2012 Phi Alpha Cup Tournament Summary

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

The most exciting Phi Alpha Cup in history ends in a 7-7 tie.

2012 Tournament Summary: Team 98 Secures Phi Alpha Cup Tie to Retain Cup

May 6, 2012
In the most closely contested Phi Alpha Cup in history, Team 97 and Team 98 played to a 7-7 tie, allowing Team 98 to retain the 2012 Phi Alpha Cup. The two teams headed into the PAC’s final event, the Donald Rossie Captain’s Choice Round, tied 5-5. Both teams posted 7-under scores in the Captain’s Choice round, leaving the final tournament score deadlocked at 7 – A score good enough for Team 98 to hold onto the Cup for one more year.

Team 97 had plenty of chances to come up with a half point that would have allowed them to take home the title in 2012. The team missed two putts inside 8 feet in the Captain’s Choice round, and team leaders Andy Sands and Andrew Parker struggled all day on the Donald Ross 1926 design’s excessively slow greens.

The tournament started in classic back and forth fashion with Team 98 landing the first blow by taking the two Best Ball matches. But in what would later be dubbed “Black Friday” for the 98’s, Team 97 won all four Singles matches over Team 98 – the first time a team had been swept in Phi Alpha Cup history. The match steadied from that point on, with Team 98 clawing their way back to a 5-5 tie after the Cumulative and Alternate Shot matches, which would set up a “winner-take-all” scenario for Saturday’s Captain’s Choice.

With the match tied on the final nine, Team 98’s Winston Black hit one of the biggest shots in Captain Choice history, when the 8-iron he skulled on the 16th hole that was sailing 40 yards over the green hit the pin, stopped dead in its tracks, did the headspin, and dropped to one and a half feet for a tap-in birdie. The birdie proved to be decisive, allowing Team 98 to secure the “halve” in the Captain’s Choice, and ultimately, overall Tournament tie they needed to retain the Cup.

Team 97’s Steve Burr tried to put the disappointing tie in perspective after the Cup Award Ceremony. “I only came here for one thing. To beat Jeff Eaton in Singles. I couldn’t tell you who won any match other than that one. And I don’t care who won any other match other than that one.”

Team 98 Captain Dave Johnson, who underwent thumb surgery 4 weeks ago, was awarded Jeffrey J. Eaton MVP honors for his courageous effort. Johnson becomes the first Phi Alpha Cup player to win the coveted MVP Award twice. In addition, Winston Black was awarded the 1st Jeffrey B. Choen Sportsmanship Award for his cheery disposition throughout the weekend.