It will be Guy Hoskins and Stephen Bullock against Frederick Corriher and CameronLee for the Labor Day golf championship next weekend.

Hoskins chipped in for a birdie on the 19th hole to end a thrilling semifinal match against medalists Karl Mitchell and Lee Frick late Monday afternoon in the annual Goode Crowder Dorsett Memorial Labor Day Four-Ball Invitational.

Lee and Corriher had earlier come from behind to defeat Joey Boley and Thad Sprinkle 2-1 in their semifinal clash at the Country Club of Salisbury.

Both Bullock (1997 with Brian Chapman) and Corriher (1994 with Christopher McCoy) are former champions. It will be the first time in the finals for Hoskins, a newcomer to Salisbury, and Lee.

The championship match, usually played on Labor Day, will now be played at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the rain-plagued tournament.

Golfers in the championship and other flights had to play two matches yesterday, and the morning matches were played in the rain.

Hoskins and Bullock won their quarterfinal match over former champions Ed RabonJr. and Randy Bingham 4-3.

Mitchell and Frick downed John DeRhodes and Jimmy Hubbard 5-4.

Boley and Sprinkle, runners-up in both 1994 and 1998, went 22 holes to edge George Benfield and Dusty Holder, winning on Boley’s chip-in birdie onNo. 4.

Corriher and Lee turned back Chip Logan and Rick Houston 2-1 to get to the semifinals.

Hoskins, a native of Louisville, Ky., had never played in a four-ball match until moving to Salisbury a little over three years ago to become chief financial officer of F&M Bank.

“I couldn’t believe all the interest in the county and what an honor it was just to make the tournament (championship flight) after qualifying day,” said the 36-year-old Hoskins.

Hoskins and the 32-year-old Bullock also teamed up last year, losing out to eventual champions McCoy and John Murphy 2-up in the opening round.

“When Stephen and I paired up, I kind of felt like I was a little bit out of my league,” said Hoskins. “He’s such a good player. He pulled me along. He’s carried us the whole tournament.”

Bullock countered, “We laugh about having similar games and messing up the same holes together, but this weekend that’s been different. We’ve brother-in-lawed real well. We’ve traded off extremely well.”

Bullock and Hoskins appeared well on their way to victory, leading by three holes through No. 13. Then Mitchell’s birdie on the par-3 14th and Frick’s birdie on the par-5 15th tightened the match.

Bullock and Hoskins went to the 18th hole with the lead, but Frick sent the match into overtime with a dramatic birdie putt.

“They made a great comeback,” exclaimed Bullock. “Karl showed why he’s had the summer he’s had. The putt Lee had on 18 was just unbelievable. It was 20 feet downhill above the hole, a great putt right in the center.”

On the extra hole, No. 1 (par-4), both Bullock and Mitchell had birdie putts, but Hoskins was chipping from about 20 feet, just short of the green, with a pitching wedge.

“When we went around the first time, I had that putt for birdie, probably six or eight feet in front of where the chip was. I left it short the first time. It broke left to right, probably about a cup,” said Hoskins.

“I left him alone on that one. I was so wrapped up in my putt, I didn’t even watch until his was halfway to the hole. It started looking awfully good. My partner bailed me out,” said Bullock, a former South Rowan High School teacher who is now with Power Curbers.

Corriher and Lee, teammates one year at SalisburyHigh, became partners by accident.

“I called RickHouston and asked him if we knew anybody that wasn’t playing and seeing who he was playing with,” said Lee, a 20-year-old junior at UNC Wilmington. “Freddie had done the same thing the day before. Rick originally could not play because of scheduling conflicts. So, I called Fred.”

Lee told Corriher that Houston wasn’t going to play, so Lee and Corriher decided to team up.

“He’s a good partner,” said Corriher, a 23-year-old political consultant who played four semesters of golf at Catawba College before graduating. His interest in politics kept him from playing all the time. “He hits it a long way. We’ve been a great team, because I think there’s been one hole in three matches that we’ve both birdied. We’ve only made a couple of bogeys the whole time. I think it’s been a good partnership.”

Lee, a member of the UNCW golf team with six more semesters of eligibility, said he’s not playing his best golf ever, but he’s satisfied.

“I’m playing well. My short game’s real good. My long game’s kind of inconsistent, but I’m playing well overall,” he pointed out.

Lee’s birdie from about seven feet on No. 15, combined with Sprinkle’s missed short birdie putt, gave Lee and Corriher a one-hole lead with three to play. Corriher then won the par-3 17th with a solid par from the right fringe to go 2-up. The match, which had begun on No. 2, ended on the 18th green when both teams made par.

Boley and Sprinkle had started out with a winning par on No. 2 and a winning two-putt birdie by Boley on No. 3 to go 2-up quickly. Lee and Corriher eventually tied it up on No. 11, where Lee made birdie, and took the lead for keeps with Lee’s birdie on 15.

Now Bullock and Corriher go into Saturday’s championship match as the finalists who have been there before.

“I’m excited. I wish we could do it tomorrow, but I think I need a rest anyway,” said Bullock. “It (being in finals previously) gives you a comfort level. It definitely makes it a little easier on the first tee when you’ve been there and had the folks watching you before.”

Corriher said, “I think when you’ve played in one before, you’re not quite as nervous, especially if a lot of people come out and watch. The first time I played, I was really nervous, because I couldn’t believe how many people came out. Maybe it being next weekend, it may not be as many people.”

For Corriher, the match will bring back memories of South Rowan High, where he attended before transferring to Salisbury.

“Bullock was my golf coach and AP history teach my junior year. I still call him ‘Coach,’” he said.

Tom Correll and John Carter won the senior division championship 6-5 over former champs Van Benfield and Jerry Allman.

See results in Scoreboard on Page 4B.