The GSGA team took the lead after the first session of the Peters Cup and held on to defeat the Georgia PGA 17-15 at Harbor Club Sunday and Monday, snapping a 4-match losing streak.
After winning four straight times from 2003-09, the GSGA lost the next four competitions against the Georgia PGA, but got some strong efforts from its seniors and several first-time participants to pull off the victory.
The GSGA’s four seniors won three of four team matches and three of four in singles, with Doug Hanzel and Bob Royak both going 3-0 and Chris Hall winning two of his three matches. Also going 3-0 for the winning GSGA were newcomers Keith Guest and Steven Behr, along with Erik Martin. Rusty Mobley, also a Peters Cup rookie, went 2-0-1, as the GSGA team won despite getting little in terms of point production from many of its more prominent players.
Chris Waters, Billy Mitchell and Jack Hall all went winless for the GSGA, with both Hall and Mitchell competing in the regular division although both were eligible to play as seniors. Former tour player Nick Cassini went 0-2-1 in his first appearance, and GSGA 4-Ball champions David Noll and Mike Nance lost both their team matches, with Noll coming back to score a key win in singles.
The GSGA led 5-3 after the Sunday morning best ball session, and took an 8 ½ – 7 ½ lead into the singles despite losing the alternate shot matches 4 ½ to 3 ½. The GSGA went 7-6-3 in singles to win the session 8 ½ – 7 ½ for the final 17-15 margin.
The two key wins in singles for the GSGA Sunday were produced by Royak and Noll, who both won their matches 1-up. Royak rallied from 1-down with two holes to play, while Cassini and Mobley pulled out key halves for the GSGA by winning the 18th hole.
Paul Claxton and Brian Dixon were the only players from the Georgia PGA to make it through the matches without a loss. Claxton went 2-0-1, rallying to get a half in the anchor singles match, which ended after the outcome had already been decided. Dixon was 1-0-2, with his singles win coming after the GSGA had already clinched its victory.
Justin Martin, Chris Cartwright and Ted Fort, all representing the Georgia PGA for the first time, posted records of 2-1, as did Hank Smith, who paired with Claxton to go 2-0 in team matches, the only unbeaten duo for the cub pros.
Here are the scores and brief details on all 32 matches from the 2018 Peters Cup:
MONDAY SINGLES: GSGA 7-6-3 (8 ½ points to 7 1/2).
Kyle Owen (PGA) and Nick Cassini (halved): Neither led more than 1-up, with Owen grabbing 1-up leads with birdies at 14 and the demanding par-3 17th before taking a bogey at the 18th.
Erik Martin (GSGA) def. Todd Ormsby 4&3: Martin played steady golf, jumping out to a 3-up lead after three, Ormsby lost five straight holes beginning at the eighth, four on bogeys, after pulling within one hole.
Ted Fort (PGA) def. Mike Nance 4&3: Nance struggled from the outset with four straight bogeys to fall 3-down after 5. Fort closed out the match with his second birdie of the day at the short par-4 15th.
Justin Martin (PGA) def. Billy Mitchell 7&5: Mitchell bogeyed 8 of 13 holes while Martin did not have a bogey after the second. Martin was conceded birdie on five of the eight holes Mitchell bogeyed.
Chris Cartwright (PGA) def. Nathaniel Rau 1-up: A steady Cartwright (one birdie, two bogeys) held off a late comeback by Rau, who eagled the 14th and birdied the 16th, but could not overcome a 3-down deficit.
Bill Hassell (PGA) and Rusty Mobley halved: Mobley was 2-up after 7 with three early birdies. Hassell took his only lead when Mobley bogeyed 16 and 17, but Mobley won the difficult par-4 18th with a par for the GSGA’s second vital half point.
Craig Stevens (PGA) def. Rick Cloninger 2&1: Cloninger started slow and never recovered, trailing 4-down after 11. Stevens scored his lone birdie at the par-5 eighth to open a 2-up lead.
Bob Royak (GSGA) def, Mark Anderson 1-up: In one of better matches of the day and perhaps the most important, Anderson took a 2-up lead with birdies at 10 and 11 before Royal birdied the risk/reward par-5 14th. Royak played his last 12 holes in 3-under and won with pars at 17 and 18.
Chris Hall (GSGA) def. Danny Elkins 3&2: Hall went 3-up with a birdie at the ninth but Elkins birdied the 12th to close within one before a late stretch of bogeys.
Doug Hanzel (GSGA) def. James Mason 2-up: Match was all square after six before Hanzel won the next three holes, two with birdies. Mason was 4-down after 13 before his only birdie at 14, and closed within one hole when Hanzel bogeyed 16 and 17 before winning the 18th.
Gary Miller (PGA) def. Jack Hall 3&2: Hall was 2-up after 6, but gave away three of the next four holes, and Miller took control with birdies at 11 and the long par-4 13th.
David Noll (GSGA) def. J.P. Griffin 1-up: In a match that was tight all the way, Noll matched par on the back nine and won when Griffin bogeyed the 16th, part of Harbor Club’s tough finishing trio.
