Aaron Williams and Tanner Briele from Woodholme Country Club were able to shoot a bogey-free round of 61 to win the 60th MSGA Men’s Four-Ball Championship on Monday, August 8th, at Montgomery Country Club.
The course was set up at 6,647 yards and par 71 for the championship. The players also faced some tough conditions, with temperatures in the 90s.
The tandem of Williams & Briele came out of the gates ready, going out in 31 (-5), with both players contributing with multiple birdies on the front nine. The duo both birdied holes 1 and 9 while Williams birdied holes 2 and 4, with Briele making a birdie on No. 8. Moving to the back nine, the duo continued to keep the momentum. On the 328-yard par-4 12th, Briele chipped in for an eagle 2 to get the team to 7-under-par. Still sitting at 7-under-par going into No. 16, the duo turned it up a notch with birdies on 16 and 17 by Williams and a team birdie on 18 to finish the day at 10-under-par. Williams and Briele were only the third tee time out on the day, so they had to sit and wait to see if they would be crowned champions.
With one group left to finish, Williams and Briele were still at the top of the leaderboard by two strokes. The last group was Ryan Richardson (Hallandale CC) and Sean Flanigan (Bulle Rock), who turned in a 29-32-61 to tie the leaders at 10-under-par. The duo had birdies on No. 4 and 6-9 and as well as an eagle from Richardson on No. 1 to shoot a 29 on the front. The duo wasn’t able to keep a bogey-free round. After making birdies on No. 11 and 12, the pair bogeyed the 458-yard par-4 No. 13. The team continued to roll as they added two more birdies on holes 14 and 16. Heading into No. 18 sitting at 10-under-par, Richardson and Flanigan had birdie putts from roughly 8 feet. However, both players missed the putts and, after turning in their scorecard, got ready for a playoff.
The first playoff hole was the 456-yard par-4 10th hole. Richardson hit his drive in the left rough while his partner Flanigan was in the tall fescue and wasn’t able to get out after his second shot, taking him out of the hole. Williams hit the fairway with his drive while his partner Briele joined Richardson in the left rough. After hitting his second shot onto the green to about 15 feet, Richardson sank his birdie putt, putting pressure on Williams and Briele. Williams had a putt from about ten feet on the fringe and was able to sink it for his birdie and move on to the next playoff hole. The next playoff hole was number 18. The 555-yard par-5 was a long par-5, which was difficult to reach in two. Richardson, Briele, and Williams hit the fairway, with Flanigan in the rough. All the players went for the green in two. However, Richardson and Flanigan both ended up short of the green while Williams missed right. Briele, the last in the group to hit, was about 240 yards from the green and was able to make it on in two. Briele ended up leaving his eagle putt short of the hole but was able to tap in for his birdie. Richardson and Flanigan both chipped on and had putts to tie. However, both players missed their birdie putts, and Williams and Briele were crowned champions.
Will Wears (Baltimore CC) and Chris Baloga (Hillendale CC) were able to finish in third by shooting a 63 (-8). Baloga got out to a fast start by eagling the first hole. Wears followed that up with three birdies on No. 2, 4, and 6, while Baloga finished the front after he birdied No. 7 and 8. Heading into the back nine, the duo couldn’t make as many birdies as they hoped. The team birdied No. 12 and 16 but bogeyed No.15, which ended their bogey-free round. The pair finished solo second last year after carding a 62, 8-under-par. Thirty-two teams posted rounds below par.
