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Sports blog: Stamford Sports Scene

By JOE RYAN
Times Correspondent

DARIEN -- Mike Ballo had hit the same shot hundreds of times in the past, on this exact course, but this time it took a distinctly unique flight from all the rest of his attempts and this time cost him his chance at the 107th Connecticut Amateur Golf Championship at Woodway Country Club.

Ballo, who calls Woodway his home course, had grabbed the lead on the turn in his semifinal match play round against Yale’s Jeff Hatten before the Farmington native had rallied to catch him on the 18th hole.

Now, on the 20th hole of the round, Ballo stood 170 yards out and lined up for a seven iron. The ball went long and right and ended up in the water for a penalty, ending his hopes for a berth in Friday's championship round.

Ballo, who has been on a hot streak since finishing ninth in the Big East Tournament, said he thought the match came down to a few breaks.

“I’m still playing good golf, he just got a few more breaks that I did which is hard to say since I got a hole in one,” said Ballo, who aced the ninth hole. “But he had to scramble. Not to take anything away from him because he won, he survived and is playing in the championships so he played well.”

John Corcoran, who was Ballo’s caddy, said he thought the ball was affected by some mud which clung to it that inhibited its flight. Corcoran has known Ballo for 12 years said he had been playing great this week.

“Mike got a little mud on his ball after he hit a really good drive and then the ball turned over on him and he went into the hazard and that was pretty much the ball game,” said Corcoran. “All together, in match play, he was an aggregate total of five under.”

Hatten meanwhile was able to play it safe for par and win the hole and the match giving him a slot in Friday’s final against R.J. Zielinski of Golfers Warehouse, who had defeated the other Stamford hopeful Nick Cook of Sterling Farms in match that went an extra hole earlier.

That match will take Place at Woodway which last hosted the Connecticut Amateur Championships in 1971 on June 26.

Hatten who had his father as his caddy and a small gallery of fans, found inspiration from both factors and said his father was happier than he was. He also gave credit to his training during his freshman year at Yale with preparing him for the tournament.

“Putting, short game and just never giving up," said Hatten. "When I get down I focus more. It was good I had my coach and one of my teammates here to watch me and they did a great job of cheering me on and my father was on my bag and my mom was here. I’m used to being out there carrying my one bag for sometimes 11 hours so, that kind of helped my stamina this week.”

Cook was down two dormie on the 17th, but pulled off a 45-foot putt and a 12-footer on 18 to tie Zielinski. On the first hole of overtime both hit impressive second shots with plenty of spin.

Unfortunately, Cook’s shot had a little too much spin and rotated farther away from the hole than Zielinski’s. Cook almost pulled off his third outstanding putt in as many holes but landed just short meanwhile Zielinski sunk his to take the match.

For Ballo, it was a day that gave the St. Johns University captain his first ever hole-in-one on the 173-yard ninth hole, which started his rally from two down to capture the lead on the 12th hole.

“Yeah, first hole-in-one ever," Ballo said. "Unfortunately. losing the match takes away from the feeling of a hole-in-one. After it I was still one down, so, I went right back to thinking I’m still one down. It gave me the energy boost I needed, I tied him with a birdie on the 10th hole then on the 12th I went one-up. I actually birdied 12, as well. So, nine, 10, 11 and 12, I went from two down to one up.”

The Stamford native had his chances to increase the lead on the 16th and 17th but he was unable to capitalize. He still had taken the match one dormie on the way to the 18th.

Ballo hit a 3-wood which traveled right and landed off the fairway. He failed to clear a tree on the second set pushing him into a thicket of trees. His next shot put him just short of the green and a chip had him on the proverbial dance floor with a chance for the winning putt.

Ballo thought for a moment he had executed the putt, but it dragged just on the cup's right side. Hatten then holed out a bogie putt to tie Ballo and set up the extra holes.

“I gave myself an eight-foot (putt) for the win and I thought I made it to tell you the truth, halfway there is was headed for the heart of the cup, but it stopped coming right and lipped out on the left edge,” said Ballo. “I was just trying to keep doing what I had been doing the whole week, but I got unlucky a little bit.”

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