VENANGO —
The Crawford Cup has a new home in the men’s competition, and returned to an old friend in women’s action as the final round was played out at Country Meadows Golf Course on Sunday.
In the men’s competition, the host squad was looking to return to the top and wrestle the cup from back-to-back champs Oakland Beach. Country Meadows entered the final round with a one-stroke lead over Venango Valley, and a four-point advantage over the Country Club. OBGC, meanwhile, sat seven-and-a-half points out of the lead.
What ensued may go down as the best final round in Cup history.
The Country Club’s Terry Tidball fired a 74 in Flight A, as did Oakland Beach’s Chad DuPont to split medalist honors. When Country Meadows’ Randy Wright managed just a 79, and Venango’s Eric Shaffer carded a 77, things changed dramatically.
The 4 1/2 points earned by Tidball pulled the Clubbers within a half point of a now tied Country Meadows and Venango Valley. Oakland Beach, meanwhile, vaulted to just four points back. For the six golfers in the clubhouse, the waiting was tense.
Everything changed on the back nine of Flight B.
Venango Valley’s Jack Hobson, who made the turn with a 41, blistered the last nine holes. In the process, Hobson erased a five-stroke deficit to Country Meadows’ Bob Wright. When he sank his final putt of the day, Hobson closed with a 36, scored a 77 for the round and won the flight for Venango.
“When I saw Jack had a five (in Flight B),” said Venango Valley team captain Bill Sutter, “and then I saw (Country Meadow’s) Randy Wright got one (in Flight A), I figured we were in pretty decent shape.”
The five points proved to be the difference maker.
It gave Venango Valley a one-point lead over the host squad, and it pushed the lead over the Country Club to 2 1/2 points. When Sutter carded an 81 — two strokes better than Country Meadow’s Rich Trypus and just one-stroke behind the Country Club’s George Byrnes — the cup was sealed.
“I was just thinking, ‘stay ahead of the guy from Country Meadows’,” said Sutter. “So I kept an eye on what Richie (Trypus) was doing. I was also looking at Eric (Shaffer) and Jack (Hobson) from time to time to try and get a read on what they were doing.”
Since the Crawford Cup began in 1993, Venango Valley had never won the title. That is 0-for-19 if you are a stat guy. Now, the team just down the road from Country Meadows finally has its first crown.
“It is nice for us,” said Sutter. “We have finished second three or four times and it is nice to finally break through. And we have to credit Ryan Young and Paul Polach, who won some big points for us this year.”
In women’s action, the drama was pretty much gone.
Oakland Beach entered the final round with a commanding 8 1/2 point lead over Venango Valley and 9 1/2 over Country Meadows, the two-time defending champs.
The hosts did not play nice, but it wasn’t enough to change the outcome.
CM’s Cindy Pringle fired a medalist round of 83 to win Flight A. However, OBGC’s Vicki White carded an 87 to keep the damage minimal. When all was said and done, Country Meadows only picked up a point in the flight.
Nancy Bohman then took Flight B for CM with an 84, but Oakland answered again. Micki Headley, playing in her last Crawford Cup, finished with an 87, which tied Venango Valley’s Charlotte Hamilton for second in the flight. That gave OBGC 53 1/2 points, and Country Meadows 46 1/2. Not even Carla Smith’s Flight C winning 85 could get Country Meadows in the lead.
“We felt pretty comfortable with our lead,” said team captain Cherrie Davis. “We all would have had t play pretty badly to lose. But you never now.
“It is really hard to make up that many points. But it could have been done.”
It marks the ninth title for Oakland Beach, easily the most successful women’s team in the competition. Since the women were added in 1995, Oakland Beach has won exactly 50 percent (9-of-18) of the titles.
“It has been five years for us,” said Davis. “We are excited, especially losing Micki. She has been an important player for us. She is so steady for us.”
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Venango Valley secures first place in dramatic fashion
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