Year two started much like the first one with The Varsity claiming 2.5 of the 4 possible points. The Hokie tandem of Shaver and Ponch dusted Mattare and Fodero 4&2 to open the proceedings, then newcomer Ross Chomik paired with Matt Holden to deliver another point over Tim Flannery and Charlie Murphy. The Young Guns struck back with stalwarts Tom Holden and Mike Christensen defeating Flannery-Wells and it looked like the Young Guns would salvage a tie in the session with the final match firmly in their grasp at the turn. But Zach Sacks and Jason Babinec erased the 4dn deficit over the final nine to salvage a half point. Just like 2013, it was The Varsity staking a 2.5 to 1.5 lead after the first session.
But their opponent's comeback was not in the 11th hour this time: it was swift and it was decisive. The afternoon's Red-White-Blue session went to the Young Guns 3-1 including a dramatic victory on the 18th hole for Mattare and Christensen over Ponch and Wells. The next morning in seeded four ball, the Young Guns kept the foot on the accelerator with another 3-1 session victory. Leading the way again was the team of Buzzkill and Darkness, who gutted out a 1up victory over Shaver and Chomik in what was highlighted pre-tournament as the featured match. The victory kept the Murphy-Christensen duo undefeated all-time and added to Mikey's stellar record on matches that reach the final hole (5-1-1). Going into the fourth session the scoreboard read 7.5 to 4.5 in favor of the Young Guns. To have a chance, the Varsity's comeback would have to start in the format they were swept in the previous year, Scramble-Alternate Shot.
Those hopes dried up almost immediately. Flannery and Mattare started the session by applying a record shellacking on Babinec and Matt Holden 8&7 while Fodero and Murphy took down Wells and Shaver 2&1. The final two matches need all 18 holes to reach a conclusion. In true Cincinnati Buzzkill fashion, Mikey and Chris Holden delivered the third point of the session on that final hole over Ponch and Sacks. Captain Joe Flannery and Ross Chomik finally got the Varsity of the schneid in the final match against Lyons and Tom Holden, scratching out a half point. When the dust settled, there was a deficit that would've made Ben Crenshaw cringe: Young Guns 11, Varsity 5. A mere 1.5 points were necessary from the eight singles matches to clinch the Cup.
The leaders didn't waste much time. The first match of the day saw Pat Lyons step on Babinec early and often, playing the first 11 holes in one over par before closing out the match 8&7. The clinching point came from Brett Fodero in the second foursome with his 6&5 victory over Matt Holden. Ultimately, the Young Guns took their fourth straight session by a margin of 5-3 and wrapped up the 2014 Mid-Pines Cup 16-8.
Key Moment: The consensus was that Seeded Four Ball was a format that the Varsity were primed to do well in thanks to how the pairings fell. The Young Guns erased that notion with a 3-1 victory in the session and set the table for the dagger in Scramble-Alternate Shot that afternoon.
Matches of the Week: Mattare-Christensen vs Ponch-Wells in RWB...it was hard to beat the drama of the RWB match. It looked as if Ponch and Wells were in prime position to win a point that would've kept the Varsity in the lead on day one, but Mattare knocked a lob wedge from the left trees to six feet and buried the putt to swing the match to the Young Guns.
Murphy-Christensen vs Shaver-Chomik in Seeded Four-Ball...the marquee matchup in the seeded session delivered on the build-up. In a key swing match, the late match heroics of Mikey continued and the Young Guns won a crucial point on the 18th hole.
It was over when: For the second straight year the Varsity went winless in Scramble-Alternate Shot, leaving the Young Guns with an insurmountable lead heading into singles.
Young Guns MVP: Tom Holden (4-0-1)
Varsity MVP: Joe Flannery (3-1-1)
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