Steven Behr (GSGA) def. Tim Weinhart 7&5: Weinhart has been a hero in recent Georgia PGA victories, but did not have it in his match against Behr, who did not make a bogey after the second hole. He won two holes with birdies and was putting for birdie four other times when Weinhart conceded.
Brian Dixon (PGA) def. Chris Waters 2-up: Dixon bogeyed four of the first six to fall 2-down, but went 2-up after birdies at 7, 12, 13 and 15.
Paul Claxton (PGA) halved with Matthew Hayes: Claxton was 2-down four times in the match, but birdied 15 and 18 to hand Hayes his third half of the matches.
SUNDAY MORNING BEST BALL (GSGA 4-2-2, 5 points to 3):
Ormsby-Owen def. Cassini-J. Hall 1-up: PGA duo was 2-down after two, but birdied six of last 13 holes. Lost two holes on back nine with bogeys, but won with par at tough `18th.
Dixon-Weinhart haved with Hayes-Rau: PGA team was 3-down after 10 without a bogey, but birdied five of next seven to take 1-up lead to 18 before closing with a bogey.
Guest-Mobley def. Griffin-Fort 1-up: GSGA trailed early before eagle at 4 and birdie at 5. Match was back and forth from there, with PGA 1-up after 16 before GSGA birdied 17 and won 18 and match with a par.
Hanzel-Royak def. Mason-Stevens 3&1: In best played match of session, both teams made six birdies, but GSGA duo did not make a bogey and capitalized on three by pros. PGA team was 3-down after 12 before birdies at 13 and 14, with 15 halved with birdies. GSGA won with pars at 16 and 17.
Cloninger-C. Hall def. Elkins-Anderson 6&5: GSGA jumped out to 4-up lead after 5 with two birdies and two PGA bogeys and closed out match by going birdie-birdie-eagle on 12, 13 and 14.
Behr-E. Martin def. J. Martin-Cartwright 4&3: Match was all square after seven with teams notching three birdies each, but GSGA won five of next six with two birdies and three PGA bogeys. No bogeys for GSGA duo.
Hassell-Miller halved with Mitchell–Waters: PGA went 2-up with birdies at 3 and 7, but GSGA pulled even with birdies at 11 and 14. PGA took lead with birdie at 15, but for second time in session bogeyed 18th to halve match. That was the only bogey by either team.
Claxton-Smith def. Noll–Nance 1-up: PGA duo carded six birdies, including one at 17th to take 1-up lead. Made fourth bogey of the match at 18, but GSGA also bogeyed the hole and PGA escaped with win.
SUNDAY AFTERNOON ALTERNATE SHOT (PGA 4-3-1, GSGA leads 8 ½ – 7 ½.)
Griffin-Fort def. Cassini-J. Hall 5&4: GSGA bogeyed three of first five to fall 4-down, with PGA 5-up after birdie at 8. PGA followed back-to-back double bogeys at 9 and 10 with birdie at 11 and 13, and was even par for the match with the two doubles.
Guest-Mobley def. Ormsby-Owen 4&3: GSGA made only one bogey and was 2-under the match, carding birdies at 8 and 9 to lead 3-up at turn.
Dixon-Weinhart halved with Hayes-Rau: Both teams made four birdies, with birdie at 15 giving GSGA 2-up lead. PGA birdied 16, and escaped with half when both bogeyed 17 and GSGA bogeyed 18.
Hanzel-Royak def. Mason-Stevens 2&1: After playing holes 3 to 10 in 3-under to square the match, PGA bogeyed five of last seven, with GSGA bogeying three holes during that stretch but not losing any of them.
Elkins-Anderson def. Cloninger–C. Hall 7&5: In total reversal from morning best ball match, PGA was 1-under for the day with only one bogey, taking a 5-up lead when GSGA started out 7-over after 7.
- Martin-Cartwright def. Mitchell–Waters 2&1: In the best match of the session, PGA duo was 3-under with just one bogey, but trailed 2-down after 10 to GSGA team, which was 4-under at that point before bogeys on three of last seven holes.
Behr-E. Martin def. Hassell-Miller 3&2: PGA was 2-up after 6, but bogeyed next five holes to fall 2-down. GSGA went 3-up with its only birdie at 15.
Claxton-Smith def. Noll–Nance 5&3: GSGA’s only birdie came on first hole, as PGA rallied from 2-down after 3 with four birdies and some help from opposition. PGA duo was 1-under for day.
INDIVIDUAL RECORDS:
(GSGA) Behr, Guest, E. Martin, Hanzel , Royak – 3-0; Mobley – 2-0-1: C Hall – 2-1; Hayes – 0-0-3; Noll, Cloninger – 1-2; Rau – 0-1-2; Cassini, Mitchell, Waters – 0-2-1; J. Hall, Nance – 0-3.
(PGA): Claxton – 2-0-1; Cartwright, Fort, J. Martin, Smith – 2-1; Dixon – 1-0-2; Miller, Owen – 1-1-1; Griffin, Ormsby, Anderson, Elkins, Stevens – 1-2; Hassell, Weinhart – 0-1-2; Mason 0-3.