Three former champions posted victories to reach the area finals of the annual Team Matches of the Maryland State Golf Association, April l9.
Crofton Country Club, whose last of four titles was in 1987; five-time winner Rolling Road Golf Club, and the University of Maryland Golf Club, whose victory came in 2011, all advanced, along with newcomer Waverly Woods Golf Club, which reached the Final Four in its fourth year of competition.
Crofton whipped Ocean City Yacht & CC, 13 1/2 – 4 1/2, highlighted by its first 9-0 home sweep of the season after getting between 7-8 points in earlier pairings. It will be the home team when its plays Rolling Road, an 11 1/2 – 6 1/2 winner over Piney Branch GC, for the Baltimore area championship on April 26. Rolling Road got eight points at home that included a 3-0 sweep from Bart DeLuca-Kevin Barth, while Piney Branch won two matches at home for 5 1/2 points, with Andy Hill-Charlie Palmer getting three of them.
The University of Maryland GC put up a balanced home/away front in beating Old South CC, 12 1/2 – 5 1/2, getting 6 1/2 and 6 points, respectively, while Waverly Woods included a pair of 3-0 home wins in sidelining Columbia, 11 1/2 – 6 1/2. Maryland will be the home team when the two meet for the Washington area title, also April 26. Waverly Woods was helped by sweeps from Anthony DeSimone-Scott Zielinski and Doug McIlvain-Kevin McDonald. The Howard County team got a boost at Columbia where it got points in all three matches with a win and a split in two of them.
-Reported by John Stewart
