MAGA amateurs beat GPGA club pros in return of Cup Matches
Norwood Hills amateur Skip Berkmeyer was among the chief proponents
for the reincarnation of a once popular format - a season-beginning match play event pitting the areas top amateurs against the top club professionals from the Gateway PGA.
After a hiatus of more than a decade, the best from sides resurrected the concept Sunday and Monday, March 22-23.
The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association team, captained by Berkmeyer and featuring a squad that included some of the top amateurs in the history of St. Louis golf, beat their PGA counterparts, 15-9, in two days of team and individual matches at Norwood Hills Country Club.
After splitting six four-ball matches on Sunday, the amateurs sneaked ahead after taking four of six alternate-shot matches on Monday morning. The amateurs closed out the victory in the Monday afternoon singles, winning seven of the 12 matches and halving two others.
Berkmeyer, playing against his close friend and long-time teacher Bobby Pavelonis, recorded the clinching point in a 2 up victory late Monday afternoon.
CAPTION: Members of thewinning team included: Scott Thomas, Matt Hines, Skip Berkmeyer, Darren Lundgren, Darrel Huisinga, Ted Moloney, Tom Barry, David Lucks, non-playing captain John Kueper, Drew Pranger and Brian Kennedy. Jim Holtgrieve and Don Bliss also competed but were unavailable for the photo.
Berkmeyer, former U.S. Walker Cupper Jim Holtgrieve and Fox Run's Ted Moloney all contributed to three victories for the MAGA team. Bellerive's Mike Tucker and Bob Gaus (Tower Tee/Persimmon Woods) each earned two points to lead the Gateway PGA team.
While Monday afternoon's strong winds made scoring difficult in singles matches, the play was oftentimes spectacular in the team portion of play. Normandie's Tom Barry, who contributed two wins for the amateurs, was stunned by the play of Algonquin's Steve Hausmann and Bob Gaus in Sunday's four-ball.
"We (Barry and partner Scott Thomas) were 6-under par on the front nine and were 2 down," said Barry, who at age 46 is old enough to have had the good fortune to play in the Cup Matches back in the 1990s before the series was discontinued. "Hausmann and Gaus were 8-under in nine holes. Man, that was impressive. I got to play in this event when I was younger and I remember having to calm myself down I'd get so excited to be competing against the pros. And I was just the same way this year too. It's a great event and the amateurs love the chance to watch and compete against the top professionals."