Club Pro’s regain form at 50th Annual Goldwater Cup Matches; Lead Series 36-14

SWSPGA #1 CupTeam and Tournament Staff
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A year ago, an amateur team representing the Arizona Golf Association (AGA) hoisted the Goldwater Cup trophy for the first time in 25 years. The AGA beat their counterparts from the Southwest Section PGA by one point, winning the two-day (Four-Ball, Foursome and Singles Matches) in a surprising turn of events.

This year was a different story.

The SWSPGA club pro’s began another streak, winning the 50th Annual Goldwater Cup Matches at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix by a dominating score of 22-8.

They lead the overall series 36-14.

The club pro’s prevailed in the Senior division as well, winning 20-10, including 7.5 to 4.5 in singles play. They lead that series 24-10-3.

Paired with 12 Senior division players for the second year in a row, the club pro’s won the Mixed Four Ball Matches 9-3 on the first day, then tied the amateurs in the afternoon Foursome matches 3-3.

Comfortably ahead 12-6 heading into the second day of action, the professionals dominated the Open division singles play, winning 10-2 and taking most of the matches by comfortable margins. Chris Dompier beat Matt Bergstrom, one of the top amateur performers from 2009, 7-6.

Members of the winning Open division team included: Don Yrene, Blayne Hobbs, Randy Wittig, Craig Hocknull, Tony Rohlik, Bob Blean, Dean Vomacka, Chris Dompier, Brent Griffin, Dale Abraham, Jeff Yurkiewicz and Marty Jertson.

Mike Wright, president of the Southwest Section PGA, who led the Senior division to victory again this year, said the format of the competition was altered slightly in 2009 with Senior division players paired with Open division players in the Four-Ball (best ball) matches. Wright’s teammates in 2010 included Will Frantz, Jon Stanley, Bob Mann, Mike Franko, Francis Harper, Jay Friedman, Ralph West, Chris Endres, Bob Pancratz and Jon Chafee.

The historic event is named for the late Bob Goldwater, Sr., a former state amateur champion and Arizona Golf Hall of Famer who is known as father of the Phoenix Open.