Wardle/Matagrano win Two Man Links title

BANDON, Oregon (May 8, 2013) - A perfect week of golf came to a close on Wednesday with the two teams leading the championship division coming down the stretch dead even heading into the par-5 18th at Bandon Dunes.

Greg Wardle and Andrew Matagrano were on fire, but Ben Hargis (from Alexandria, Louisiana) and partner Trey Coker were hanging on. With Wardle -- after hitting driver off the deck onto the green in two -- in position for his third straight birdie, Hargis holed a 40 foot birdie putt, then pranced around the green like Hale Irwin at the 1990 US Open at Medinah.

Wardle two putted.

The teams headed to No. 10, where Matagrano made a 10 foot birdie as Hargis' shorter birdie attempt slid by.

Net winners Dieter Dammeier, Chris Lawton

Senior champs Sherman Haggerty and Ben Whipple

Wardle and Matagrano made 17 birdies in the final two rounds. They posted 64-66 after starting 74-69. As Ben Hargis, a four-time USGA participant, remarked before the playoff,

"It's the bombers versus the tacticians."

Sherman Haggerty and Ben Whipple took their third senior title. The pair were on-again off-again and on again, As they alternated Rounds in the 70s with rounds in the mid 60s. Today the El Dorado Hills California duo closed with a 68 to win the title over Bryan Lynn and Greg Lockard of Bakersfield.

This time, the bombers won.

amateurgolf.com 2013 Two Man Links Photo Gallery

Hagerty and Whipple also won the tournament back to back in 2009 and 2010.

Longtime participants Dieter Dammeier and Chris Lawton won the net division cruising to victory at 30-under 255. They came close to matching the tournament record of 248 set last year.

A special thanks goes out to all the staff at Bandon Dunes Resort and to the players from around the country for making the 12th annual tournament our best ever.