Champion: J. J. Henry
J. J. Henry was born in Fairfield in 1975. Henry was exposed to high-level golf by his father, who played in numerous British and U.S. Amateurs, and won six men’s championship at the Patterson Club. He grew up hearing about how his grandfather, who caddied at the Country Club of Fairfield, had played on the Fairfield High School team with Julius Boros. Henry earned spending money by working as a caddy at Patterson, even caddying for his father at some of his tournaments. (His father later returned the favor, caddying for his son at the Greater Hartford Open and the U.S. Amateur in 1997 and 1998.)
Henry was a three-time Connecticut State Amateur champion and turned pro in 1998. He won two PGA Tour victories (2006 and 2012) and was the first Connecticut golfer to win the Buick Championship. He also played on the Ryder Cup team in 2006. He is one of only three American-born PGA Tour players to finish inside the Top-125 (earning Tour status) since 2001.
Off the course, Henry founded the Henry House Foundation to fund projects that promote health care and well-being of children in Fort Worth, Texas and southern New England. He has helped support programs for Bridgeport-area youth at the Fairchild Wheeler golf course with First Tee-Metropolitan New York.