The Final, Match Play 3rd & 4th Playoff and Champion's Division Final
Seminole GC Wins 2012 World Club Championship
November 2, 2012
The final day of competition for the 2012 World Club Championship at Diamante Cabo San Lucas, Mexico showcased the Four-Ball Match Play Final between Seminole Golf Club, USA and St. George's Golf & Country Club with Seminole becoming the 2012 World Club Championship Champions.
This morning began with the semifinal matches that were called for darkness on Thursday. Seminole defeated Portmarnock Golf Club of Ireland and St. George's won over Durban Country Club of South Africa, the Defending Champions.
The Chairman's Division Final of the 16 teams who missed the cut for the Match Play was also featured with Royal Troon of Scotland becoming Champs.
The winner and runners-up and third place in a 3rd & 4th place playoff along with the Chairman's Division winner automatically receive invitations to the 2013 World Club Championship that will take place at The Club at Nine Bridges, South Korea May 20-24, 2013.
The Seminole veteran team of David Abell and Kelly Miller who won 2006 WCC at Sage Valley, USA for Pine Valley, USA have played together on the WCC for a total of four times always finishing as a top contender. St. George's Golf and Country Club, Canada were represented by Mark Elgner who played in 2006 at Sage Valley, USA and Colin Flabbi who played in 2011 at Nine Bridges.
The Match Play final was golf at its best with both teams very evenly matched. St. George's went 1 Up after the first hole but on hole #4 Kelly Miller hit to 2 feet to make an eagle to square the match. Seminole then pulled ahead and continued 1 UP through 10. From that point on the competition was very tense. On hole # 10, the most difficult on the course, Abell had an amazing hole to go 2 UP. Elgner made a birdie on 12, so now Seminole was only 1 up. On 14 Elgner hit close in 3 and Abell missed a birdie so all-squared. On 15, Elgner bogied with a 3 putt and Kelly made par to go 1 Up. On 16 both Kelly and David made birdie and Mark birdied to stay 1 UP. On 17, the intensity increased as David, Colin and Mark were all good at eagle but Miller shot 3rd shot into the hole with a pitching wedge from 80 years. Colin barely missed and Mark made an eagle, so still the score is 1 Up. Traveling to the final hole St. George's must win to go into a playoff. Mark hit a beautiful putt from the fringe and it is conceded but Miller hits a 15 foot putt in the hole to win the match.
In the 3rd & 4th playoff, it came down to the 18th hole again with tremendous drama and competition between the defending champs of Sean Fenger and Ryan Birnie of Durban and John Greene and Geoff Lenehan of Portmarnock with Pormarnock winning 1 UP at 18.
| Results of Match Play Competiton | |||
| USA | Seminole GC | David Abell, Kelly Miller | Champions |
| Canada | St. George's G&CC | Colin Flabbi, Mark Elgner | Runners Up |
| Ireland | Portmarnock GC | John Greene, Geoff Lenehan | Third Place |
| South Africa | Durban CC | Ryan Birnie, Sean Fenger | Chairman's Division: Winner Royal Troon receives automatic invitation for 2013 |
| Scotland | Royal Troon GC | Paul Moultrie, Michael Smyth | -5 Champions |
| USA | Los Angeles CC | Taylor Haden, John Meek | -4 |
| Portugal | Oitavos Dunes | Ruben Figueiredo, Pierre-Alexis Rolland | -4 |
| N. Ireland | Royal Portrush | Matt McAlpin, Patrick McCrudden | -3 |
| Mexico | Diamante GC | Enrique Guzman, Mason Jones | -3 |
| England | Walton Heath GC | Tom Cordiner, Jonathan Greener | -3 |
| USA | Pine Valley GC | Tristan Lewis, Bob Lewis | -3 |
| USA | Medinah CC | C.J Koroll, John Madden | -1 |
| France | Morfontaine GC | Pascal Grizot, Gérard Zivy | -1 |
| Spain | Valderrama GC | José Manuel Martínez, Javier Reviriego | -1 |
| USA | Riviera CC | Jeff Johnson, Mike Riedel | E |
| Japan | Tokyo GC | Masahiro Katsumata, Atsushi Yao | E |
| USA | Winged Foot GC | Rob Christie, Matthew Hultquist | +1 |
| Australia | Royal Melbourne GC | Paul Little, Tom Stephens | +1 |
| USA | Merion GC | Gordy Jamieson, Bob Wagner | +1 |
| South Korea | Nine Bridges | Stanley Kim, Chris Kwon | +5 |
