Rolling Road Golf Club used a 3-0 win by team captain Matt Bassler-Scott Falatach and clutch play in closing holes by teammates to register an 11-7 victory over the University of Maryland GC in the championship pairing of the 84th Team Match program of the Maryland State Golf Association, April 27.

Playing in College Park, Bassler had four birdies and Falatach, a birdie and an eagle-3 at the 16th hole where he holed a 40-yard approach shot. Against Mike McGrain-Dan Walker, the visitors won the front 1 up and the back 3 up. The three Rolling Road pairings wound up with six points and the home team, which had collected seven points in 2004, eight points in 2005, and six points in 2012 — all title-winning years — could muster only five points this time.

It turned out to be enough, and Rolling Road professional Billy Bassler, at 62 perhaps the oldest pro to win a Team Match title, called it, “The best win I’ve ever had. There were probably other teams rated ahead of us, and I didn’t think we were not as strong as in past years, but the guys elevated their games. Also, as usual, whoever makes the putts on the last hole wins.”

In the second pairing at Maryland, two first-year players, Justin Jarvis-Andrew Lawton, split with Steve Martin-Greg Cline, 1 1/2 – 1 1/2. Rolling Road was 2 up through five holes, but Maryland players birdied 6-7, and the visitors responded as Jarvis birdied the eighth and Lawton, the ninth, to win the front. Maryland came back to win two holes on the back to win the side and halve the match.

Rick Sovero, who may be the only club president to play on a Team Match title-winning entry, and Kevin Allis lost the front to Dave Dustin-James Hewatt, but they rallied, as Allis birdied 15-16 and Sovero, 18, to win the back and halve the match.

At Rolling Road, Billy Bassler-Moose Brown and Jeff Maynor-John Moheyer each won a hole on the front to turn all-square. All square through 15, Moheyer, a MSGA Amateur finalist in 2003, gave his side two more points when he won 16 with a par and 17 with a birdie to go 2 up.

Bart DeLuca-Kevin Barth evened matters when they turned level with Ted Coon-Josh Jenkins, and DeLuca then birdied Nos. 10-11-12 for what became enough of an edge to get two back-nine points. The final pairing in Catonsville saw George Blyth, IV-Chris Derby divide with Blair Kennedy-Mike Stackus, 1 1/2 – 1 1/2. Derby drove the first green (315 yards) and the fifth green (271 yards) to set up two-putt birdies and the latter effort sent them 4 up. Derby had four front-nine birds as the team crossed over 3 up, and he added a fifth at the 10th, but Kennedy won the 12th and the rest were halved until Kennedy parred the 18th for a winning point and a half.

For the winning team, it was a mixture of veterans and newcomers that came through. Billy Bassler and Allis have played on the club’s last five title-winning teams dating to 1980, seven of the 12 played on the 2012 winner, and there were four first-year players.
Pairings:

At Rolling Road:

Billy Bassler-Moose Brown lost to Jeff Maynor-John Moheyer, 1/2 – 2 1/2.

Bart DeLuca-Kevin Barth d. Ted Coon-Josh Jenkins, 2 1/2 – 1/2.

George Blyth,IV-Chris Derby d. Blair Kennedy-Miker Stackus, 2-1.

At University of Maryland:

Matt Bassler-Scott Falatach d. Miker McGrain-Dan Walker, 3-0.

Justin Jarvis-Andrew Lawton split with Steve Martin-Greg Cline, 1 1/2 – 1 1/2.

Rick Sovero-Kevin Allis split with Dave Dustin-James Hewatt, 1 1/2 – 1 1/2.
-Reported by John Stewart