By Ron P. Coderre

Three of northeastern Connecticut’s 18-hole golf courses collaborated in making the Day Kimball Hospital Golf Classic a success for the 31st consecutive year.  A field of 52 foursomes teed off at Quinnatisset Country Club and Connecticut National Golf Club and concluded the day at the Raceway Golf Club in Thompson for the awards dinner and ceremony.

The ultimate result was more than $60,000 being turned over to the hospital for use in assisting with the general purposes of daily operations.  The audience received the sincere thanks of hospital President and CEO Robert Smanik, Donald St. Onge, COO and Chief Nursing Officer and Pamela Watts, Director of Development.

Competition on both courses was spirited with teams vying for prizes in gross and net categories.  At Connecticut National the threesome of Kevin Plouffe, Jason Ellis and Derrick Brown who posted a score of 15 under par 56.  They bested the second-place finishers Roger Noll, Scotty Vose, Jeff Obere and Dustin Haddad by two strokes.  Third place at minus 12 was the foursome of Jim, Deb and Ryan Dandeneau and Angelo Cinami.

Net winners at CT National were the foursome of Brian Cuddeback, Joe Cofrancesco, Scott Kettig and Al Saavadra (45.4).  They were followed by second-place finishers Bob Chenail, Cathy Nicholson, Shawn McNerney and Kevin Johnston (46) and the third-place team, Sheena Farner, Renee Smith, Matthew Anderson and Chuck Dipace (46.8).  Fourth place went to Jeff Lowe, David Gagnon, John William and Robert Faltz (49.6).

The “middle of the pack” award went to the foursome of James Daddario, Steve and Barbara Lemire and Jonathan Richards.  The Poker winner was Scott Vosel and skins were awarded to the Danendeau foursome on holes #6 and #12, the Plouffe threesome on hole #1 and the team of Joe Desautel, Jason Adams, Bill Wall and Rich Powers hole #4

Closest to the pin winners were Steve Lemire (#7), John Zawadski (#4), Joey Cyr (#9) and Dustin Haddad (#11).

Closest to the pin winners at Quinnatisset were Anne Kelly (#7), Pete Peterson (#3), J.P. Avenoso (#13) and George Tsanjoures (#15).  The Poker winner was Greg Harubin and a skin was awarded to the foursome of Peter and Chris Houi and Larry and Kyle McKissick.

The championship foursome at Quinnatisset was Wayne Magao, Dave Dyson, Luke Gendreau and Al Remekie with a score of 17 under par 55 on the par 72 layout.  Two strokes behind in second place was the group of Steve Townsend, Todd Poirier, Dave McNally and Alan Parsons followed by Jeff Rawson, Dan St. Laurent, Mike Green and John Eklund at minus 13.  

In the net competition, the foursome of Steve Gwizdak, J.P. Avenoso, Ben Gardner and Angela Olivierri won with a score of 43.  Second place went to Carol and Greg Tucker, Jeff Kreyssig and Mike St. Lawrence (48.3), third place to Matt Sosik, Ryan Leap, Brad Cheney and John Rauh (48.8).  The Houi and McKissick team finished fourth.  The “middle of the pack” group was composed of Rene Morin, Bill Poirier, Don St. Onge and Tom Harney.

 “This was another great day for Day Kimball Hospital.  We are most thankful for our players, sponsors and volunteers for the success of this tournament,” said Pamela Watts.

The 2015 Golf Classic Committee was Marc Allard, Bob, Tom and JoAnn Chenail, Mike Denis, Russ Dexter, Sue Gardner, Greg Harubin, Pat Hedenberg, Rene Morin, Don St. Onge, Carol Tucker, Pam Watts and Jim West.