Oakmont Country Club Crowned Champions
Jeju, South Korea (May 21, 2015) - The 2015 World Club Championship at Nine Bridges officially concluded today and the team of Justin Miller and Spencer Mellon of Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, PA, USA were crowned the Champions. They defeated the San Francisco, USA Olympic Club team of Randy Haag and Kory Storer 2 & 1 in the Match Play Final.
Royal Melbourne Golf Club’s, Australian team of Paul Little and Matias Sanchez won in the 3rd & 4th Match Play playoff that determined an automatic invitation for 2016. The score was also 2 & 1 over the Portmarnock Golf Club of Ireland’s team Stephen Walsh and Jack Pierse.
Defending champions Mark Elgner and Mark Baines of St. George’s Golf & Country Club won the Chairman’s Stroke Play tournament to also receive an automatic invitation for 2016.
Sunho Lee, the Founding Patron, and Championship Chairman Eddie Merrins presented the trophy to Oakmont at the Closing Ceremony where players and caddies exchanged goodbye gifts. Spencer Mellon sang the WCC song to a standing ovation. Earlier the team made a dramatic entrance seated on a traditional chair carried by 4 men and set down in front of the trophy.
Eddie Merrins, who announced he was stepping down as Chairman to become Chairman Emeritus, has been honored all week. Today, Sunho, the Championship Committee and his Bel-Air Club team of John Ahn and Sean Barrett planted a tree with a plaque to be placed in perpetuity. In closing Eddie reminded everyone that the game of golf is the greatest common denominator and that leaders of the world would do well to take a page from the WCC to make the world a better place.
The day began with much anticipation for great competition in Match Play Finals and 3rd & 4th playoff, and the 18 hole stroke play tournament was heavily contested between the remaining 18 teams.
The Chairman’s Division was extremely close and it was a matter of one birdie difference between St. George’s and Southern Hills Country Club players Scott Mabrey and Kevin Schultz. Five teams scored under par. There were 60 birdies, and only one eagle on 18 par 5 made by Sunningdale GC in England, the team of Steve Haggart and Matthew Mills. St. George’s came in at 5 under for a score of 67, followed by Southern Hills USA at 68, Diamante Mexico at 69, and in a 3-way tie Oitavos Dunes Portugal team of Ruben Figueiredo and Pierre-Alexis Rolland and St. Andrews GC Scotland team of Jamie Farmer and Ross Duncan, and Royal Portrush Northern Ireland father and son team of David and Andrew Mulholland all scored 71.
In Match Play 3rd and 4th Playoff, Royal Melbourne won the first hole at par, lost to Jack Pierse’s birdie on #3 and they were all squared through six. On #7 Matias Sanchez made birdie for Royal Melbourne to go 1 up. They then won 8 and 9 to go 3 up and in control. Portmarnock put on the pressure but in the end, conceded on 17 for the final 1 up.
The Final Match Play saw a lot of action even though Oakmont led the whole way. They birdied 7 and 8 to put them 4 up but Olympic Club started to come back and at the turn the score was only 3 up. Olympic birdied 12 to bring it down to 2 up and slowly chipping away the lead. But they boggied 15 to go back to 3 up. On 16 Kory Storer birdied on a clutch putt to go on to 17 where it was won by Oakmont.
