John Elliott divides his time between living in Westerly and Jupiter, Fla.

He's also at home on the golf course.

It's basically been that way for Elliott since his high school days at Norwich Free Academy.

His life revolves around the sport.

He's either competing in a tournament or working as a caddy at Shelter Harbor Golf Club in Charlestown, R.I. and a private club in Jupiter.

This summer, Elliott is taking a break from caddying to devote more time to tournament play. Right now, he's in Maine at the Greater Bangor Open where he's tied for 12th at 3-under 135 (67-68) entering Saturday's final round. He's first in the senior division.

"I've been playing better," Elliott said Tuesday at the Connecticut Senior Open at Shennecossett Golf Course in Groton. "It's the first summer I've actually chosen to play and I've actually had some pretty good results."

In late June, Elliott, 52, placed third at the Vermont Open at Lake Morey Country Club in Fairlee with a three-round total of 8-under 202 (70-65-67), one shot behind the winner, and earned low senior honors.

Elliott is his own toughest critic. He beat himself up over his showing in the Senior Open. By most standards, he played pretty well, tying for fourth at 2-over 144 (70-74), three strokes behind the winner.

His performance was below his own high expectations. After moving into position to challenge for the championship heading into the 14th hole of the final round, he went bogey, bogey, bogey ... and his chance disappeared.

"It was disappointing," said Elliott, who played high school matches at Shennecossett and shot 64 there three or four times.

Two years ago at the same event, Elliott was poised to win, holding a two-stroke lead with three holes to play, before faltering and losing on the second playoff hole.

Bad things sometimes happen at the worst times during tournaments for Elliott, whose resume includes PGA, Nationwide and Champions tour events.

"I was leading the Vermont Open on the back nine and I lost," Elliott said. "I was tied for the lead here (at the Connecticut Senior Open) and I lost. It seems to be the (theme) the last couple of years. I seem to be the common denominator when everybody is beating me."

Elliott had a memorable experience for the wrong reason at the Dicks Sporting Goods Open, a stop on the Champions Tour, earlier this month in Endicott, N.Y. He shot a sizzling 66 in a qualifying tournament to reach the event.

In the opening round, Elliott continued his strong play. Trouble hit when he signed a scorecard with the wrong score. He was disqualified.

"I messed it up," Elliott said. "I added up 70 and put down 70. And they added up to 69. ... Three 70s would have been 30 grand or something and I just screwed that up. ... You can't screw it up any more than that. You finally get in one and then you sign the wrong card."

Elliott doesn't dwell on his disappointments. He simply moves on and prepares for the next event. Next week, he'll compete in the Maine Open at Augusta Country Club. He also plans to play in an upcoming qualifier for the Travelers Championship.

He'll try to qualify for some more Champions Tour events.

"I think I can go do that again," Elliott said. "You can't play well every week and you can't make all the right choices. My short game has been good. My driving always has been pretty good.

"... I'll just keep on rolling. It's all good."

Short putts

• Former UConn standout Ray Allen will play in the Travelers Championship Celebrity Pro-Am on Aug. 3 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. Ex-Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, comedian Kevin Nealon and Nick Bonino, a member of the 2016 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins are some of the other celebrities scheduled to play.

Ernie Els, Matt Kuchar and Retief Goosen are the latest golfers to commit to play in the Travelers Championship, which runs Aug. 4-7.

• Bill Hermanson of Black Hall Club ranks third in the Connecticut State Golf Association's Senior Player of the Year race, trailing good friend Dave Szewczul and leader Bruce Kraczkowsky.

Hermanson is happy with the way he's playing. "I've got my putting figured out somewhat," he said. "It's made a big difference."

• As a tuneup for his second appearance in the Travelers, Black Hall assistant pro Adam Rainaud will compete in the Connecticut Open, which runs Monday through Wednesday at Woodway Country Club in Darien. Jeff Hedden, the 2008 champion, is the last Black Hall player to capture the title.

Rainaud, who tied for ninth last year, will play in the same opening round threesome as defending champion Cody Paladino of Wethersfield Country Club. No one has won consecutive titles since Nick Cook (2005, 2006).

Other local golfers in the field include: Rob Neaton, Matt Smith, Hermanson, Black Hall; Kevin Riley, James Lathrop, Pequot Golf Club; Bobby Fox, Stonington CC; Keith Anthony, Ron Beck, Fox Hopyard; Dave Jones, Mohegan Sun Country Club; Kevin Shea, Great Neck; Robert Taggart III, Lake of Isles.

• Shennecossett superintendent Eric Morrison was spotted at his usual spot Tuesday afternoon near the 17th green late in the final round of the Connecticut Senior Open. Morrison already had his cigar out, preparing to celebrate the end of another successful tournament.

• The tentative dates for next year's Connecticut Senior Open are July 17-18. So, for the second straight year, golfers looking to compete in both that tournament and the Norwich Invitational could face a long, difficult stretch of golf.

Playing back-to-back tournaments leaves golfers like Jones at a competitive disadvantage. After five rounds in three days as the runner-up at the Norwich Invite, he played 36 more holes in two days at the Senior Open. His game clearly suffered.

Even though Jones still managed to make the cut and finish with a respectable 9-over 151 (75-76), he struggled at times. He started round two with a double bogey, bogey and double bogey before recovering nicely, scoring birdies on four of his last six holes. Fatigue was definitely a factor in his overall score.

• Noah Straub, who attends NFA, had his best finish of the summer, tying for first in his 13-15 age division and placing in a four-way tie for fourth overall at the Don Miklus Memorial Junior Open last week at Tashua Knolls Golf Course in Trumbull. He fired a 4-over 150 (74-76).

• Coming off his Norwich Invitational championship win last weekend, Nick Harrington tied for 30th at the recently-completed 87th New England Amateur Championship at the Hartford Golf Club. A member of the UConn golf team, Harrington shot a 7-over 287 (71-71-70-75). James Turner, an 18-year-old from Gloucester, Mass., won the event with a 7-under 273.

Nick Hedden of Great Neck Country Club and Alex Jenkins of Black Hall Club in Old Lyme also competed but fell short of the cut.

Upcoming events

• Local golfers will be well-represented in the 80th Connecticut Father & Son Championship on Aug. 2 at Indian Hill Country Club in Newington. Richard and Mark Broadbent of Shennecossett, Frankie and Stephen Lee of Norwich, Chris (Connecticut National) and Paul (Norwich) DeLucia, Jim (Shenny) and Shawn (Wampanoag CC) McMahon, Frank (Mohegan Sun) and Frank III (Golf Course at Windham) Villazante, and John (Lake of Isles) and Julian (Wethersfield) Thomas are signed up to play.

• The Shennecossett men's club championship qualifier will tee off this weekend. The champion will be crowned on Sunday, Aug. 7.

• Stonington Country Club will hold a Parent-Child, Grandparent-Grandchild tournament on Sunday. Competitors can play either 18, nine or three holes.

• Ellington Country Club is the site of a Travelers Championship pre-qualifier on Wednesday. David Renski Jr. of North Stonington will be in the field. The top 40 finishers plus ties move on to the qualifier on Aug. 1 at the same location.

• Elmridge will hold its men's club championship final on Saturday, July 30. It will be a 36-hole event.

• Please send results or any golf news to g.keefe@theday.com