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McEvoy Finishes Summer Golfing Strong, Ready for MSU

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Former Greenwich High School standout golfer and upcoming Michigan State University freshman Catherine McEvoy fires a shot to the hole during the Connecticut State Women’s Amateur Championship. (contributed photo)
Former Greenwich High School standout golfer and upcoming Michigan State University freshman Catherine McEvoy fires a shot to the hole during the Connecticut State Women’s Amateur Championship. (contributed photo)

Talking about ending your summer on a high note.

Competing in her last golfing event of the summer before heading to Michigan State University to start her freshman year, Greenwich resident and recent Greenwich High School alum Catherine McEvoy dominated the field at the Connecticut State Women’s Amateur Championship to bring home the title for the second consecutive summer.

“It felt really good,” said McEvoy. “Going into the last round, I knew I had a few shots to play with, but I also knew that the girls right behind me were really good. I knew that I still had to play well the last day in order to pull it off, so to shoot a 2-under the last day and pull it off felt really good.”

Representing the Innis Arden Golf Club, McEvoy finished the tournament with a 1-under par 73, six shots better than Hartford Golf Club’s Maisie Filler.

“I have been working on a few things, like my swing and continuing to improve and become more consistent and have a more reliable swing,” McEvoy said. “To be able to shoot the numbers that I did just goes to show that I have improved.”

In fact, McEvoy basically put the competition out of reach in the second round. After shooting a 5-over par 78 on her first day, the former GHS standout was on fire on day two, scorching the course with a 4-under par 69.

“I didn’t want to put too much pressure on myself going into the final round,” McEvoy said. “I knew that if I could stay focused and hit fairways and greens the entire day, I could come out with a really good number. That’s what I focused on and it worked.”

On the final day, McEvoy used her focus and determination to net a 2-under par 71 and clinch the championship.

While McEvoy and her family couldn’t be prouder, Marie Shimchick, head coach of the Greenwich High School girl’s golf team, is over the moon.“It’s easy to be proud of Catherine’s accomplishments, but I think inspired would be more accurate,” Shimchick said. “She never gives up, in addition to the consistency in her swing and her mental game being formidable. I knew she would come back from being five shots down and the first round. It’s often when she’s at her best.”

Aiding in McEvoy’s success was the course at Heritage Village Gold Club in Southbury.

“I thought it was a really playable course,” McEvoy said. “I thought the par fives were really important because they weren’t really super long, and they were holes you can make birdies on if you place the ball in the right position. I thought everything was right in front of us and putting was a big part of that. The last two days my putting was really good and that’s what helped my overall score become really low.”

And with the Connecticut Amateur championship in the books, McEvoy ended her junior golf season. But that doesn’t mean the standout golfer is putting away her clubs. Today McEvoy will pack up the car and head west to Michigan State University and begin her freshman year as a Spartan.

“Once I get out to Michigan State, we start right away,” McEvoy said. “I am really looking forward to being pushed by all the other really good players that I’m going to be teammates with. I think I need to work really hard and I can’t get down on myself when things aren’t going my way. I want to improve on my short game, which I think is a big aspect of golf. I am looking excel as a golfer and as a student there and it will be a great atmosphere for me. I’m really looking forward to that a lot.

“One of the reasons I wanted to go to Michigan State was because of the atmosphere there. I believe that it’s the place where I am going to be able to excel the most as a student and a golfer.”

While McEvoy couldn’t be more excited to put on the green and white of Michigan State, she knows her time in the red and white of Greenwich High School was something she will never forget.

“To get Player of the Year four times in a row meant a lot and to win states as a team twice and a couple of times individually was really exciting,” she said. “Every year I took a lot away from the high school season and I think that really helped me in preparation for my summer tournaments. Every year that the high school season started up again, to chase after the accomplishments that I achieved the previous year is what really made we want to continue to succeed.”

On of Shimchick’s fondest memories of McEvoy on the golf course, in addition to her amazing leadership abilities and team-first attitude, was during her sophomore year, when the competition for state Player of the Year was heating up going into the final stretch of the season.

“The competition for state Player of the Year was very close going into the CIAC tournament,” Shimchick said. “She absolutely destroyed the field, shattering the state record and claiming Player of the Year honors. Her most recent title proves she is more than capable of performing at the next level and I know she will have a bright future on the MSU team. I’m looking forward to following her collegiate career and beyond.”

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