Congressional CC Successfully Defends Senior Team Match Championship
The Senior A-Team from Congressional CC successfully defended its 2021 title in the WMGA Senior Team Matches today. They withstood a stern challenge by the senior team from Breton Bay G & CC, winning 8 1/2 to 3 1/2, a total that gives no clue to how close the match was early on.
Both teams went 3 & 0 in the play-in matches, with each having their share of close calls early on. Congressional overcame Montgomery CC in the first play-in round by winning a play-off and squeaked by Norbeck CC 7 – 5 in round two. Breton Bay eked out a close win over the University of Maryland GC in round one and then cruised in the balance of the play-in rounds.
The River Road gang danced on by in the first two rounds of the ‘Final Eight’ winning by margins of 12 – 0 and 10 1/2 to 1 1/2. Breton Bay won both of its ‘Final Eight’ matches by margins of 8 – 4. This set-up a final that could go either way as both teams were deep in talent and competitive experience.
The front nine made the day, with one match in particular being the difference.
At Breton Bay Skip Tendall and Clay Fitzgerald (Congressional were extremely solid, turning two up and gaining the first point of the day off Bill Jenner and Tommy Jameson (Breton Bay). The second match saw Bob Stark, who flew up from Florida the night before to help his team, and Ross Tuck (Breton Bay) run away on the front from Gary Hann and Walter Kerr (Congressional), winning that side 3 up and posting the first Breton Bay points – all tied in Leonardtown, 1 – 1 after nine.
At Congressional, on the challenging Blue Course, Mark Giarraputo and Dan Lasik (Congressional) ran away from Joe Fenlon and Jim Hicks (Breton Bay), turning 4 up and posting the second point for Congressional. In match two, Rick Kelly and John Ziemski (Congressional) held Breton Bay’s anchor team, Rusty Hall and Pete DeTemple at bay to gain a tie and half a point for each team. At the turn Congressional 2 1/2 and Breton Bay 1 1/2. That 1/2 point difference would prove decisive later in the day.
In the meantime, the weather at Congressional was turning nasty, with light to moderate showers moving in and lightning showing up to impact play later. While the weather turned lousy in Bethesda, it stayed very pleasant in Southern Maryland, with the sun peaking through the clouds for a good part of the day.
Tendall and Fitzgerald gradually pulled away from Jenner and Jamieson, building on their lead, with the help of an eagle on the par 5 14th. Hann and Kerr were holding steady, tied on the back but still down on the 18. Tendall and Fitzgerald closed out their match over Jenner and Jameson on the par four 16th to gain all three points at the same time that match 1 at Congressional was being closed out by Giarraputo and Lasik over Fenlon and Hicks, gaining an additional three points for Congressional. Just as that match wrapped up the weather alert sounded off stopping all play in Bethesda, leaving the final match of Kelly and Ziemski vs. Hall and DeTemple still on the course and still tied with some holes to play. Congressional was now with 6 1/2 points, a half point to the good for the victory.
The back-nine/eighteen hole results of the second two matches were now moot as the outcome, on paper, was decided. With a lengthy delay forecast the final match at Congressional agreed to call it a day and a halve, splitting the remaining two points. The second match at Breton Bay wrapped up after the fact with Hann and Kerr managing to eke out a win on the back while losing the front and the eighteen to Stark and Tuck. That half point from the front nine tie in match two at Congressional proved to be the decisive point which pushed Congressional over the top. That highlights how the matches are typically closer than what the final score shows.
Thank you to all the players and the clubs for participating this year. We appreciate the support and our clubs making room on their tee sheets for the matches and for the team captains and pros organizing everything on their end.
At Breton Bay
Skip Tendall & Clay Fitzgerald (Cong.) take 3 points from Bill Jenner & Tommy Jameson (BB)
Bob Stark & Ross Tuck (BB) win 2 pts. to 1 pt. over Gary Hann & Walter Kerr (Cong.)
At Congressional
Mark Giattaputo & Dan Lasik (Cong.) take 3 points from Joe Fenlon & Jim Hicks (BB)
Rick Kelly & John Ziemski (Cong.) tie front with Rusty Hall & Pete DeTemple (BB). Match still tied thru 14 when horn blows – teams agree to a tie 1 1/2 to 1 1/2
Congressional wins 8 1/2 to 3 1/2 with some very close margins. Well done.
FINAL Results – Bracket is ⇒ HERE
The Congressional Four who played at home – more pics coming
