Eagle Cup IX: Freshmen start a new streak

(MERIDIAN) – Clear skies and a near perfect golf course greeted the competitors on Wednesday, the final day, of Eagle Cup IX played at historic Northwood Country Club. The Freshmen team came into the singles matches clinging to a 2 point lead (4-2) over the Sophomores.

Six points were up for grabs on the final day as the format turned to match play (singles).

Match #1 featured MCC Alumni Clinton Hales, representing the freshmen team against MCC Golf Team Chaplian Tom Sikes, who played for the sophomore team. Hales took an early lead and never let go, although Sikes got it to 1 near the turn, Hales put it away on the back nine winning 6&5 and earning the Freshmen team their 5th point, leaving them just 1 ½ points away from back-to-back Eagle Cups

Match #2 featured reigning NJCAA National Champion, Brandt Garon of the sophomore team against, hometown hero Easton Key of the freshmen team. Billed as the title bout match of the day, these two heavyweights went the distance as Key fought back from a deficit on the front nine to force the match to the full 18 holes. But the veteran Garon prevailed on #18 and won a much needed point for the sophomore team with a 2 UP victory over Key. The Eagle Cup then stood at 5-3.

Match #3 pitted Australian freshman golfer Jake Stirling against Texas sophomore Adam Monsen. Monsen grabbed a very early lead but Stirling slowly gained control of the match and eventually put it away with a 5&3 vicotry over Monsen earning the freshmen team the magical 6th point to guarantee at least a playoff and leaving them just ½ a point away from claiming the Cup.

Three matches were left on the course that would decide the Eagle Cup. The sophomores needed to win all three outright to force a playoff while the freshmen needed to just half one of the three to claim the Cup.

Match #4 featured freshmen Alex Grannon against sophomore Bo Reed. Reed obtained an early lead on the front nine and held on to it all the way to the 16th green where a drained birdie putt gave him a 3&2 victory and earned the sophomores a must-have point to stay alive and made the Eagle Cup 6-4.

Match #6 featured Clemens Dvorak of the sophomores against Ruston Smith of the freshmen team. Smith mounted a surprising 2 UP lead early through 8 holes but Dvorak, the teams captain and returning NJCAA National Tournament participant, rallied back on the back nine to win 3&2 and kept the sophomore comeback alive as the Cup now stood 6-5.

There was only one match left on the golf course and the drama was building as the gallery formed on the 17th hole to watch Match #5, Daniel Boles of the freshmen team against sophomore Oscar Mariscal.

Boles, who was at one point 4 Up on Mariscal midway in the round was now fighting off a hard charging and determined Mariscal. Oscar won most of the back side to make the match All Square going into #17. Both players made par on #17 and the Eagle Cup would be decided on the final hole as the gallery swelled with excitement. A win by Mariscal and there would be a playoff for the cup, a half or better by Boles would mean a record second consecutive Cup for the Freshmen. Both players drove the ball in less than perfect spot of the tee into the left rough but Boles was in the better of the two spots with an open pitch to the green, meanwhile Mariscal was left with what on on-looker described as “nothing.” The Bolivian Bandit then hit a punch-chip the likes of which had never been seen from that spot to about 5 feet away for birdie and sent the crowd into a loud applause, so much so that Bole had to step back before his shot. But the former MCC and Miss. St. golfer answered the call and chipped it to about 10 feet for birdie then made the put to seal the Cup for the Freshmen team as the Boles/Mariscal match ended All Square.

Eagle Cup IX ended with the Freshmen 6 ½ and the Sophomore 5 ½ . Eagle Cup X will be played this Spring 2011 in Meridian with the Freshmen riding a winning streak of their own now…











Results:
Day One
Four-Ball Match play
Match 1- Tom Sikes/Brandt Garon defeated Daniel Boles/Randy Warden 3&2
Match 2- Easton Key/Ruston Smith defeated Bo reed/Oscar Mariscal 1 UP
Match 3- Jake Sirling/Alex Grannon defeated Clemens Dvorak/Oscar Mariscal 2&1
Day Two
Alternate shot match play
Match 1- Alex Grannon/Ruston defeated Brandt Garon/Tom Sikes 2&1
Match 2- Bo Reed/Adam Monsen defeated Daniel Boles/Clinton Hales 3&2
Match 3- Easton Key/Jake Striling defeated Clemens Dvorak/Oscar Mariscal 5&4

Day Three
Match play
Match 1- Clinton Hales defeated Tom Sikes 6&5
Match 2- Brandt Garon defeated Easton Key 2UP
Match 3- Jake Stirling defeated Adam Monsen 5&3
Match 4- Bo Reed defeated Alex Grannon 3&2
Match 5- Daniel Boles halved Oscar Mariscal AS
Match 6- Clemens Dvorak defeated Ruston Smith 3&2

Point Totals
(Final)
Freshmen 6 ½
Sophomores 5 ½


History:
Cup Date Winner
I Fall 2006: Sophomores
II Spring 2007: Sophomores
III Fall 2007: Sophomores
IV Spring 2008: Sophomores
V Fall 2008: Sophomores
VI Spring 2009: Sophomores
VII Fall 2009: Sophomores
VIII Spring 2010: Freshmen
IX Fall 2010: Freshmen