Norwood Hills amateur Skip Berkmeyer was among the chief proponents for the reincarnation of a once popular format - a season-beginning match play event pitting the areas top amateurs against the top club professionals from the Gateway PGA. After a hiatus of more than a decade, the best from sides resurrected the concept Sunday and Monday.

The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association team, captained by Berkmeyer and featuring a squad that included some of the top amateurs in the history of St. Louis golf, beat their PGA counterparts, 15-9, in two days of team and individual matches at Norwood Hills Country Club.

After splitting six four-ball matches on Sunday, the amateurs sneaked ahead after taking four of six alternate-shot matches on Monday morning. The amateurs closed out the victory in the Monday afternoon singles, winning seven of the 12 matches and halving two others.

Berkmeyer, playing against his close friend and long-time teacher Bobby Pavelonis, recorded the clinching point in a 2-up victory late Monday afternoon.

Berkmeyer, former U.S. Walker Cupper Jim Holtgrieve and Fox Run's Ted Moloney all contributed to three victories for the MAGA team. Bellerive's Mike Tucker and Bob Gaus (Tower Tee/Persimmon Woods) each earned two points to lead the Gateway PGA team.

While Monday afternoon's strong winds made scoring difficult in singles matches, the play was oftentimes spectacular in the team portion of play. Normandie's Tom Barry, who contributed two wins for the amateurs, was stunned by the play of Algonquin's Steve Hausmann and Bob Gaus in Sunday's four-ball.

"We (Barry and partner Scott Thomas) were 6-under par on the front nine and were 2 down," said Barry, who at age 46 is old enough to have had the good fortune to play in the Cup Matches back in the 1990s before the series was discontinued. "Hausmann and Gaus were 8-under in nine holes. Man, that was impressive. I got to play in this event when I was younger and I remember having to calm myself down I'd get so excited to be competing against the pros. And I was just the same way this year too. It's a great event and the amateurs love the chance to watch and compete against the top professionals."

MAGA/Gateway PGA Cup Matches

Norwood Hills Country Club

Format: Match Play

Four-Ball Matches

Skip Berkmeyer/Ted Moloney (MAGA) def. Gideon Smith/Ryan Roy (GPGA) 4 and 3; Jim Holtgrieve/Darrel Huisinga (MAGA) def. Jeff Ketterman/Dave Furlong (GPGA) 4 and 3; JC Anderson/Kevin Triefenbach (GPGA) def. Matt Hines/Brian Kennedy 1up; Bob Gaus/Steve Hausmann (GPGA) def. Tom Barry/Scott Thomas (MAGA) 4 and 3; Bobby Pavelonis/Mike Tucker (GPGA) def. Darren Lundgren/Drew Pranger (MAGA) 2 and 1; Don Bliss/David Lucks (MAGA) def. Scott Bess/John Hayes (GPGA) 5 and 4.

Team Total: GPGA 3; MAGA 3.

Foursomes (alternate shot)

Scott Bess/John Hayes (GPGA) def. Don Bliss/David Lucks (MAGA) 2 and 1; Jim Holtgrieve/Darrel Huisinga (MAGA) def. Jeff Ketterman/Dave Furlong 7 and 6; Scott Thomas/Drew Pranger (MAGA) def. Steve Hausmann/Mike Tucker 4 and 3; Ryan Roy/Bobby Pavelonis (GPGA) def. Matt Hines/Darren Lundgren 2 and 1; Skip Berkmeyer/Ted Moloney (MAGA) def. JC Anderson/Gideon Smith (GPGA) 3 and 1; Tom Barry/Brian Kennedy (MAGA) def. Bob Gaus/Kevin Triefenbach (GPGA).

Foursomes Total: MAGA 4, GPGA 2. Match Status: MAGA 7, GPGA 5.

Singles Matches

Darrel Huisinga (MAGA) and Dave Furlong (GPGA) halved; Dave Levine (GPGA) def. David Lucks (MAGA) 7 and 6; Jim Holtgrieve (MAGA) def. Scott Bess (GPGA) 5 and 3; Tom Barry (MAGA) def. Kevin Triefenbach (GPGA) 5 and 3; Ted Moloney (MAGA) def. Ryan Roy (GPGA) 2 and 1; Mike Tucker (GPGA) def. Scott Thomas (MAGA) 2 and 1; Skip Berkmeyer (MAGA) def. Bobby Pavelonis (GPGA) 2 up; Matt Hines (MAGA) and Steve Hausmann (GPGA) halved; Drew Pranger (MAGA) def. JC Anderson (GPGA) 1 up; Bob Gaus (GPGA) def. Darren Lundgren (MAGA) 1 up.

Singles Total: MAGA 8, GPGA 4.

Final Total: MAGA 15, GPGA 9.