The 2023 Mixed Two-Ball Championship was held on October 2nd at Lakewood Country Club in Rockville, Maryland. A total of 19 teams competed in the competition for the Championship trophy, and an additional 13 teams competed in the Senior Division. The format for this event was modified foursomes. Each player hit a drive, and after the team decided on a tee shot, they played alternate shots thereafter.
The Argyle duo of Cole Baldwin and Sarah Spicer won the championship by one shot over their playing partners, the father-daughter duo of Chris and Zoe Cusack (Congressional Country Club). Baldwin and Spicer were 3-under-par through six holes. They made bogey and Nos. 8 and 14 to card a 1-under-par round. This is Spicer’s second MSGA victory this year as she won the Maryland Women’s Amateur earlier at her home club in July.
In the Senior division, the Woodmont Country Club Duo of Howard Stein and Jill Benson won in a scorecard playoff against Tim Goins and Sharon Gutschick (Mountain Branch Golf Club). Stein and Benson’s back nine score of 38 earned they the victory at 6-over-par.
Lakewood Country Club was in excellent condition and the competitors had nothing but praise for the course. In the Championship Division, the men played from 6471 yards, and the women played from 5645 yards. In the Senior Division, the men played from 5977 yards, and the women played from 5147 yards.
Following are the top finishers, both gross and net, in each division:
Champions: Sarah Spicer (Argyle Country Club) & Cole Baldwin (Argyle Country Club)
Runners-Up: Zoe Cusack (Congressional Country Club) & Chris Cusack (Congressional Country Club)
Championship Division
1st Gross: Sarah Spicer & Cole Baldwin – 71
2nd Gross: Zoe Cusack & Chris Cusack – 72
3rd Gross: Carol Davies & James Lillie – 75
1st Net: Zarina Yestemessova & Doug McPherson – 70
2nd Net: Elisa Hermes & Rob Hermes – 71
3rd Net: Sammy Smutz & Kristina Demmick– 74 (won scorecard playoff)
Senior Division
1st Gross: Jill Benson & Howard Stein – 76 (won scorecard playoff)
2nd Gross: Sharon Gutschick & Tim Goins – 76
3rd Gross: Cathy Ayoob & Jack Leidich – 83
1st Net: Debbie Bustard & Ed Bustard – 75
2nd Net: Chong Lee & Jang Lee – 76 (won scorecard playoff)
3rd Net: Karen Henderson & Brian Henderson – 76
