By Ronnie Gallagher
rgallagher@salisburypost.com
Jay Stevens and Ed Cook had just finished off their match with Steve and Josh Honeycutt, winning 1-up and making the semifinals of the 56th annual Labor Day golf tournament at the Country Club of Salisbury.
Stevens was asked how he felt about his team’s play heading into today.
“We’ve been playing steady,” Stevens said. “We haven’t played great yet. Maybe our best golf is ahead of us.”
It will have to be. They’re matched up this morning against Ken Clarke and Chris Owen.
Plain and simple, Owen and Clarke are kicking butt all over the Donald Ross course.
After beating Keith and Michael Dorsett 4 and 3 in the first round, they were even better on Sunday, whipping Terry and Eric Mulkey 5 and 4.
Three birdies and no bogeys kept Clarke and Owen in the running for the coveted title.
Seeing the lopsided scores, Stevens said, “That tells me they’re going to be strong. We’re going to have to make some birdies if we’re going to beat them.”
The other semifinal match pits fourth seeded Steven Bullock and Guy Hoskins against Phil Miller and Jim Christy.
Hoskins-Bullock beat Curtis Kyles and Ronnie Eidson, while Miller and Christy had to go 21 holes before ousting Glenn and Roy Dixon.
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Seeded 15th, Owen and Clarke were the first semifinalists in. Their match was cut short for the second day due to such a large margin of victory.
“Today, we played a lot better,” Clarke said. “We just played solid from tee to green.”
Owen joked about his big, shiny belt buckle, showcasing his initials surrounded by jewels.
“I say when the sun hits it, it blinds my opponents,” he laughed.
Clarke and Owen said Eric Mulkey made some great par saves but they realize they are just one hot team and a good start is the reason. Each of the last two days, they won the first two holes.
“It makes it 10 times easier when you’ve got a couple of holes to mess with,” Owen said. “It seemed like it was easier today. But we said getting to Monday was the main thing.”
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Stevens and Cook had to hold their breath watching two beautiful Honeycutt putts on the 17th and 18th holes.
One went in, one didn’t.
Stevens and Cook saw their one-shot lead evaporate on 17 when Josh Honeycutt drained a 30-footer.
“His legs were shaking but he knocked it in,” Cook said. “It was a great putt.”
Then on 18, while waiting for his par putt, Stevens watched Steve Honeycutt send a 20-footer directly at the cup that somehow stopped on the lip.
“There is no reason that putt shouldn’t have dropped in,” Stevens said.
Did he feel pressure with his 3-footer?
“Not a lot of pressure,” Stevens said. “Ed had been making putts all day.”
Now, it’s on to the semis.
“Playing on Monday is key,” Stevens said. “I think, especially if you’re in the championship flight, getting a chance to play on Monday is a great thing.”
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Bullock and Hoskins were touted as the favorites by many of the golfers before the tournament, and they made today by defeating the fifth-seeded team of Kyles and the always-dangerous Eidson.
But Sunday’s most exciting match had the 16th-seeded Dixons battle 21 holes with Miller and Christy. A par won it.
Asked how he felt as darkness approached, Christy laughed and said, “Exhausted for an old fella.”
The Dixons had knocked off top-seeded John and Johnny Kyger on Saturday and they matched eighth-seeded Miller and Christy for 20 holes.
“It started off like a ball of fire,” Christy said of the early birdie binge.
Miller said he and Christy just kept grinding.
“For me, getting to Monday was good,” Miller said. “I wanted to know I played three days in a row.”
Bullock and Hoskins await.
“It will be a really good match,” Miller said.
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NOTES: Miller and another partner met Bullock and Hoskins last year in the First Flight and lost in 20 holes. … The most talked-about match before the tournament began was No. 1 seed Kygers against No. 2 seed Dorsetts. That match will happen today ó in the Championship Flight consolation. … The Kygers are a very hot team right now. They won their last two matches 4 and 3 and 6 and 5. … Semifinal matches begin at 8:30 a.m. with the winners facing off for the championship.