The steamroller that has been put together at Mount Pleasant Golf Course cruised past two foes – Rolling Road Golf Club and Maryland Golf & CC – over the weekend (April 13-14) to lead the way into the Baltimore Area final of the annual team matches of the Maryland State Golf Association. The respective scores were 13 1/2 – 4 1/2 and 14-4.
It marked the club’s best advance, as its previous best had been to the third round in 2012. On April 20, it will meet Crofton CC, a 10 1/2 – 7 1/2 winner over Ocean City Y&CC, and compete in an area final for the first time since 1994.
In the Washington half of the draw, Manor CC reached the final for the first time since 1979 with a 10-8 conquest of defending State champion Beaver Creek, while perennial challenger Columbia CC, whose latest title came two years ago, stopped Hobbit’s Glen GC, 10 1/2 – 7 1/2. The winners are scheduled for play on April 20, with the state championship match due April 27.
Since Mount Pleasant had not been a major factor in this competition in the past, there may have been some who thought its victory over Rolling Road was a fluke, but the entry put that to rest when it collected seven points each, home and away, in its decision over Maryland Golf.
In that one, the committee at Maryland Golf moved the tees up some 200 yards, thinking it might help the home side. All it did was play into the Mount’s hands, as pro Brian Meyer eagled the first (a shortened par-5) and birdied the fourth, and partner Ray Sheedy birdied the 16th and eagled the 17th (another shortened par-5), defeating pro Jason Gentilcore and Clark Topping, 3-0, in the process. In the third group, Blair Laubach (three) and Vince Shifflett (two) combined for five birdies in another 3-0 sweep.
At Mount Pleasant, Billy Wingerd and Brett Keller – two more big hitters for the winners – also produced a 3-0 win in beating Jim Winner-Chris Demetrakis. Brendan McKinney played both days for the Mount despite having fallen off a roof on Friday. There were scrapes, bruises, and some soreness but that was all.
Crofton earned an 8-1 edge at Ocean City to key its victory.
Manor crafted its victory over Beaver Creek with some last-team work at each site. At home, Dan Falls-Brian Simpson recorded a 3-0 win, and at Beaver Creek, Bart Mease-Alex Taylor earned 2 1/2 points. Each side collected two 3-0 wins, as Ben Warnquist-Bill Leonard joined Falls-Simpson, while the Beaver Creek sweepers were pro Dirk Schultz-Ryan Crabtree and Chris Bushey-Derek Baker.
Another surprising outcome Saturday was Crofton’s win over Baltimore CC. Each team won on its home turf, 6-3, and a birdie on the first extra hole at BCC enabled the visitors to advance.
Opening weekend notes – There were three ties, as Hillendale edged Hunt Valley in the opening round, then lost to Maryland Golf, while Glen Riddle (vs. Prospect Bay) and Mountain Branch (vs. Hayfields) won in the second round…Dan Spiker eagled the 18th at Hayfields to lift Mountain Branch into its playoff against Hayfields…Of the 11 teams which drew first-round byes, all but Cumberland (vs. Chevy Chase) and University of Maryland (vs. Manor) won in the second round.
Reported by John Stewart
