GREENVILLE, S.C. (October 20, 2017) – After a day of 12 four-ball and 12 foursomes matches, the Virginias team leads the Carolinas by one point (12½-11½) at the 72nd Captain’s Putter Matches being conducted at Greenville Country Club's Chanticleer Course. Altogether, 24 golfers from the Virginias and the Carolinas are competing in the matches. Carolinas needs 12.5 more points in order to retain the Captain’s Putter Trophy, while Virginias needs 12 points for victory.
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Carolinas jumped out to a one point lead following morning four-ball matches (6½-5½), before an afternoon surge by the Virginias in foursomes encounters (7-5). A victory in each match scores one point in the Ryder Cup-style format, and if a match goes 18 holes without a decision, one-half point is awarded to each side. The event concludes with 24 final-day singles matches on Saturday.
All told on day one, Virginias regulars outscored Carolinas (8½-6), while Carolinas’ senior contingent edged the Virginias (5½-4). The first day result seemingly illustrates how evenly-matched the two teams’ are in depth and talent.
In morning four-ball matches, 15-year-old Michael Brennan of Leesville, VA birdied the first hole of his four-ball match with Scott Shingler of Haymarket, VA. Making his first Captain's Putter appearance, Brennan and 11-time veteran Shingler would defeat James Lightsey, Jr. of Fort Mill, S.C. and Thomas Todd, III of Laurens, S.C., 1 up. Three Carolinas Regular team four-ball duos were able to claim victories to boost the Carolinas' morning lead to one point.
In afternoon foursomes matches, the Virginias team claimed six outright wins to climb back into the match, erasing the Carolinas' morning lead. For Virginias, Steve Serrao-Jordan Utley, Sam O'Dell-Philip Reale, and Jeffrey Long-John Rosenstock, won again to claim all of the possible two points on day one of the matches. One of Team Carolinas first-time competitors, Brandon Reece of Rolesville, N.C. partnered with Steven Brame of Henderson, N.C. to claim two points. In the seniors, the Carolinas super senior combination of Ron Carpenter and Evan Long notched two points.
Carolinas will be vying for its third straight victory when the event concludes with 24 singles matches on Saturday. At last year's event, the Carolinas squad rallied from a three-point deficit to defeat the Virginias team 25½-22½ at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va. and retain the Captain’s Putter trophy. The Carolinas team leads all-time 49-21-1.
Four-Ball Match Results
| Match | Points | Virginias | Carolinas | Points | Match | |
| 0 | Vinny Giles + Charles Green | vs | Ronald Carpenter + Evan Long | 1 | 1 up | |
| All Square | 0.5 | Leon Roday + Matt Sughrue | vs | Geno Berchiatti + Paul Simson | 0.5 | All Square |
| All Square | 0.5 | Keith Decker + David Partridge | vs | Walter Todd + Patrick Thompson | 0.5 | All Square |
| 0 | Buck Brittain + Jimmy Delp | vs | Steven Brame + Brandon Reece | 1 | 5 & 4 | |
| 5 & 3 | 1 | Steve Serrao + Jordan Utley | vs | Chris Cassetta + Parker Dudley | 0 | |
| 0 | Brian Anania + Christopher Williams | vs | Josh Branyon + Thomas Lilly | 1 | 1 up | |
| 0 | Jon Hurst + Justin Young | vs | Kevin O'Connell + Justin Tereshko | 1 | 3 & 1 | |
| 4 & 3 | 1 | Sam O'Dell + Philip Reale | vs | Josh Nichols + Jarrett Grimes | 0 | |
| 1 up | 1 | Michael Brennan + Scott Shingler | vs | Jamie Lightsey + Thomas Todd | 0 | |
| 6 & 5 | 1 | Jeffrey Long + John Rosenstock | vs | Brett Boner + Gregg Jones | 0 | |
| All Square | 0.5 | Allen Barber + Jon Zampedro | vs | Rick Cloninger + James Pearson | 0.5 | All Square |
| 0 | Stephen Fox + Harold Payne | vs | Preston Edmondson + Gary Robinson | 1 | 3 & 1 | |
| 5.5 | 6.5 |
Foursomes Match Results
| Match | Points | Players | Players | Points | Match | |
| 3 & 1 | 1 | Sam O'Dell + Philip Reale | vs | Kevin O'Connell + Justin Tereshko | 0 | |
| 0 | Jon Hurst + Justin Young | vs | Josh Nichols + Jarrett Grimes | 1 | 2 & 1 | |
| 5 & 3 | 1 | Jeffrey Long + John Rosenstock | vs | Jamie Lightsey + Thomas Todd | 0 | |
| 0 | Michael Brennan + Scott Shingler | vs | Brett Boner + Gregg Jones | 1 | 1 up | |
| All Square | 0.5 | Stephen Fox + Harold Payne | vs | Rick Cloninger + James Pearson | 0.5 | All Square |
| 2 & 1 | 1 | Allen Barber + Jon Zampedro | vs | Preston Edmondson + Gary Robinson | 0 | |
| 0 | Vinny Giles + Charles Green | vs | Ronald Carpenter + Evan Long | 1 | 4 & 3 | |
| All Square | 0.5 | Keith Decker + David Partridge | vs | Geno Berchiatti + Paul Simson | 0.5 | All Square |
| 3 & 2 | 1 | Leon Roday + Matt Sughrue | vs | Walter Todd + Patrick Thompson | 0 | |
| 0 | Brian Anania + Christopher Williams | vs | Steven Brame + Brandon Reece | 1 | 4 & 3 | |
| 4 & 3 | 1 | Buck Brittain + Jimmy Delp | vs | Chris Cassetta + Parker Dudley | 0 | |
| 4 & 3 | 1 | Steve Serrao + Jordan Utley | vs | Josh Branyon + Thomas Lilly | 0 | |
| 7 | 5 |
About the Captain's Putter Team Matches
The Captain’s Putter is an annual set of matches pitting top golfers from North and South Carolina against top players from Virginia and West Virginia (Virginia State Golf Association and West Virginia State Golf Association). The matches consist of two days of competition, with opening round four-ball and foursome matches (Friday, Oct. 20), followed by final-day singles matches (Saturday, Oct. 21). A victory in each match scores one point in the Ryder Cup-style format, and if a match goes 18 holes without a decision, one-half point is awarded to each side.
About the Carolinas Golf Association (CGA)
The CGA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization that was founded in 1909 to promote and to protect the game of golf in the Carolinas by providing competitions, education, support and benefits to golf clubs and golfers. The CGA is the second largest golf association in the country with over 700 member clubs represented by nearly 150,000 individuals.
The CGA annually conducts 48 championships and five team match competitions for men, women, juniors, and seniors. It also runs over 150 One-Day (net and gross) events as well as qualifying for USGA national championships. The CGA serves golf in the Carolinas with numerous programs such as: the USGA Handicap System; tournament management software and support; course measuring and course/slope ratings; agronomy consultation; answers about the Rules of Golf, Rules of Amateur Status, and Handicapping; Carolinas Golf Magazine; Interclub series; Tarheel Youth Golf Association; Carolinas Golf Hall of Fame; expense assistance for USGA Junior and Girls' Junior qualifiers from the Carolinas; and the Carolinas Golf Foundation (CGF). The CGF has distributed nearly $2,000,000 since 1977 to benefit Carolinas' golf initiatives including junior and women's programs.
For more information about the CGA, visit our website [icon name="external-link" class="" unprefixed_class=""].