Golfer O’Connell Looks Forward To Success At CCSU

Kevin O’Connell, a former standout golfer at Newtown High School, has recently joined the Central Connecticut State University golf team.

The golf team, which is coached by Connecticut PGA Professional Kevin Giancola, is one of the top golf programs in the state of Connecticut. Last Season, the CCSU Blue Devils claimed fifth place in the Northeast Conference and three players placed in the top 20 in the individual championship.

There are high expectations at Central and O’Connell is competing for a playing time in this young and upcoming program which began its fall season recently.

“I believe with hard work, on the lesson tee and range, I can improve my game to the point where I will get an opportunity to figure into the coaches plans at CCSU,” O’Connell said.

O’Connell has been the prize student in the junior program at Rock Ridge Country Club, which has been nominated the past five years for the Connecticut PGA junior leader. PGA Head Professional at Rock Ridge, Bill Flood, has worked with O’Connell since he was a seven and says his game has improved dramatically.

“It is nice to see the players I teach improve like Kevin has in the past few years. I am very proud of Kevin on a great accomplishment. I am sad not having Kevin around and leaving the program, but I enjoy developing my junior golfers into solid players like Kevin,” Flood said.

O’Connell found a love of the game at a very young age. His father, Tim O’Connell, a longtime resident of Newtown, remembers, “Kevin loved to swing the club when he was only two years old.”

The O’Connells have been members of Rock Ridge for the past 18 years.

Kevin’s mom, Karen O’Connell, has been very supportive of her son and his dream to play college golf.

“It will be hard with Kevin not around the house anymore, but I know he has worked extremely hard to get to this point. He has always loved golf, so it is nice to see him following his dreams.”

During the past few seasons, O’Connell has competed in the CTPGA and also the Westchester JPGA tours with success. He tied for seventh in the Connecticut Junior Amateur Qualifier and shot a 77 for 16th place for the match play portion of the tournament. O’Connell got through to the quarterfinals of the tournament, beating the No. 1 seed in the round of 16. He has also placed in the top 10 four other times in the two tours.