In 2007, one player captured both of the MGA Major Championships as Conner McHenry of Jefferson City won the Missouri Amateur and Missouri Stroke Play, the first to take both titles in one year. In 2008, another double dip was performed, but in a slightly different manner.
2008 Missouri Amateur Champion, Justin Bardgett teamed up with 2008 Missouri Stroke Play Champion, Darren Lundgren to win the only other major championship that both of them can compete in, the 2008 Missouri Four Ball Championship. Bardgett won the Match Play at WingHaven Country Club in June with a convincing final match performance against Skip Berkmeyer and Lundgren followed that up with an equally as dominant performance, winning the Stroke Play at Meadow Lake Acres by three strokes over an impressive field.
"When they signed up for the Four Ball together, they instantly became the favorite. No disrespect to the defending champions or any other team in the field, but when your two major winners team up, it is hard not to expect them to perform," said Executive Director, Scott Hovis.
After the first round, it looked like the magic was gone for the two major champs as they fired a lack luster 69 which put them three strokes off the lead, but more importantly behind more than a dozen teams at 66, 67 and 68. "We thought 62 was the number we needed to win going in to the final round," said Bardgett after the tournament. Well they came up one shot short of their goal firing a low round of the championship 63 getting them to 12-under for the tournament with quite a few teams on the course. Early reports were that defending champions Travis Mitchell and Tyler Stalker were again playing well and playing directly behind Bardgett and Lundgren so they would be aware of exactly what they had to do. Another team making an early push was that of Brian Haskell and Matt Thrasher. 8-under as a team for the day through their first 11 holes put them in good position with 7 holes to play, after their opening round 2-under par 70.
With Lundgren and Bardgett waiting for more scores to come in to see how their 12-under total matched up, Mitchell and Stalker knew they had to make birdie on 18 to tie and Mitchell drained a clutch 50 foot birdie on the final green to match the leaders and join the waiting game. First round co-leaders Brad Nurski and Mark Korell seemed to be the main challengers, but they fell one shot short, shooting a final round 67 to finish at 11-under par. Haskell and Thrasher could also not keep up the pace as they went even par over their final 7 holes to shoot a 64, two shots back of the playoff.
The two teams dodged the bullets coming in, now it was left to a head-to-head, sudden death playoff for the championship. The first hole would make a great setting for the playoff, a par-5 that was reachable by all four players. Each player hit a good tee shot and three of four were in the fairway and Lundgren who went left had a clear shot to the green and was about 20 yards in front of the other players. Mitchell hit his second shot in the front right bunker, Bardgett went a bit long and left leaving a touch down hill chip from the rough and Stalker also found the front right bunker in two. Lundgren stepped up and hit a solid shot just short of the green in the fairway and what looked like an easy birdie and possible chip in for eagle. Mitchell blasted out to about 8 feet and Stalker followed on the same line to about 12 feet, but both were above the hole and would have challenging putts moving down the hill and left to right. Bardgett hit a delicate chip to about 5 feet and Lundgren followed with a solid chip to 2 feet. Mitchell and Stalker knew what they had to do and making one of two putts was their only chance to play another hole. Stalker just missed on the high side and in what appeared to be a lack of concentration missed his come backer making bogey and possibly putting a little extra pressure on Mitchell knowing that if he blew his putt by too far, a bogey would essentially hand the playoff to the other team. Mitchell stepped up and just missed the putt, skirting the hole on the low side giving Bardgett and Lundgren two short putts at the title. Bardgett hit a solid first putt, but lipped out to make par. Lundgren stepped up calmly and made his two footer for his fourth win of the season and second MGA Major Championship of 2008.
"Justin was like Freddy Funk Fairway both days, hitting it down the middle so I could just wail at it, its a different style, but it is good for a four ball," said Lundgren after the playoff.
The 2009 Missour Four Ball returns to the Kansas City area at Creekmoor Golf Club. The Final events of the 2008 MGA schedule are the Missouri Senior Amateur at Old Warson Country Club in St. Louis, September 23 - 24 and the Missouri Mid-Amateur at Kansas City Coutry Club on September 30 and October 1.
