 The Grady B. McCanless
Memorial Four-Ball golf tourney belongs to Richard
Cobb and Thad Sprinkle, who won their third
straight title and fourth in the last five years in the 35th annual tournament at
McCanless Golf Club on Sunday afternoon.
Cobb and Sprinkle improved
their five-year tournament record to 19-1 with a 4-3 victory over Richard Peeler and Ronnie Eidson in the finals.
The only loss during that span was in the 1996 finals to Joey Boley and Chad Clayton.
The champions were 7 under par
for the 15 holes, while Peeler and Eidson were 3 under.
``I didn’t really think
about it, going for three in a row,’’ said the 35-year-old Cobb. ``I was just trying to
play good and win in the finals, because I’ve had a lot of trouble in the finals
lately. I just wanted to win this match somehow.’’
Cobb said he was referring to
not only last year’s championship match, during which he struggled before catching fire to
help his team hold off Henry Morgan and Roger Frick in 21 holes but also to the recent
Rowan Amateur finals at Corbin Hills Golf Club, where he had putting problems and lost to
Dusty Holder 1-up in the finals.
``Today I didn’t
three-putt any and made three or four birdies and an eagle,’’ said Cobb.
The eagle on the par-4 11th
hole was made when Cobb and Sprinkle were only one hole ahead.
``I chipped in from about 50 yards
out,’’ said Cobb. ``We said, `Let’s get it to two. Let’s get
comfortable.’ We figured they would birdie. Ronnie and Richard were up beside the
green (after long drives). I never thought it would go in, but it was nice to see it go
in.’’
Cobb won No. 1 with a birdie 3, then
Peeler took No. 2 with another birdie 3. The match stayed even until Sprinkle birdied the
par-4 No. 7 hole. After Cobb’s eagle put the champions two holes ahead, they tied the
next two holes, then finished strong with Sprinkle’s birdie 3 on No. 14 and
Cobb’s birdie 2 on No. 15, where his 30-foot putt closed out the match.
``He (Sprinkle) was laying six feet
if I missed it,’’ pointed out Cobb.
Ironically, the partners had to face
each other for the second straight year in the Rowan Amateur the previous Sunday. Sprinkle
had defeated Cobb 2-1 in the 1998 finals, then Cobb returned the favor, winning by the
same score in the semifinals last Sunday.
``He whipped me Sunday morning; he
got me,’’ said the 36-year-old Sprinkle. ``I knew he was going to be up for that
one. I knew he wanted to beat me because of last year. He played better than I did over
there. He got me down early and wouldn’t let me get back.’’
``Last year, I had a killer instinct
to beat anybody,’’ said Cobb of the Rowan Amateur. ``Then, in the finals, I met
him (Sprinkle), and it just changed. My game changed; everything changed. This year, I
wanted to get him back. I really wanted to win.’’
Yesterday, the partners forgot their
brief rivalry in the other tournament and capped off a strong month at McCanless, where
they won by scores of 6-5, 5-4, 7-6 and 4-3.
``He’s the best partner I could
have,’’ said Cobb. ``He’s real steady and makes very few bogeys. I’m
very happy to have him as a partner.’’ He said they plan to go after their
fourth straight crown next year. ``If they have a tournament, we’ll be
here,’’ he added.
``I’m glad he called me about
five years ago and asked me to play,’’ said Sprinkle, a star golfer and
basketball player at East Rowan High School who went on to attend Pfeiffer University on a
golf scholarship. ``He’s the best player out here. I’m just glad he lets me play
with him every year.’’
Peeler and Eidson, both former
champions, had to play two matches yesterday in 90-degree weather. They defeated Joe
Yochim and Ja Davis 2-1 Sunday morning in a match that was delayed because of the death of
Yochim’s grandmother in New Orleans, La.
``I felt we had an advantage, just
because they had to play 18 thismorning,’’ said Sprinkle. `` I knew how hot it
was going to be. I figured they would be a little tired. They played good, but I’m
sure they would have played a little better if they would have got to play that match
earlier in the week.’’
Peeler and Eidson knocked off
1996 champs Boley and Clayton 2-1 in the quarterfinals before beating Yochim and Davis by the same score Sunday
morning. |
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