Scott Delano and John Ogilby, representing Merion Golf Club in Philadelphia, won the 76th annual Tedesco Invitational Fourball tournament.The pair scored a 6 & 5 victory over Phil and Tim Demakis, brothers representing The Palms Golf Club in La Quinta, Calif.
Both teams had a long road to the finals, with each winning five difficult matches over four days.
The Delano-Ogilby team got out to a fast start with wins on holes one, two and four. Team Demakis got one back with Phil’s par on the sixth, but Delano’s par-net-birdie on the ninth returned the lead to 3-up.
Delano and Ogilby won the 10th, 12th, and 13th holes to close out the match.
The teams won their semifinal matches in opposite styles. The Demakis team cruised to its win over G.V. Wattendorf and Zac Kraft.
The Delano-Ogilby team was even in its semifinal match after 17 holes against Brian Miller and Chris Smith, both from Tedesco. Ogilby made a 20-foot par putt on the 18th green for the 1-up win and a trip to the finals that would lead to his team’s first Tedesco championship.
In the Round-A-Day flight, Ken Bane and J.P. Monnin got the win, besting 2010 finalists Arthur Pappathanasi and Dave Leonhard.
The eventual winners forged a 4-up lead with four holes to play, but Pappathanasi’s par to win the 15th extended the match another hole.
Monnin made a net-par for the win on the 16th hole to clinch the championship.
Ironically, days before the first round, both Bane and Pappathanasi seriously considered withdrawing from the tournament. Both had physical problems — Bane a bad ankle and Pappathanasi a bad back. Both players decided to go ahead and give it a try, and it clearly paid off.
Main Flight Results
1st Flight
Champions: Scott Delano & John Ogilby
Finalists: Phil Demakis & Tim Demakis
2nd Flight
Champions: Bryan Benevento & Brian Oppenheim
Finalists: Conrad Rousseau & Lynn Briggs
1st Flight Consolation
Champions: Richard Breed & Zack Goldberg
Finalists: P.J. Duffy & Joe Granese
2nd Flight Consolation
Champions: John Coleman & Brendan Coleman
Finalists: Ryan Wilson & Rob Pomeroy
Round-A-Day Results
1st Flight
Champions: Ken Bane & J.P. Monnin
Finalists: Arthur Pappathanasi & Dave Leonhard
2nd Flight
Champions: Greg Bates & Scott Boal
Finalists: Jim Flanagan & Ken Beaulieu
1st Flight Consolation
Champions: Dave Hamilton & Phil Grady
Finalists: Tony Benevento & Jeff Kilgore
2nd Flight Consolation
Champions: Michael Schaefer & Luke Tsokanis
Finalists:Charles Stacey & Joe Francis