(Photos coming soon)
The 2020 Mixed Two-Ball Championship was held on August 3rd at Manor Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. A total of 30 teams competed in the competition for the championship trophy and an additional 28 teams competed in the senior division. The format for this event was selective drive and alternate shots thereafter, also known as greensomes or modified pinehurst, with both gross and net prizes.
Unfortunately, due to tropical storm Isaias, the event was cut short after lightning halted play around 4:00 pm. Prior to the start of the competition, the MSGA determined this event would be conducted with two 9-hole stipulated rounds, allowing a winner to be named in the event of inclement weather. All players in the senior division were able to finish their round, therefore results for that division were based on 18-hole scores. The championship flight was not as fortunate, with the last tee time only having completed 12 holes when the horn sounded, therefore those results were based on front nine scores.
Husband and wife team, Elisabeth Herzfeld-Rice and Matt Rice from Clustered Spires Golf Club, prevailed in the championship division after shooting an impressive two-under-par 33 on the front nine. The team had only one bogey on the lengthy par 3, 3rd hole and made birdies at the par 5, 4th hole; par 4, 6th hole; and par 3, 8th hole. Team Rice won by five strokes, edging out 2019 champions Lena Capoccia and Kevin Keane from TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm who finished with a front nine score of 38. Third place went to The First Tee of Greater Baltimore Program Director, Parker Bratton, and his partner, Eagle’s Nest Country Club member March Klein with a score of 39.
In the senior division, another husband and wife duo, Susan and Artie Aronoff, won with a five-over-par round of 75. This marked the first time that the Woodmont Country Club members had played in the MSGA Mixed Two-Ball and they were able to secure their victory by two strokes over fellow members Jill Benson and Robert Scherer, who finished in second place at 77. Argyle Country Club’s Carol Davies-Lillie and Steve Lillie finished third in the senior division at 78, with some excitement at the 90-yard par 3, 11th hole with Carol’s ace.
Before the storms rolled in, bringing heavy rain and damaging winds to the DC metro area, the players enjoyed immaculate conditions at Manor Country Club along with milder temperatures and less humidity.
Following are the results from each division:
Championship
Gross
- Matt Rice & Elisabeth Herzfeld-Rice 33
- Kevin Keane & Lena Capoccia 38
- Parker Bratton & March Klein 39
- Walter Jew & Lisa Schlesinger 39
- Joe Petrucci & Kelly Calkin 39
- Tom Grem & Lora Fioretti 40
Net
- Michael Grimm & Megan Stevens 31
- Mike & Leigh Farrell 31
- Michael & Patricia Cooke 33
- Dennis & Cristina McCarthy 34
- Nicholas Krafft & Caroline Barbeau 34
- Chuckie & Joan Martin 35
Senior
Gross
- Artie & Susan Aronoff 75
- Robert Scherer & Jill Benson 77
- Steve Lillie & Carol Davies-Lillie 78
- John Vollmer & Sheila Casey 79
- Ibo Levent & Claudine Sorel 79
- Tom Duvall & Caroline Kahn 83
Net
- Jonathan Mann & Terry Sturner 67
- Tom & Carol Kersch 67
- Mark Handwerger & Diane Lach 69
- Tim Carr & Nancy Giannopoulas 70
- John & Claudia Craig 71
- Lewis & Sue Shipp 71
All ties were broken according to the USGA recommended method of matching cards.
