“We talked about it after the CDGA Senior at Ridge to join up and play this tournament at the end of the year,” Finnin said about the duo coming together. “When one of us was out of the hole or was making a bogey, the other was making birdie or par.”
Finnin and Werner got started at the fourth hole on Thursday, halving the hole, as Finnin rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at the par-3 moments after Anderson had holed a 40-foot birdie. That momentum carried over to the fifth, where Finnin drained a 30-foot par putt, this time to win the hole, and take the lead.
From there, Finnin and Werner systematically pulled away as they had in their three previous matches, taking the seventh when Finnin holed out for eagle from the fairway, the eighth when Werner stuck his approach to 5 feet for birdie and the 10th when Werner again put his approach to 5 feet. With the 4-up lead, the pair cruised in, winning the 13th and 14th holes to capture the title.
“We ham and egg it really well,” Werner said following the event. “We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses and we play to them. He talks me into things and I talk him into things and we just back each other up. That’s what you do in a match play situation.”
“This has been a great season,” Werner added. “To win two here (in Illinois), it’s amazing. You’re thankful you’re able to do it, keep healthy, play and get some good partners who can putt.”