Cedarcrest: The last two holes settled it

Matt Uhlar, Greg Seeley, Rick Haughian and Erik Harris won Cedarcrest’s Stableford team event with 128 points. Chris Clogston took low gross at 75. Both results look fairly familiar until you stop the scorecards after sixteen holes.

Neither winner was leading.

Uhlar’s foursome had 110 points through sixteen, two behind the leaders. That was exactly the gap at the turn. Seven more holes played, nothing settled.

Then they collected nine points on No. 17 and nine on No. 18. The leaders managed five and five. An eight-point swing across two holes produced a six-point victory, 128–122.

Harris supplied the day’s outstanding individual round: 80 gross, net 63, eight clear of the next-best net scores. Haughian’s 87 became a net 72, fourth in the field. Uhlar also shot 87, while Seeley improved from 50 to 47 for a 97, net 78. The champions had two of the four lowest net rounds and still needed a closing surge to win. Harris’s 63 bought them an opportunity. It didn’t buy them the afternoon off.

The runners-up had depth. Todd Thoreson’s 89 produced their best net at 76, followed by Tim Stonich’s 95/78, Warren Berger’s 96/79 and Gray Griswold’s 88/80. All four net scores fell within four shots. Griswold’s two nines were less agreeable: 39 out, 49 home.

Their team led at the turn with 69 points and still led through sixteen. A good opening, a balanced group, a lead held most of the way. The standings have compressed all that into second.

Clogston’s finish was even less accommodating.

Through sixteen, Pat Bangasser had taken 66 strokes. Tom Colleran and Tanor Johnson had taken 67. Clogston had taken 69.

Chris closed 3–3.

Pat finished 4–6. Colleran went 5–4. Tanor went 4–5. All three signed for 76 and a share of second, one behind Clogston.

Chris gave the field considerably more room than usual. He apparently hadn’t given it permission.

This wasn’t eighteen holes of Clogston disappearing into the distance. He gained four shots on Bangasser and three apiece on Colleran and Tanor over the last two. Another low-gross win, earned at the point where the other three needed to finish theirs.

Clogston’s foursome took third at 120 points. John Rossi had its best net round, 73 from an 85. Tom Mahaffey shot 83, net 77, and Mike Woerner matched 48s for 96. Woerner also won the KP on No. 7 at 13 feet. Clogston had the lowest gross score in the tournament; Rossi had the lowest net score on their team. Those are different jobs, and both mattered.

Fourth went to Colleran, Jared Fagan, Steve Tarr and Chris Tank at 118. Fagan’s 79 gave them a second round below 80, and his shot to 5 feet, 1 inch won the KP on No. 2. Tarr’s 91 became a net 75, just one behind Colleran’s 74. Tank finished at 89, net 83. Two players broke 80, and the team finished fourth. Stableford has its own opinion about a good score.

Bangasser, Jon Hayenga, Todd Kibbee and Bill McCarson finished fifth at 112 points. Pat’s 76 and Kibbee’s 80 produced nets of 71 and 74. Hayenga shot 91; McCarson finished at 112, net 87. Their team card closed with one point on No. 18. Even farther down the standings, the final hole insisted on being included.

Jeff Johnson, Frank Fisher, Rick Loya and Greg Fagan took sixth at 107. Jeff’s opening 38 became an 84, net 73. Fisher moved the other way, improving from 48 to 43 for 91, net 78—the group’s best back nine. Greg finished at 99, net 81, while Loya matched 50s for 100. Jeff and Rossi had identical net scores; their teams finished thirteen points apart. The company mattered.

Tanor’s group finished seventh with 95 points. His 76, net 71, earned shares of second in both individual categories, and his shot to 9 feet, 8 inches won the KP on No. 16. His individual results deserve to be read before the team result.

Jonathan Jennes improved from 59 to 49 for 108. Bill Morgan went from 56 to 46 for 102. Ten shots better on the back for each, and the team improved from 42 points to 53. The recovery was substantial. So was the hole they’d dug.

Harris completed the KP list on No. 12 at 5 feet, 3 inches, adding that prize to low net and the team win.

Thanks to Pat for the results and to Tank for handling the late changes.

The season ends October 3 at Cedar Irons (Northshore), first tee at 9:00. Cedarcrest has supplied the preparation notes. Finish the round. Then discuss what you deserved.

— T.