South Evens FL Cup Series at 7-7 with Dominant Victory at Kensington
NAPLES, Fla. – For the first time in six years, it was the South that was left raising the trophy on Tuesday at the 14th Florida Cup after defeating the North, 18.5-13.5. The two teams of 16 made their way to Kensington Golf & Country Club with sights set on bringing home the Florida Cup. After 24 matches, the South Team brought home the victory for the first time since 2016.
Four-Ball Matches
Since the teams were announced, all 32 players were eager to tee it up and begin the 14th Florida Cup. The Senior members of each team were the first sides to begin play Monday morning in the Four-Ball session. The South team sent out sides of Pete Williams/Todd Franks and Tom Gielselman/Joe Shaktman, while the North put together Brian Keenan/Paul Royak and Mike Finster/Don Whittemore. The South was the first to strike as Williams and Franks took down Keenan and Royak, 5 and 4. However, Finster and Whittemore would come off their 17th hole with a 2-and-1 victory to equal things up in the early stages.
Co-captain Joseph Latowski lined up his Non-Senior sides for the South and he was proven correct in his choices early Monday morning as four out of six South sides came away with points. Will Davenport and Richard Donegan beat Mid-Amateur Four-Ball champions, Marc Dull and Tiger Godwin, 5 and 4. In the group behind, Latowski was proving himself worthy of the captaincy as he teamed up with Blanton Farmer for a 4-and-3 victory.
The bright side for the North Team was the sides of Miles McConnell/Matthew Galloway and Joe Alfieri/Daniel Debra. McConnell & Galloway won the 18th hole to take a 2-up victory from TJ Shuart and Scott Turner. The Forty & Over Four-Ball champions, Joe Alfieri and Daniel Debra, defeated Kensington member, Carl Santos-Ocampo, and partner Nick Solimene.
Foursomes Matches
Taking a 5-3 lead into the afternoon, the South headed into the afternoon Foursomes matches with very little change in their sides that they would put up against the North Team. As was the case in the morning matches, the Senior sides of both teams split their afternoon foursomes matches. With the split, the North Team still down two points, needing to win four of the six remaining matches on the course.
The captains of the North Team, Chip Brooke and Miles McConnell, took matters into their own hands to close the deficit. Brooke, teaming up with Marc Dull, made birdie on the 18th hole to outlast Santos-Ocampo and Solimene. McConnell, joined with Matthew Galloway, didn’t need to see the final hole as they closed out Abbie Valentine and Nathan Bertsch 2 and 1.
A win from Jon Veneziano and Thad Hudgens along with a halved match from Alfieri and Debra meant the North Team would take the afternoon session, 4.5-3.5. The gap between the two teams heading into Tuesdays singles would be just one point.
Singles Matches
One point is all that would separate the North and South Teams heading into Tuesday's 16 singles matches. In an effort to get off to a hot start and erase the deficit, the North Team sent out Rhett Pooley to take on Reid Bedell in the first match. Pooley, coming off a match-play run at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship, birdied the first hole to send a spark through the North Team. Despite giving up a few holes along the way, Pooley battled to take a 3-and-1 victory and tie the score.
Matches would swing back and forth all day for both the North and South teams, each briefly looking like they could take control. The pendulum swung for the last time when South Team’s Nathan Bertsch won the 16th and 17th holes against Brooke to win 1 up and Pete Williams won the 17th and 18th against Whittemore to take a commanding lead for the South.
Co-Captain Latowski, as well as TJ Shuart, Carl Santos-Ocampo, and Blanton Farmer would all add victories to the South in what would end up being a 18.5-13.5 victory. The South with their 10-6 margin in Tuesday’s singles matches would be able to bring the Florida Cup home for the first time since 2016.
First team to 16 1/2 points wins the Cup for one year
