South Team Surges in Afternoon Matches to Take Lead
Horseshoe Bay, Texas—The South Team rallied to win five of six afternoon foursome matches on Saturday to take a 14-10 lead at the 12th annual Jackie Burke Cup. This year’s cup is being contested at Escondido Golf & Lake Club.
The North Team dominated the morning matches, winning four of six Four-Ball Matches and holding a lead in each match at one point in the morning. Brothers Parker and Pierceson Coody, who are the current and past Boys 15-18 Players of the Year, got the day going with a win against McClure Meissner and Shuai Ming Wong. The Coodys won four of seven holes from No. 6 to No. 12, making three birdies in that span.
South Team’s Garrett Martin and Michael Anthony Rome evened up the score with a win over Jake Kuwitzky and Tommy Boone in the second match. Martin and Rome rallied to win four holes on the back nine including three of the final four to win 1-up and secure the first two points for the South.
The next two matches fell to the North Team as Tucker Allen and Turner Hosch defeated Jack Anderson and William Moll 2&1 and Ryan Grider and Andy Lopez beat Jun Min Lee and Trey Bosco 1-up. Boys 14 & Under Player of the Year Vishnu Sadagopan and Lucas Borrero won four holes on the back side to win 1-up, while Girls 12-18 Player of the Year Hailey Jones and Kennedy Pedigo won their match for the North Team, 2-up.
With an 8-4 lead, the North Team was looking good to retain the Jackie Burke Cup in 2016. Last year’s North Team won the cup at Brook Hollow Golf Club, 26-22, and will only need 24 points to retain the cup for a third straight year.
The afternoon matches were a complete switch however, as the South rolled off four straight wins in Foursome play. Jack Anderson and Garrett Martin secured the first victory in alternate shot, 5&4, while the next three finished with the South Team ahead 4&3.
Michael Anthony Rome and William Moll won holes eight and nine to take a 4-up lead heading into the back nine and cruised to victory. McClure Meissner and Shuai Ming Wong made birdies on two of their last four holes to win their match over Pierceson Coody and Turner Hosch, while Jun Min Lee and Trey Bosco won five straight holes from No. 8 to No. 12 two beat Ryan Grider and Tucker Allen.
The North Team got two points from Dallas Hankamer and Connor Adams in the 11th match of the day, but Kaylee Vesely and Sadie Englemann kept the South Team ahead with their 3&2 victory in the 12th match.
Escondido Golf & Lake Club sits in scenic Horseshoe Bay, Texas next to Lake LBJ. The course meanders through the Texas Hill Country and features many breathtaking views. Escondido is hosting a Legends Junior Tour event for the first time.
Players will play in singles matches on Sunday with 24 total points up for grabs. The South Team will need to win five of those matches and split in a sixth to win the cup with 25 points. The North Team will need to win seven matches to retain the cup.
Sunday’s singles matches will begin at 8:00 AM. Each match is worth two points towards the teams overall score. Tee times will stretch until 9:17 AM. To see all the pairings for Sunday, click here.
To see all the scores from Saturday’s action, click here. To read more about the Jackie Burke Cup, click here.