Published: October 01, 2006 11:16 am         

Golf: Cumberland grabs early Boggs Cup lead

Defending champs up 4-2 after chilly, wet opening day

CUMBERLAND — Defending champion Cumberland, seeking to make Carroll Boggs Cup history with a third straight victory, took a 4-2 lead after the fourball round on a rainy, cold morning Saturday at the Cumberland Country Club.

The steady rain that the 24 golfers from Maplehurst and Cumberland played through during the morning subsided for the first nine holes of the afternoon foursome round.

When play ended at the ninth hole in the alternate shot format, Cumberland led in three matches and Maplehurst led in three matches.

Foursomes resume today at 8:45 a.m. The 13th annual match-play event in honor of the long-time CCC professional concludes with 12 singles at 12:30.

“I think things went pretty well for us, and we’re right where we expected to be,’’ said Cumberland captain Red Rice.

“We know the alternate shot round is the tough part, and the back nine could go either way.”

Last year Cumberland led by the same 4-2 margin after 27 holes, took a commanding lead by winning alternate shot play 4 1/2 to 1 1/2, and went 7-3-2 in singles for a 16 1/2 to 7 1/2 win, its first ever at Maplehurst.

Yesterday, perhaps especially so because of the weather conditions, it was important to get an early lead. Of the six fourball matches, five were won by the team that got on top first.

Three matches went the full 18 holes, and two of those three were won by Cumberland. (See match results, below).

Maplehurst’s day was sort of like the weather: a mixed bag.

“Disappointing, because we’re not in the lead and the weather didn’t cooperate, but we’re optimistic about Sunday’s round,’’ Maplehurst captain John Blank said. “I think we have a little stronger team this year. It will be a challenge because Cumberland’s always hard to beat, especially here.”

The site of the matches rotates each year, and the host club has an 8-3-1 record. Maplehurst has two of those three road wins: 13 to 11 in 2002, and 13 1/2 to 10 1/2 in the inaugural match in 1994.

In the majority of Saturday’s matches a birdie was a winning score on the front and par proved tough to beat on the back. The rain was the steadiest and hardest when the groups were on the back nine.

Still, there was plenty of good golf, like the nine consecutive pars by Cumberland’s Jim Snodgrass and Bob Garner in alternate shot; the putting of Bucky Butts that led to four up-and-downs in a seven-hole span; and the five birdies in seven holes in the Eric Johnson-Barry Knotts vs. Garner-Jim Donahue fourball match.

And because the pairings are made by matching one team against another instead of being left to chance by turning in lineup cards, there seem to be more competitive matches, something both sides wanted.

All six matches went at least 16 holes. Five went to the 17th, and three went to the 18th.

The foursomes are tied 3-3, with Maplehurst 3 up in two matches. Blank and Aaron Stevens are 3 up on Marc Zanger and John Robinson, and Rick Flowers and Jim Lauder are 3 up on Andy Halverson and Kevin Yost. Maplehurst’s Greg Turner and Johnson are 1 up on Butts and Rice.

For Cumberland, Snodgrass and Garner are 2 up on Bill Bond and Gary Hanna; George Young and John Smyth are 2 up on Knotts and Barry Mazer; and Donahue and Gus Bell are 1 up on Rick Harris and Travis Bohrer.

Mike Mathews can be reached at mmathews@times-news.com.