Senior 8 Man Team
This season, for the second year in a row, our Senior 8 Man Team made the finals. And capping off a heady summer, the season-long competition all came down to a sudden-death playoff in September. You know, some say it’s not the destination but the journey. But in this case, the journey and the destination were equally thrilling– a summer-long romp of commanding victories leading to that concluding trip to the finals.
So, before recounting the season’s dramatic finish, here’s a brief recap of how the team got there.
Recall that the 8 Man Team plays each opponent twice, in home and away matches. And, as reported earlier here, the 8 Man Team split their first two matches in May against Theodore Wirth. But the 1-1 start belied the one-sided 17-6 aggregate home and away score.
And then the real fun began.
In June the team took on Baker National, winning both their initial match at home and the rematch away. The aggregate total score for the series was a decisive 14–10. The regular season then concluded in July against Dwan. And in their most decisive wins to date, the 8 Man Team won both matches handily, with a final combined score of 21.5 to 2.5!
So, the regular season ended with a record of 5-1, and that record sent the 8 Man Team into the playoffs.
The initial playoff matches were against the Les Bolstad University team and once again Braemar’s 8 Man Team dominated. The first match, an away game, was a 10.5 – 1.5 walk in the park. And in the August 20 rematch, the team kept the pedal to the metal with an 11.5 – .5 shellacking at home.
So, with a record of 7-1, the 8 Man Team headed into the finals. Facing a formidable Pebble Creek team, the home and away format was replaced by a winner take-all match at a neutral site. Held at Oak Marsh on September 3, the finals featured close fought matches up and down the line-up. And when the dust settled, the score was 6 – 6, all square. The championship could only be settled by a sudden-death playoff.
It fell to team captain Mike Longman to choose two players to send into the playoff match and Jeff Roseland and Tim Smith got the nod. Shot after shot both teams went after it, and after four holes they were still all square. Finally, on the strength of a birdie on the fifth hole, Pebble Creek took the championship.
Although the Pebble Creek loss was a disappointment, the 2024 season was a great success, not only with all the wins but also with so many impressively decisive outcomes. This team is loaded with talent, so look for more excitement to come next year.
16 Man Team
Our 16 Man Team, led by captain Bryan Francis, also had an excellent season, making the playoffs for the first time since they moved to the “A” division. As last reported by The Virtual 19th Hole, the 16 Man Team, like the 8 Man Team, had gotten off to a solid start this year. In a format like the 8 Man Team’s, with home and away matches against each opponent, Braemar’s first opponent was Keller. And after a loss on the road, Braemar won at home on the strength of a sudden death playoff birdie by Michael Kraft, giving Braemar a series victory on points. Next up was Hiawatha, with matches on July 14 and July 28. The initial contest ended in a narrow victory on the road, 12.5-11.5. The follow-up home game provided a more conclusive win, 15.5-8.5. And that victory catapulted the team into the playoffs.
The initial playoff contest, against Northfork, was played on September 8 at a neutral site. That match spelled the end of the season for Braemar in a tough 17.5-6.5 loss. But the final tally failed to reflect the quality of the competition, since many of the matches were close. Even with that loss, however, it was a very successful season, one where, in several of their matches, each of Braemar’s team members had a USGA handicap less than 3. Many reasons to embrace lofty aspirations for next year.
4 Man Over-70 Team
The inaugural season for Braemar’s 4 Man Team was also a big success. Led by captain Bob Peterson, the super-seniors finished the year with a record of 4-1-1, amounting to a second-place tie with the University team. Unfortunately, the tie breaker, based on head-to-head play during the regular season, was won by University. Still, a very solid first season.
While important contributions were made by several players during the season, Mike Kavanaugh, with a current USGA handicap of 2.7, led the way throughout.
Metro Seniors
Led by captain Greg Baron, Braemar’s Metro Seniors completed their season with a record of 4-7 and a tenth-place finish. While the year was a bit of a disappointment, the team got significant contributions from a number of players, including Jeff Roseland, David Matlock, Joe O’Neill, Chris Reeves, Scott Eckes, Randy Krivo, John Miller and Larry Fyten, among others. Too much talent there not to have a successful season next year.
Dick Helde
Editor, The Virtual 19th Hole
helde.richard@gmail.com
612-306-3590