Mark Cusic and Kevin Ferris beat Matt Bassler and Michael Mulieri on first playoff hole after both teams fire 7-under par 63
ROCKVILLE, Maryland (May 3, 2012) -- Mark Cusic rolled home an eight-foot putt for birdie on the first playoff hole to give himself and partner Kevin Ferris the 51st Two-Man championship of the Maryland State Golf Association at Manor Country Club in Rockville, May 3. It turned out to be their way of saying “thank you,” as they were a late replacement in the 104-team field, getting in earlier in the week.
The Breton Bay CC pair finished 31-32—63, seven under par for the 6,653-yard course. Matt Bassler-Michael Mulieri, from Rolling Road GC, finished later in the afternoon with 33-30—63, to force extra holes, then both missed from 25 feet ahead of Cusic. Mulieri’s closing birdie on the ninth created the deadlock.
The weather was cool and skies overcast when play began at 7:30, but by the afternoon the sun was out and the temperature had climbed into the 80’s.
In regulation play, Cusic, going first in the afternoon, took care of the front nine with four birdies, while Ferris collected two on the back. A surprise birdie by Cusic, the reigning MSGA Amateur champion, came at the 189-yard 17th hole where his breaking putt from 40 feet fell into the hole. “It was a bomb,” he declared.
Bassler-Mulieri, who also went bogey-free, got going in a hurry on the back nine, as Bassler accounted for three birdies in the first five holes, and Mulieri added two more at 17-18 to turn in 5-under 30. Coming back, Mulieri got one at the fourth and the big one at the last, a dogleg 517-yard uphill test. He laid up with his second shot, then hit a gap-wedge shot from in front of the green to three feet.
Sean Flanigan-David Komorek, from Lake Presidential GC, had the low round of the morning with 32-32—64. A sizzling effort produced eight birdies – four apiece – but was marred at the 419-yard 13th. Both encountered trouble with a hole that features a creek and out-of-bounds, and they added bunker woes for a best-effort double-bogey six. They finished strong though, as Komorek birdied 14-17-18.
Five teams tied for fourth with 67, including pairings of Manor members Josh Williamowsky-David Tacchetti and John Ohly-Dan Falls. The former team was three over par after four holes on the front, but charged back with seven birdies – six by Tacchetti – before bogeying the last hole.
There were five more teams at 68, including the Beaver Creek CC duos of Steve Ligi-Bernie Deane and Chris Taylor-Chuck Thatcher. These four, along with fellow competitors Greg Henry, Ken Lampard, and A.J. Edmondson will provide much of the firepower when the Hagerstown club meets Rolling Road in the MSGA Team Match final Saturday, May 5. In addition to Bassler and Mulieri, other Rolling Road team members in this event were Chris Derby, George Blyth, Rick Sovero, and Moose Brown.
About the Maryland Four-Ball
The tournament will be 18 holes Four-Ball Stroke Play. This tournament is open to male amateur members of MSGA member clubs but partners do not have to be from the same club. Each team shall have a maximum combined up-to-date USGA index at a licensed...
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