2021 The Suburban Club One-Day Four-Ball Results

The teams of Don Phattiyakul-Joe Lewin and John Johnston-David Solley, competing in the men’s back and forward divisions respectively, were atop of the leaderboard following a One-Day Four-Ball tournament conducted by the Maryland State Golf Association on Monday, August 23rd at The Suburban Club in Pikesville. Both teams’ scores were also enough for the low net rounds of the day in their respective divisions, earning them the low net prizes for the event. In the mixed/women division, Donna Woodruff-Mark Woodruff earned the prize for first place (net), and Thomas Kersch-Carol Kersch earned first-place (gross).

Phattiyakul and Lewin, posted a team gross score of 66 (-4) for the men’s back division. Their efforts led to a net score of 64 with two net birdies on holes 3 and 5. The Worthington Manor GC duo only dropped one shot as a team the entire day.

With Phattiyakul-Lewin earning the low net prize, The University of Maryland’s own Trey Allen and David Lughermo won low gross with a round of 69 (-1). Allen-Lughermo had a one setback on the 2nd hole but were able to make birdies on holes 11 an 18 to finish one-under for the round.

Bryan Abbamonte and Mark Hachey, the duo from Turf Valley, earned second-place (gross) for the men’s back division with 37-35-70 (+2). Hunt Valley’s Steve Grem and Larry Sheets finished in second place (net) with a score of 34-31-65 which included five birdies (four net and one gross) and a net eagle on the difficult par-4 fifteenth hole. Tharen Rice and David Long, members of the MSGA eClub, earned third place net with 32-34-66 (-4). 17 teams registered to compete in the Men’s Back division and played from the blue tees measuring 6,542 yards.

The MSGA eClub duo of John Johnston and David Solley were able to post a net score score of 57 (-13) to edge out the rest of the field in the men’s forward division. With a total of thirteen net birdies, they bested the Lambda Links duo of Matt Lachance and Charles Griffin, who posted a net score of 63 (-7). Kreg Keeney and Dean Fox from Fox Hollow, posted a score of 64 (-6), and were able to net eagle’s on holes 1 and 8. With Johnston-Solley earning the low net prize for the men’s forward division, Little Bennett Golf Course members, Rick Cross and James Muck posted a score of 74 (+4) earned first place gross. With birdies on the 7th and 12th hole, Cross-Muck were able win a scorecard playoff over Al Aldana (C.C. at Woodmore) and Steve Chaney (Blue Mash Golf Course). Aldana-Chaney earn second place (gross). Aldana was able to make the duo’s only birdie on the par-3, sixth hole. Barry Andrews and Craig Whitaker from US Naval Academy earned third place (gross) by shoot +7 (77). Both made birdies on the difficult 12th hole.  23 teams registered to compete in the Men’s Forward division and played from the white tees measuring 6,226 yards.

First place (net) in the mixed/women division was earned by the husband-wife duo playing out of Country Club of Maryland, Mark and Donna Woodruff, who shot a 73 (+1) to edge out the other husband-wife duo from Eagle’s Nest, Thomas and Carol Kersch, who shot a 77 (+5). The Woodruff’s ended up earning first place (net) which allowed the Kerschs to earn first place (gross) in the mixed/women division. Four teams registered to compete in the Mixed/Women’s division. The men played from the green tees measuring 5,745 yards and the Women played from the red tees measuring 5,434 yards.

The committee for MSGA One-Day tournaments uses the USGA recommended method for breaking ties when a playoff is not feasible, outlined in Committee Procedures 5A(6) of the Official Guide to the Rules of Golf. This method uses a match of cards for scores from the back nine. If there is still a tie, it goes to the last six, last three, and finally the eighteenth hole.

The format for the 48 teams was Four-Ball stroke play, often referred to as better-ball. In Four-Ball, Competitors play as partners, with each playing their own ball. The lower score for the partners is the score for the hole.  If a player is certain that their score will not count on a particular hole, they are not required to finish the hole, but one member of the team must hole out.

The Suburban Club was founded in 1900, at a time when the surrounding area bordering the club property was a quiet suburban landscape with mostly undeveloped land. It was accessible primarily by railcar, as automobiles were not yet popular or available to the public. The club’s surroundings have matured, and it is now a much more heavily populated, urban environment, but the golf course remains an Oasis in a busy suburb of Baltimore, which might be the origin for the name of its well-placed halfway house. Golf course architect Robert Trent Jones Sr. renovated the golf course in 1949, putting a premium accuracy off the tee and on approach shots to its small greens. The club frequently hosts MSGA, Middle Atlantic Golf Association and Middle Atlantic PGA competitions.

Men’s – Back

1^st Net – Don Phattiyakul-Joe Lewin
1^st Gross – Trey Allen-David Lughermo
2^nd Net – Steve Grem-Larry Sheets
2^nd Gross – Bryan Abbamonte-Mark Hachey
3^rd Net – Tharen Rice-David Long

Men’s – Forward

Mixed/Women

1^st Net – Donna Woodruff-Mark Woodruff
1^st Gross – Carol Kersch-Thomas Kersch

*Won scorecard playoff

Men’s (back) – Blue tees (6542 yards) 72.1, 128
Men (forward) – White tees (6226 yards) 70.8, 126
Men (mixed) – Green tees (5745 yards) 68.6, 121
Women (mixed) –Red tees (5434 yards) 71.3, 133