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Sweet Virginia! VA squanders enormous lead, rallies late to win 19.5 - 18.5 over Maryland in Potomac Cup
FARMINGTON, PA - Never, ever, EVER, pop the
champagne early.
The Boston Red Sox learned that the hard way in 1986
against the New York Mets and the Virginia team can within a whisker
of making the same mistake and surrendering the biggest comeback in
Potomac Cup history.
With a 14.5 - 9.5 lead going into today's 14 singles
matches and needing merely five points to win a third straight
Potomac Cup and fourth in six years, the singles matches fluctuated
around the break even point - 7-7 - for most of the day. Maryland
surged as high as 8.5 - 5.5, but leads were worthless all day as the
singles matches saw the largest number of swings between individual
games the whole weekend.
But as most matches approached the latter half of the back side
and with Virginia winning at least three and even in three more,
Virginia captain Steve Czaban made a call he almost regretted.
Spurred by the assembled media, Czaban ordered the Cup filled with
not champagne, but candy. Czaban sought to finally return a running
jibe of Team Maryland who received many handicap strokes - jokingly
referred to as "Candy" by Maryland Captain Jeff Sheehan.
Sheehan's players marked balls with M&Ms and tossed Junior
Mints to their opponents on tee boxes before matches.
"The idea was too eat candy out of the Cup just to stick
it in and twist a little" said a relieved Czaban after all was
said and done. When the call was made to the pro shop to make ready
the trophy, staff asked if the candy should be opened and placed in
the Cup. "Yes" said Czaban, even though he still needed two
more points to secure the win.
And then the comeback began. Maryland tied the matches twice
and briefly hald the lead before bowing late.
Losing big all day, Maryland's Chris Johnson made three
straight birdies to tie his match with Virginia veteran Jim Flynn. An
elated Johnson won outright on 18 and through his arms skyward in
triumph. "It was such a terrific comeback, I feel no shame
whatsoever in losing" said a truly sincere and gentlemanly
Flynn. "He played so well on the last holes, he really deserved
to win." Ron Thomas, who blew a lead to Czaban as late as the
14th hole, rallied over the last two holes to scrape out a win. John
Rhodes won the match of his life, besting seasoned amateur competitor
Ross McIntosh of Virginia 2&1.
It seemed the curse of the champagne was about to lay another
tombstone in the graveyardof overconfident favorites.
Victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat by the most
unlikely of figures. Although the score in matches already finished
was 18.5 - 13.5, every other flag on the board but one was Maryland
red. The fate of the Commonwealth rested on the shoulders of Cup
rookie Scott Inman, locked in a fearsome battle with firebreathing
and inspiring Maryland co-captain Pedro Carrasco. Carrasco had
rallied his troops all weekend, leading by example and crafting a
2-1-1 record in the matches until the singles.
Undaunted, Inman calmly rolled in a short putt on 15 and closed
out the match. Ever the gentleman, a smiling Carrasco was the first
to congratulate him.
The humble Inman, who later said "It was my first rodeo
and I'm just grateful I didn't get bucked off," was
named the tournament's most outstanding player - called the Hardy
Award after the Nemacolin Resort owner Joe Hardy whose Mystic Rock
course hosted the three-day matches. In his first cup, Inman was
3-1-1 overall record for the weekend and sank the Cup winning putt,
enabling him to come and claim the Cup from Resort Director of golf
Dennis Clarke in the presentation ceremony.
"We have nothing to hang our heads over" said an
upbeat Sheehan after the loss. "We dug ourselves a hole, but we
got out of it with pride and hard work. Every point is crucial when
you need them all and we just needed one too many."
The upbeat tenor was echoed by fellow Maryland teammates John
Rhodes and Tom Bender. "We have alot to be proud of. We're
going to come back and win this thing. Next year begins
tomorrow."
Virginians Vance Welch (3-1 record this year), Bill Polen,
Chris Huemmer, and Doug Stump also won the crucial matches to enable
Virginia to reach the 19.5 points goal to win their third straight
Cup. The 19.5 - 18.5 final score ties last years 18.5 - 17.5 result
for the closest Cup in tournament history. Virginia was propelled to
victory by a virtuoso performance in the Saturday morning best ball
matches where they outscored Maryland 5.5 to 0.5. Maryland won the
Sunday singles 9-5.
Pictures: Top: Victorious Team Virginia celebrates with the
candy filled Potomac Cup. Below: Wave that flag! Wave it wide and
high! Bill Polen is wrapped in the Virginia flag while Scott Abell
and a Potomac Cup fan signal Virginia's triumph.
