CARROLTON, Texas — The second playing of the East West Matches concluded Sunday afternoon with the East completing a wire-to-wire win.
The Ryder Cup-style event is the brainchild of mid-am Scott Harvey and Maridoe Golf Club owner and oil tycoon Albert Hudleston. Combining three generations of amateur golf talent from across the U.S., the East West Matches is one of the most talent-laden events in all of amateur golf.
Looking to avenge a painful loss in the first playing of the Matches, the East through two days was replicating what it did in 2020.
Friday saw the East jump out to a 6-3 lead in four-ball before the skies burst open and drenched the course with more than an inch and a half of rain. With the course softened up and true rolling greens, the East picked up another 11 ½ points during Saturday’s marathon 36-hole foursomes matches.
Leading 17 ½ – 9 ½, captain Nathaniel Crosby’s team needed just 5 ½ singles wins to defeat the West and avenge the loss from two years ago.
Did the East deliver.
In the 18 singles matches Sunday, 14 of them were won by the East and only seven even made it to the 18th hole. Joe Deraney of the East squad looked at the leaderboard while watching his teammates come through the par-3 14th and smiled.
“It’s not like last time,” he said.
Blowing a double-digit lead Sunday in 2020, you could tell that Deraney and others that were on that team wanted so badly to claim the victory and make up for that meltdown.
The East surrendered just three matches to the West and split two more. The 14-4 drubbing resulted in a final score of 31 ½ – 13 ½ and gives the East its first win in the infancy of the event.
So what’s the secret to having a team pull out a lopsided win when the talent gap is practically nonexistent? Crosby gave a veteran tip from his multiple Walker Cup captaincies: “I think it was the 3 a.m. curfew that probably was the detail (that did it),” Crosby joked. “The mandatory two hours of sleep for each player, each night. … you have to think it through.”
All kidding aside, the week is more about what amateur golf is truly about: comradery.
“The coolest part about this tournament is you’re putting three generations together,” Crosby said. “Generational friendships are absolutely the best to have. The college kids being able to play with the mid-ams and the mid-ams playing with the seniors, bridging these generations is such a great format. Everybody had such a blast.”
Crosby’s crew will look to defend in 2024 when the East West Matches take place once again at Maridoe.
As for what’s next, a large handful of mid-amateurs and senior amateurs from the East West Matches, including Golfweek’s No. 1 ranked senior, Rusty Strawn, will be heading to Spain for next week’s Concession Cup.
Team rosters
Mid-Amateurs
East: Andrew Bailey, Evan Beck, Chip Brooke, Mark Costanza, Joe Deraney, Jeronimo Esteve, Scott Harvey, Matt Mattare, Tug Maude, Chad Wilfong
West: Jason Anthony, Skip Berkmeyer, Denny Bull, Derek Busby, Patrick Christovich, Nick Guyer, Colby Harwell, John Hunter, Brad Nurski, John Swain
Senior Amateurs
East: Doug Hanzel, Steve Harwell, Billy Mitchell, Bob Royak, Rusty Strawn, Matt Sughrue
West: Tommy Brennan, Jon Brown, Robert Funk, John McClure, Mike McCoy, Mike Rowley
Amateurs
East: Nick Dunlap (Alabama), Caleb Surratt (Tennessee)
West: Derek Hitchner (Pepperdine), Luke Potter (Arizona State)