Baltimore Country Club wins their Fourth Senior Team Match title; defeats Columbia 8.5-3.5
Lutherville-Timonium, Md. – The 2021 Senior Team Match finals pitted Baltimore Country Club and Columbia Country Club against each other in a showdown to determine the best Senior Team in the state.
BCC made it to the final match in the previous year but came up short to Manor Country Club. Columbia had not been to a final since 2018, where they finished runner-up to Hunt Valley Golf Club.
With BCC having the home team honors, the tandem of Bob Kaestner and Joe Rice faced off against Columbia’s Richard Holland and Bryan Golden on the Baltimore Country Club’s East Course. After tying the first two holes, BCC’s Kaestner & Rice won the third hole and never let go of their lead. With a 3-up victory on the front nine they put up the first home point on the board.
Heading into the back nine Holland and Golden kept the fight alive but a loss on the par 3, No. 13 stalled momentum until they were able to get the back nine match back to level on No. 15. With a win on No. 16, Kaestner and Rice gained back with 1-up lead and the match headed to the all-important par 3, No. 17. Having honors, Rice missed the green but partner Kaestner was able to use some local knowledge and stuck his tee shot within a foot of the hole all but securing the back nine point and overall 18 hole point.
Over on the road at Columbia, BCC’s Tim Dilli and Rob Cardwell faced off against Marty West and Dan Brigati. West and Brigati got off to a hot start and were 1-up through three and would not look back, winning the front nine match 2-up. Dilli and Cardwell kept the fight for the back nine point but were not able to overcome Columbia stalwart’s West and Brigati as they captured the overall 18 hole point on No. 16 and went on to win the back nine match 1-up.
Back at BCC, there was a battle in the second match between BCC’s Chris Taylor and Garrett Pfeifer and Columbia’s Jeff Bengtson and Peter Farrell. In a back-and-forth match, Taylor and Garrett were able to go 1-up through six, but Bengtson and Farrell were able to even up things after nine leading to a split point between the two teams.
Taylor and Garrett were able to get off to a quick lead on the back nine going 2-up through 12 but Bengtson and Farrell would not give up the fight and cut the BCC lead 1-up through 15. After a win on No. 16, Bengtson and Farrell tied the back nine and overall matches heading into the picturesque par 3, No. 17. Having honors, the Columbia duo hit the green leaving a lengthy birdie putt. Taylor and Garrett, having familiarity with how to pay the hole, used their local knowledge to each hit it within several feet of the hole to win the hole and all but secure the back nine and 18 hole matches.
In the second match at Columbia, BCC’s John Shmerler and John Carey went head-to-head with Columbia’s Bob Lane and Tom Mitchell. Shmerler and Carey had not yet played the historic Columbia and were surely at a disadvantage, but this did not stop them. Through 3 holes, the BCC pair took a 1-up lead and turned it into a 2-up lead and never looked back. While Lane and Mitchell were able to get the back nine match tied after 17, the resilient Shmerler and Carey took the final hole and captured the title for BCC. With a final score of 8.5 – 3.5, Baltimore Country Club won their 4th Senior Team title.
Results
Baltimore CC vs. Columbia CC
Bob Kaestner/Joe Rice 3 vs. Richard Holland/Bryan Golden 0
Chris Taylor/Garrett Pfeifer 2.5 vs. Jeff Bengtson/Peter Farrell .5
Tim Dilli/Rob Cardwell 0 vs. Marty West/Dan Brigati 3
John Shmerler/John Carey 3 vs. Bob Lane/Tom Mitchell 0
How they got to the finals
Baltimore Country Club
Round 1 def CC of Maryland; 11-1
Round 2 def Eagle’s Nest; 9-3
Quarterfinals def Greystone; 11-1
Semi-Finals def GlenRiddle; 10.5-1.5
Columbia Country Club
Round 1 def Bethesda; 6-6
Round 2 def UMD; 8.5-3.5
Quarterfinals def Congressional; 7-5
Semi-Finals def Beaver Creek; 7.5-4.5
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About the MSGA
Founded in 1921, the Maryland State Golf Association fulfills its constitutional mandate by promoting the best interests and true spirit of the game of golf as embodied in its ancient and honorable traditions; sponsoring and conducting state tournaments as well as USGA qualifying rounds each year; educating and informing Maryland golfers about changes in the Rules of Golf; fostering a respect for the game of golf as well as its Rules; and awarding scholarships.
