but one thing on his

mind before taking the tee at the Watertown Golf Club during the qualifying

round Monday morning.

" My goal was just to make it to match play, " said Tommy, who will be

entering his sophomore year at Newtown High School in September. " But once I

got there, I thought about going further. "

Tommy carded an 11-over-par 83 on Tuesday to qualify for the match play round

on Wednesday as the 26th seed, but he lost his first match, 7-and-5, to No. 7

Brett Zimmerman of Hunter Memorial in Meriden.

Zimmerman qualified for match play with a 6-over-par 78, but that didn't worry

Tommy. " I hit the ball great (in qualifying), " he said. " I just didn't putt

well. (Zimmerman) shot a 78, but I thought, hey, if I hit a couple of my

putts, I would have shot a 78, too. "

Tuesday, though, was a reversal of fortunes for Tommy, who plays out of the

Heritage Village Country Club in Southbury.

" I didn't hit the ball well, " he explained, " but I was putting well. All my

putts hit the hole. "

Some, though, just didn't drop, and Zimmerman's consistency was too much for

Tommy to overcome.

" He parred everything, " Tommy said. " I'd make a 15-footer and he'd make a

20-footer. I just couldn't top that. "

In other action, John Anderson of Weston High School, one of Newtown High

School's arch-rivals in the now-defunct Western Connecticut Conference, opened

match play ranked 25th and defeated No. 8 Rob Stanek of Avon, 7-and-5.

Anderson, though, lost in the second round to No. 9 Steve Motyka of Timberlin,

2-and-1. Meanwhile, Tommy Fallon is awaiting his chance to defend his

championship in the Maxfli Junior Championship . . . coming soon.