Rowan Masters: Semifinal pairings set

Staff report

With the Final Four of the Rowan Masters at Warrior Golf Club set, defending champion Ronnie Eidson and qualifying medalist Phil Miller are still in the hunt.

Derek Lipe and Sean Kramer will join Eidson and Miller in today's semifinal round, which begins at 8 a.m.

Miller will square off against Kramer, and Eidson will face Lipe. The semifinal survivors will meet in a championship match slated to begin at 12:30 p.m., and fans are encouraged to attend.Eidson shot 6 under to beat underdog Ken Clarke 6 and 5 in a second-round match Saturday, and Eidson continued his steady play in a quarterfinal victory against Neal Hiatt. Eidson shot 2 under for a 3-and-2 win.

Lipe advanced Saturday with a 6-and-4 win against Steve Gegorek and a 2-and-1 quarterfinal decision against Matt Ray.

Miller's road to the semifinal round was a tough one.

Miller rallied from two holes down with five remaining to collect a 1-up win against Chris Owen in a second-round match.

In the quarterfinals, Miller finished a bogey-free match at 2 under and eliminated Gerald Staton by a 4-and-3 count.

Kramer's first match Saturday ended as a 1-up victory against Mike Mills. Kramer then posted a 2-and-1 win against Jimmy Christy, who had reached the quarterfinals by defeating four-time champion Keith Dorsett in a match that extended to 19 holes.

Of the quarterfinalists who failed to reach the semifinals, only Christy was involved in an extremely tight second-round match.

Hiatt won 4 and 2 against Richard Cobb, and Staton prevailed 8 and 7 over Ronnie Mangum. Ray won 5 and 3 against Matt Gryder.

Eidson defeated Cobb and Jason Meadows on the final day of competition last year, winning 5 and 3 in the championship match.