{"id":44189,"date":"2026-07-30T00:34:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T00:34:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/44189\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T00:34:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T00:34:09","slug":"ellingtons-bradley-sawka-cold-blooded-to-the-finish-secures-ct-open-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/golf\/44189\/","title":{"rendered":"Ellington’s Bradley Sawka, ‘cold-blooded’ to the finish, secures CT Open championship"},"content":{"rendered":"

FAIRFIELD \u2014 Bradley Sawka<\/a> lined up the 30-plus foot putt on the 17th green, knowing he had the dagger in his hand. His father, and caddie for many of his major golf tournaments, backed away.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t really know what goes through my son\u2019s head,\u201d John Sawka sai<\/a>d. \u201cPlaying in club championships, I know you get a bit nervy, but he handled it very cool. He\u2019s been reading most of his putts all week and I said, \u2018Hey, you\u2019ve got this one.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cHe stepped off a couple of times, picked his spot, it was the right pace and it dropped in the hole.\u201d<\/p>\n

And with that, \u201cI don\u2019t know if you saw, but I heaved a sigh of relief,\u201d Bradley said.<\/p>\n

Sawka, 21, held the lead wire-to-wire, holding off experienced professionals to win the 92nd Connecticut Open<\/a> by two strokes at the Country Club of Fairfield. The Ellington native is transferring from UConn to Oklahoma to test himself against SEC competition, and as that killer putt showed, he was more than cool this week.<\/p>\n

\"Ellington'sEllington’s Bradley Sawka captured the Connecticut Open Wednesday at CC of Fairfield. (Dom Amore\/Hartford Courant)<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve known him a long time, and he has always been a nice boy,\u201d said Mike Moraghan, executive director of the Connecticut State Golf Association, who presented the trophy. \u201cNow, he\u2019s a cold-blooded young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bradley is the first amateur to win the Connecticut Open since Jackson Roman in 2024, only the second since Jeff Heddon in 2008 and he won\u2019t cash a check with this victory. Last summer he was the top amateur at the Open, finishing tied for fourth at Black Hall in Old Lyme.<\/p>\n

The Open is considered Connecticut\u2019s second-most significant golf event behind only the Travelers Championship. It carried a purse of $75,000 this year, with $15,000 going to the low professional.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I believe in my preparation a lot,\u201d Bradley said. \u201cI work really hard and it was finally able to pay off. I\u2019ve been pretty consistent over the last year, year and a half, and it kind of shows through, how it happened this week. I\u2019m a little bit more mature, I can keep myself present in the most nervous moments, which is nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sawka opened the 54-hole Open with a 66 on Monday, then did one better on Tuesday. The 2 1\/2 inches of rain that fell Tuesday night and delayed the start of the third round changed the course, but Sawka fired another 65 to finish 14-under, holding off the two members of his threesome on Wednesday, Patrick Healy of Centerport, N.Y., and Michael Miller of Brewster, N.Y.<\/p>\n

\u201cBradley\u2019s in the mix with these guys, and I feel he can match them shot for shot,\u201d John Sawka said.<\/p>\n

Bradley has refined his game the last couple of years with the help of Matt McCullough from the CC of Darien, who was also there with the family to share in the moment. \u201cHaving my father on the bag means the world,\u201d Bradley said. \u201cHe kind of just lets me do my thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sawka, who also played soccer and basketball at Ellington High, won the CIAC State Open in 2023, and was an all-stater three times. At UConn, he played in 11 events as a sophomore, with three top-20 finishes and winning the UConn Invitational at his home course, averaging 70.9 for the season.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy time at UConn was unbelievable, coach (Dave) Pezzino<\/a> helped me a lot with how I progressed and matured and made decisions on the golf course,\u201d Bradley said. \u201cIt\u2019s also a thing where, you see a lot of kids going to big-time schools and they\u2019re not able to play for a couple of years. I was able to go to UConn and play almost every event for three years. Getting those reps under my belt and being able to play in the bigger tournaments we play in, it helped a lot and I feel like I would not be the player I am if I didn\u2019t go to UConn.\u201d<\/p>\n

No worries, Travelers Championship to remain one of PGA Tour\u2019s top-tier for the foreseeable future<\/a><\/p>\n

He entered the transfer portal after the Huskies\u2019 season ended and chose Oklahoma, where he hopes to play year-round and test himself against the competition in one of college\u2019s elite conferences.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe competition, the weather, factor of the PGAU<\/a>,\u201d said Sawka, who will move in at Norman, Okla., next week. \u201cWho knows how well I will play? I will prepare my very best and see how everything goes. But they do have a very good schedule that will allow me to compete against the best and their facilities are very nice as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having the decision behind him may have taken some pressure off, sharpened Sawka\u2019s focus going into this tournament. \u201cMaybe a little,\u201d he said. \u201cOnce you get\u00a0 out on the golf course, there is nothing going through your head except what\u2019s in front of you. Once you\u2019re in the lead, it\u2019s hard to stay in the present, but you\u2019re thinking about winning, not college.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bradley will leave his home state with his calling card and his name on a crystal trophy. Who is to say the next time he tees up here will be at the TPC River Highlands?<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s definitely a long way away,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m a Connecticut guy at heart, love Connecticut golf, love the CSGA and I\u2019m happy to keep the trophy in the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

, .<\/p>\n

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