Pros Dominate Foursomes Matches, Hang on During Singles
 |
Updated: Tue 4/20/2010 6:34 am
|
On a calmer day at Gateway National Golf Links, it was the storm of the Gateway PGA that swept through Madison, IL at the 2010 MAGA / Gateway PGA Cup Matches. Entering the day leading 4 to 3, the Gateway PGA needed 10 1/2 points to win back the Cup from the best amateurs of the Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association.
The morning session featured Foursomes Matches, arguably the most difficult format in team golf. Team members alternate shots, making it difficult to get into rhythm during the course of the round. A player could go several holes before hitting a meaningful tee shot or putt. The team able to keep it simple by hitting fairways and hitting greens will quickly gain an advantage in the match, ultimately leading to victory.
Ed Schwent/John Hayes started the day off right for the Gateway Section defeating David Lucks/Scott Thomas 3&1. Brian Fogt/Nash Haxel enjoyed similar success posting a 4&2 win over David Johnson/Paul Neeman. The Fox Run Golf Club duo of Darren Lundgren and Ted Moloney didn't enjoy the same success they had on Sunday, losing 3&2 to Mike Tucker/JC Anderson. What started as a 1 point deficit for the amateurs, quickly grew to 4.
Robert Trittler/Scott Edwards stopped the downward spiral for the Amateurs with a 1 up victory over Steve Lotz/Larry Emery. The only other Amateur team to post a victory was the final pairing of Skip Berkmeyer/Jim Holtgrieve who topped arguably the best Professional pairing of Mike Suhre/Brett Moomey. Otherwise, it was a Faulkner/Hausmann win over Jeff Johnson/Chad Niezing and Bob Gaus/Kevin Triefenbach triumph of John Anderson/Tom Barry.
After a quick stop for lunch, it was time for the Amateurs to regroup if they expected to make the 2010 playing of the MAGA / Gateway PGA Matches competitive.
Scott Thomas made quick work of Ed Schwent, winning 5&4 to get the Amateurs headed in the right direction in the afternoon. John Hayes quickly answered for the Gateway Section to push the lead back to 4 points for the Professionals. The Senior matches split, with Edwards defeating Lotz and Emery answering back with a victory of Robert Trittler. While the Amateurs were holding their own against the Professionals, holding their own wasn't going to be good enough to recover from a 4 point deficit.
While the outcomes were split in the early goings of the Singles Matches, the feel on the golf course was nothing of the sort. Veteran Rules Official, but on this today appearing in the capacity of interested spectator, Bob Shogren commented after making a quick tour of the course, "In only one match do I have the Professionals winning, the Amateurs are making this interesting."
What was being felt on the course, was starting to be realized as Paul Neeman finished off a close match with Nash Haxel, posting a 2&1 victory for the Amateurs. John Anderson won in another close battle, winning 1 up over Tapawingo Head Professional, Kevin Triefenbach and Ted Moloney got the best of Mark Faulkner with a 2 & 1 win. After getting the margin to within 1 point, the Amateurs ran into three of the Gateway's top players as Bob Gaus, Steve Hausmann and JC Anderson all emerged with 1 up victories. In each of the three matches, the Amateurs maintained a lead but were unable to close it out to post a much needed point.
Yet, the matches weren't over yet as the Amateurs responded with wins from Amateur Captain, Skip Berkmeyer and Jim Holtgrieve over Mike Tucker and Brian Fogt, respectively. Trailing by 2 points with two matches on the golf course, the Amateurs had an opportunity to square the total at 14, therefore retaining the Cup in what would have been a remarkable come from behind victory.
Unfortunately for the Amateurs, the two Professionals still on the course represented the best of what the Gateway Section future has to offer in Brett Moomey and Mike Suhre. Yet, former Publinx Open Champion Chad Niezing handled the Bellerive Country Club Assistant Professional, handing Moomey a 4&2 loss. Needing a 1/2 point to pull the cup away from the Amateurs, Mike Suhre accomplished the objective, but with no room for error. Suhre and Lundgren halved their match, the result being a 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 victory for the Gateway PGA.
