Rochester DGA and NY Met GA pass WMGA Team at Williamson Cup

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The Rochester District GA won the 2023 Williamson Cup on the strength of their second round play and a second round 68 (-4) posted by Alex Hill. Hill scored 79 in the AM round but backed it up with a 68 that included five birdies against just one bogey in the PM round to spur on his teammates to grab the prize. Off first in the PM on the back nine for the Rochester squad and opposite the leading WMGA team, Hill posted a 35. On his second nine (the front), he quickly dropped further under par with birdies on 3, 4 and 7, bringing in a 33 for the 68 and turning the match in favor of his team. There was no looking back once they got ahead. Their final two round total was 445. This was Rochester’s third win in the event.

The Metropolitan GA slipped by the WMGA for second place on the strength of a pair of 73’s in the PM by Charles Schrohe and Nick Smith for a team 36 hole total of 447. Their bid for an eleventh win came up short by 2.

The WMGA squad gained the AM lead with a 222 (+6), 3 shots clear of the Met and 4 ahead of Rochester. It just wasn’t to be, as the DC team struggled on the front nine in the afternoon before settling down on the back. By then it was too late and there was too much ground to make up. They managed to stay even with the Met on the final nine but it was not good enough to catch them or Rochester, who had the hot hand and played it just right. The WMGA final tally was 451. The WMGA bid for an unprecedented three in row and ninth title was not to be, despite a valiant effort.

Tommy Sharps of the WMGA was the most solid player of the day, notching a pair of even par 72’s for a 144 total and the individual crown. His cards had nothing higher than a 5 on them. Seven birdies against seven bogeys got the job done. Alex Hill from the Rochester squad, who played spoiler to the Met and WMGA with his 68, tied for second with four other players. Sharps joins other WMGA low medalists Charlie Winegardner (2007), Denny McCarthy (2009 & 2010), Luke Schaap (2014), Carlo Pizzano (2018), Marshall Meisel (2021), and 2023 U. S. Junior Amateur Champion Bryan Kim (2022).

The WMGA squad was comprised of Matthew Duke, Patrick Pritsios, Teddy Seitz, and Tommy Sharps. The format is stroke play with the best three of four scores counting in each of the two rounds. This year’s edition was played at the Point Lookout CC in Fonthill, Ontario. The Walter Travis designed course (opened in 1922) was played at 6,653 yards a par of 72.

The Williamson Cup website is ⇒ HERE

Results are⇒ HERE

The Lookout Point CC with a tour of the course can be found ⇒ HERE