WOODS HOLE – After the first nine holes of the 38th annual Cape Cod Cup Golf match Thursday afternoon, the amateurs and professionals were deadlocked with 3 ½ points each. The outcome was very much in doubt. However, outstanding golf on the back nine by the professionals’ team propelled them to a decisive 14 – 7 victory at the Woods Hole Golf Club.
The Cape Cod Cup match 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.
Off-on-showers did not prevent splendid golf by both teams at the impeccable Woods Hole GC, which is celebrating its 125th anniversary year. The pros simply made more birdies on greens which player after player described as “perfect”.
The pros were led by two 3 – 0 sweeps. In the very first match off the tee, Zach Mahan (Woods Hole) and Shayne Sakson (Ocean Edge) shot a 5-under par 66 to defeat Jim Duffy (Woods Hole) and Mike Walker (Cape Cod National). And in the seniors match, Bob Miller (Cranberry Valley) and Gregg Richbourg (Cape Cod National) also shot a 66 and won all three points from amateurs Brian Secia (Plymouth CC) and Joe Walker (Dennis Pines) . This match was especially exciting as it included four hole-outs from off the green, including a hole-in-one by Secia at the 105 yard par 3 sixth hole. It was the first hole-in-one in Cape Cod Cup history and the fourth ace in Secia’s golf career.
Brothers and Woods Hole GC clubmates Chris and Matt Snyder used their local knowledge to jump out to a 2-up lead after nine holes in their match, yet Bobby Williams (Seaweed GC) and Nice Wiseman (Jane Frost Golf Ctr) rallied with three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back to win the match and two points.
Professionals Matt Baran (Ridge Club) and Wyatt Frazier (Woods Hole) watched Parish Pina (Ridge Club) and Matt Cornuet (Holly Ridge) shoot a 31 on the front nine and found themselves trailing 1 down. However, the pros dominated the back nine with a 33 and won the match and two points.
Fellow New Seabury professionals Andrew Stolze and Frank Leja were 1 down to Ryan Brown and Ben Jenkins after ten holes. Stolze and Leja then proceeded to birdie five of the next seven holes to win the match 2 ½ – ½.
There were two exceptions to the pros back nine dominance. The first was turned in by the amateur side of Greg Everson (Barnstable Golf) and Trevor Kenney (Willowbend). They combined for 8 birdies and an eagle and swept all three points from Brad Sherman (15th Golf Club) and Tyler Sprague (Old Sandwich). “This a pure golf course that rewards good shot-making”, said Everson. “It does not appear long on the scorecard, yet requires every club in your bag”, added Kenney who, like many of the players, was seeing Woods Hole GC for the first time.
The second amateur back nine resurgence came from Plymouth CC clubmates Jon Stoddard and Nick Carter who erased a four-down deficit with a spectacular 5-under par 31 and managed a tie with fellow Bay Club professionals Greg Yeomans and John Paesani, 1 ½ – 1 ½.
This was the fourth time that the Cape Cod Cup match has been played at Woods Hole GC, all under the warm watch of longtime and esteemed PGA head professional Glenn Kelly who is retiring this fall after 40 years of service to the club.
This victory was the pros’ third in the past four years, although the amateurs still lead the annual series, 18 – 16 – 4.