Second Round and Semifinal Results
Jeju, South Korea (May 21, 2015) - The Second Round Qualifying Four Ball Stroke Play for the 2015 World Club Championship was played to advance four teams into the semifinals of match play based on the cumulative score from yesterday and today.
Teams teed off No. 1 and No. 10 of the Creek course for 18 holes which lasted nearly five hours. The top contenders were Portmarnock GC of Ireland, Olympic Club, USA, Royal Melbourne GC, Australia, Oakmont GC, USA, Southern Hills GC, USA, Oitavos Dunes, Portugal, and Bel-Air CC, USA. All were under par for the two days. The defending champions of Mark Elgner and Mark Baines from St. George’s, Canada were 2 over. Of the 22 teams, only 7 were under par.
Portmarnock team of Jack Pierse and Stephen Walsh were 7 under to top the list followed by the Olympic Club team of Randy Haag and Kory Storer and Matias Sanchez and Paul Little, the team for Royal Melbourne with 5 under. For the last spot in the semis of Match Play, there was a three-way play-off between Oakmont GC, Southern Hills GC, and Oitavos Dunes.
The 3 team playoff was on the 17th hole, a mid length par 3 with the wind playing right to left. The tee shots of the first five players drifted right on the breeze and ended up in the greenside bunker or collar of rough. The tee shot by Southern Hills player Kevin Schultz finished 3 feet from the hole – an outstanding result.
A magical bunker shot by Oitavos Dunes player Pierre-Alexis Rolland off a downhill lie finished within 3 feet for a solid par. His partner 18 year old Ruben Figuerido unfortunately had 2 bunker shots and holed out for 4. Southern Hills player Scott Mabrey putted from off the green to 3 feet above the hole leaving a slick putt which he ultimately missed. His partner Kevin Schultz missed his birdie putt and holed out for 3 leaving tap in par putts by the Oakmont team propelling them into the semi-final match against Portmarnock.
Match #1 in the semi-finals, Olympic Club took the lead early over Royal Melbourne who couldn’t get any putts to fall their way. Throughout the past two days, a common theme was that the greens were fast and extremely difficult to read. Olympic team of Haag and Storer started strong and were 3 up through 4 holes. Royal Melbourne's Sanchez and Little birdied 7,10 and 12 but Olympic stayed 3 up after 13 to close the match on 16 and ended with 3 & 2.
Match #2 was the birdie show. Portmarnock versus Oakmont was back and forth all day with 6 birdies through 9 between the 2 teams. Of note on hole 4 par 4 Stephen Walsh of Portmarnock sunk a 40 footer for birdie. It was a great match back and forth but Oakmont prevailed with Portmarnock conceding on 15th hole. Oakmont carried 1 up through the rest of the match.
Tomorrow is the Finals of the Match Play between Oakmont and Olympic Club…an All-American final East versus West. The 3rd and 4th Place teams of Royal Melbourne and Portmarnock will play for an automatic invitation in 2016. Also tomorrow, the remaining 18 teams will compete in the Chairman’s Division and the winning team will receive an automatic invitation for 2016, as well.
