AMATEURS WIN 40th ANNIVERSARY
CAPE COD CUP MATCH
By Jim Horvath for the NEPGA
BREWSTER – The Professionals had held the Cape Cod Cup since 2021. That changed Thursday when the Amateurs’ team overcame blustery winds (30 mph+) off the nearby Atlantic Ocean and utilized hot putters to best the professionals, 12 ½ to 8 ½ at the superb Cape Cod National Golf Club.
This was the 40th anniversary rendition of the Cape Cod Cup Match that pits a team of 14 of the best amateur golfers in the area against a team of 14 club professionals from the Cape Cod Chapter of the New England PGA. Each of the seven matches has three points at stake – one for the front nine, one for the back nine and one for the 18-hole total.
The ams’ winning tone was set on the 9th green of the very first match Thursday. Cape Cod National club champion Ryan Brown and his partner Greg Everson (Barnstable Golf) were one down to the formidable professionals’ duo from New Seabury, Frank Leja and Andrew Stolze. Brown buried an 8-foot birdie putt on the ninth green to tie the front nine, and then he and Everson held off Leja and Stolze on the back nine to win the match, 2 ½ to ½. It was the first time in six Cup appearances that Leja and Stolze had lost their match.
Mike Walker (Cape Cod National) and Ben Jenkins (Sacconnesset) continued the amateurs’ momentum in the next match. They combined for 6 birdies in the first twelve holes against Dave Einstein (Hyannisport) and Cam Kratovil (Ridge Club) to take 2 of the three available points.
In match number 3, CCN host professionals Zack Sweet and Gregg Richbourg prevailed in the tightest contest of the day. Sweet holed a short birdie putt on the 9th hole to win the front nine 1 up, and he and Richbourg held off amateurs Matt Cornuet (Holly Ridge) and Alex Stimpson (Sacconnesset) to tie the back nine and win the match 2 ½ – ½. “The match went back and forth” said Sweet. “It was much closer than it shows on the scoreboard”.
The amateurs’ pair of Brian Fleckles (Wianno) and Erik Robinson (Sandwich Hollows) continued their fine Cape Cod Cup play. In their Cup debut last year, they swept all three points. This year the duo played very steady golf and defeated professionals Ian DeArmond (Bayberry Hills) and Brad Sherman (15thgolfclub.com), 2 ½ – ½.
Match number five featured the most outstanding golf of the day, coming from professionals Tom Rooney (LeBaron Hills) and Shane Sakson (Ridge Club). Rooney made an astounding six birdies and an eagle and Sakson added three more birdies himself in defeating Ricky Stimets (Cotuit Highgrounds) and Parish Pina (Ridge Club), 3 – 0. The back nine was close until Rooney and Sakson played holes 14 through 17 in a remarkable 5-under par and closed out the match. ”Tom’s eagle 2 on number 14 where he drove the green made a huge difference”, said Stimets.
At this point, with five of the seven matches on the scoreboard, the Cup score was tied at 7 ½ points each. However, it turned out that the final two matches were each dominated by the amateurs.
Chad Crocker (Barnstable Golf) and Mike Lepore (Barnstable Golf) had requested to go up against two of Chad’s Methodist University fellow alumni, the impressive Bay Club pair of Ben Egan and Greg Kelly. In Lepore’s words, “It was an awesome match”. He and Crocker rode Crocker’s hot putter to a 2 ½ – ½ victory. “The greens were great”, said Crocker. “Mike did such a great job of reading them. Glad that I was able to leverage his advice!”
That win put the amateurs within one point of winning the Cup for the first time in six years. That point and more came in the final match where Jack Bohman (Eastward Ho) and Mark Dennish (Old Sandwich) defeated Richie Packish (CC of New Bedford) and Tom Tobey (Island Pickle), 2 ½ – ½. “Jack’s four birdies on the front nine made the difference”, said Tobey. “He was so solid. Our back nine rally didn’t prove to be enough”.
Throughout the 40 years of wonderful Cape Cod Cup competition and camaraderie, a total of more than 260 professionals and amateurs have competed in the event, which has been played at 18 different Cape Cod Chapter host clubs. The amateurs lead the overall series 19 – 16, with 5 ties.