Better than Goode? No way

Jul. 24—Connor Goode got better and better as he advanced in the 80th Connecticut Junior Amateur championship.

And though he had to wait two weeks, the Glastonbury High senior saved his best for last.

Goode ended the one-year title reign of Matt Doyle Friday morning with a 4-and-2 victory over Doyle in the final at Watertown Golf Club.

"It's started to sink in and it just feels really good," Goode said. "I persevered through the tournament and faced a lot of challenges along the way. I didn't give up. I kept fighting to make it all the way.

"Honestly, given the circumstances I don't know if I could have gotten this far a month ago. I learned a lot from this tournament. I learned I can rise to challenges. This will definitely help my confidence. Generally, golf is based on confidence and what's going on in your head. This will help my game because I know what I can do."

Goode, who plays out of Glastonbury Hills Country Club, was taking part in his second Junior Amateur. He reached the second round of match play a year ago before falling to Jack Bosworth.

He almost didn't get to the match play portion the second time around, surviving a 9-for-3 playoff on July 6 that, due to thunderstorms, started three hours after he had finished his round. A birdie on the first hole was enough to get him the No. 31 seed in the 32-man match play field.

It wouldn't get easier as Bosworth, the No. 2 seed, was his first-round opponent the next day. They were tied after 18 holes and started sudden death on the par-5 first hole. Goode's tee shot left him behind a tree and 189 yards from the hole.

"Then I probably hit one of my best shots," Goode said. "I hit a 7-iron over the tree and it landed about an inch from the hole, so close that I had to fix the cup. It hit the flagstick and ended up five feet away. I made eagle to win."

His momentum was building.

Goode then topped No. 18 Christopher Pieper (1-up). On July 8, he'd defeat No. 10 Elias Kennon (2-and-1) and No. 30 Bennett Ostern (3-and-2) to advance to the next day's final against Doyle. But rain from Tropical Storm Elsa and the golfers' commitments led to a postponement. The final was finally rescheduled Wednesday to Friday.

"I was very busy between the semifinal and final," Goode said. "I played in three other tournaments — the national junior PGA in Kentucky, a tournament in Georgia, and then one back in Connecticut. I kept busy and that helped me not get stressed out and it kept my game sharp."

And he was sharp almost from the start Friday against fourth-seeded Doyle, who plays out of Madison Country Club and led Daniel Hand High to the Division II state championship in June.

"I played better as I went on," Goode said. "My first match was my worst score.

"Momentum is everything in match play. You make a bogey and you're just giving your opponent the hole. I wanted to make them make birdies to beat me, not pars. Heading into the match with Matt, I knew he was a good golfer and he wouldn't give me anything. I would have to win the match on my own."

Goode got a break on No. 1 when Doyle missed a short par putt to win the hole. From there, there was no looking back.

A par on No. 3 put Goode ahead and his first birdie on No. 7 put him 2-up. A win with a par on No. 9, an up-and-down from 124 yards with a 20-foot par putt that halved No. 11, and a win with a par at No. 12 got him to 4-up with six holes to go. His first mistake No. 13 led to bogey and Doyle had his first win.

On No. 15, Goode had a three-foot par putt to win only to see it lip out to extend the match. But he responded the way he had all tournament long.

"I just said to myself, 'Forget about it,' " Goode said. "I was still in great shape being up three with three to go."

He used a hybrid for his second shot on the par-5 16th from 235 yards to within seven feet of the cup. Though Doyle chipped in for birdie (the only one of his round), Goode had two putts to win the title.

"Sometimes it's easy to get stressed when you need to two-putt, but I don't think I have ever three-putted from six, seven feet," Goode said with a laugh.

He needed only one putt and he celebrated with a small fist pump.

"It was just a feeling of excitement and accomplishment that the hard work had paid off," Goode said. "Last year I wasn't contending in any tournaments and now I've been able to win a couple.

"I've always been pretty solid around the greens but my ball striking had been shaky. I've improved overall but really at ball striking. I'm hitting it closer to where I can make birdies."

After accepting the championship trophy, Goode headed to New Jersey to take part in the Notah Begay III junior national championship regional Sunday and Monday.

Next month, he'll begin his senior season at Glastonbury, which has opted to play golf during the fall. That means Goode will not be with the Guardians' football team, where he played quarterback and cornerback.

"I'm not so happy about it," Goode said. "I've played football since I was in second grade."

But his future in college athletics is in golf and it's much brighter today looking ahead.

"I've been talking to a lot of schools in the Northeast, and winning today is a big step for me," Goode said. "It opens up a lot of doors and opportunities for playing collegiately."

Perhaps his best is still to come.

For coverage of all sports in the JI's 18-town coverage area, plus updates on the UConn women's basketball team and head coach Geno Auriemma, follow Carl Adamec on Twitter: @CarlAdamec, Facebook: Carl Adamec, and Instagram: @CarlAdamec.