Porter & Sullivan Champion 15th Metropolitan Four-Ball
Washington, MO - It was a great day for golf at Franklin County Country Club for the final round of the 15th Metropolitan Four-Ball Championship. There were overcast skies and temperatures in the lower 70s. Play began at 7:30am with the senior net division, followed by the senior division, and then the Championship division.
In the Senior Net division, Bill Slantz and John Schranck came into the final round with the lead at three-under par. Curt Wooters and Matt Hall were also under par at one-under when the day began. The side of Slantz and Schranck needed to hold the competition off to take home the prize and that they did. Coming in with a second round net score of two-under par, Slantz and Schranck brought their total to five-under (-5) par. Wooters and Hall were left behind with a second round score of even par that kept their total at one-under (-1) par. Michael Mervis and Tim Leonberger made a comeback today with a net score of two-under, which placed them in third at three-over (+3) par for the championship.
Up next was the Senior division with Buddy Allen and Brian Lovett in the lead at three-under par at the start of the day. Close behind at two-under were the sides of Tony Nolfo and David Strickland, David Bremer and Paul Neeman, and Patrick Riordan and Tom Sinak. Allen and Lovett left nothing to chance today, shooting a bogey-free seven-under par. This would bring the team’s total to ten-under (-10) par to take home the win four strokes above the competition. Four back were David Bremer and Paul Neeman at six-under (-6) par. Their second round of four-under par pushed them into solo second. As for the side of Riordan and Sinak as well as the side of Nolfo and Strickland, they could not break their round one stalemate and would finish in a tie for third at five-under (-5) par.
Bringing it home with the last tee time of the day were the Championship division leaders at five-under par, AJ Porter and Ryan Sullivan. Porter and Sullivan never relinquished their lead during the final round. The pair shot another bogey-free round of seven-under par, bringing their championship total to twelve-under (-12) par. With no other side able to catch them, Porter and Sullivan are the champions. Coming into the second round, the four teams tied at three-under par were Trip Sanfelippo and Blake Skornia, Corey Choate and Jason White, Ryan Eckelkamp and Tony Gumper, and Rob Scherer and Scott Kirchoff. The side of Skornia and Sanfelippo stayed toe to toe with the side of Choate and White throughout the final round. With six to play the two sides were still tied for second at seven-under par. Within those last six holes, Skornia and Sanfelippo fell back, leaving Choate and White to try to keep their position. Choate and White powered through to finish the day with a score of four-under par, bringing their total to seven-under (-7) par. In the final grouping of the day were Eckelkamp and Gumper, who started off the day rocky, but turned a new leaf after Hole 3. The pair found their groove to card 10 birdies from Hole 5 on, to make their round score eight-under par. This brought Eckelkamp and Gumper to eleven-under (-11) par for the championship and slipped them into second place over Choate and White.
AJ Porter and Ryan Sullivan are the 15th Metropolitan Four-Ball Champions at twelve-under (-12) par. Buddy Allen and Brian Lovett are the Senior Champions at ten-under (-10) par. Bill Slantz and John Schranck are the senior net champions at five-under (-5) par.