Deadlocked at San Jose: Professional team surges in doubles to forge a tie in Underwood Cup
The Underwood Cup amateur team has won six matches in a row and holds a 17-11-3 lead in the First Coast's oldest match-play event.
The good news is that most of the current professional weren’t around for much of that history and played as if they were completely unconcerned with the amateurs' recent domination.
Led by a teacher and a student -- San Jose Country Club professional Hayes Farley, who is teammate Jennifer Borocz' swing coach -- the pros tied each of the doubles sessions on a warm, sunny Monday at San Jose and forged a 6-6 tie with the amateur team entering Tuesday's 12 singles matches.
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The amateurs, who won 14.5-9.5 last year, need to win six points in singles for a tie to retain the Underwood Cup. The pros need 6.5 points to win the cup for the first time since 2016.
Farley and Borocz were 2-down through 11 holes in foursomes against Kevin McDonald and Toby Ragland and then lost two of the first three holes in foursomes against amateur playing-captain Steve Carter and Kirk Irvin and came back to win both matches. They beat McDonald and Ragland 1-up when Farley lagged a 50-foot uphill putt to within tap-in range at No. 9 (their 18th hole), and then topped Carter and Irvin 3 and 2.
They were the only pro team to go 2-0 in doubles. Conversely, Mark Spencer and Jacob Posze were the only amateur team to go 2-0.
Five matches came down to the 18th hole and three more weren't over until the 17th hole. The professionals reversed a bit of history in going 5-3 in those matches.
In the final foursomes match, with twilight diminishing by the second, Rob Lee lagged a 20-foot birdie putt attempt to the edge of the cup as he and Will Rehberg held off Duke Butler IV and Len Schoenfeld 1-up to salvage the tie.
"Usually the amateurs have been the ones who are making all the putts and getting up and down on those holes," said pro captain Tim Peterson. "We've been down, in don't know how many years, so to be even going into singles ... I feel really good about this team. We're younger but no one showed rookie nerves."
The pro team has four players in their first year playing in the Underwood Cup (Borocz, Mitchell Haley, Rob Lee and Kirk Irvin) and five more who have played three years or less.
"The team chemistry is very good," said Borocz, the former Jacksonville University women's golf coach. "Hayes and I have played a lot of golf together [they partner in the Northern Chapter Pro-Pro] and it's cool to be able to go out there and compete."
Farley said the younger pros are "taking this event very seriously."
"They're very enthusiastic about this team," he said. "It's been fun to get to know them and play with them in the practice sessions. That's when I knew we had a good team."
Carter said that's all the better for the event.
"Good for them," he said. "They've needed that. I think it's great for the Underwood Cup in general. But I think we also competed very well today. The conditions were great, the greens were very good and both teams fought hard until the last hole of every match."
32nd Underwood Cup
At San Jose Country Club
Monday doubles
Amateurs 6, Professionals 6
Four-Ball
Jeff Golden-Duke Butler IV (A) d. Taylor Davis-Mitchell Haley (P) 5 and 3.
Jake Etherton-Josh Wolfe (P) d. Chris Henderson-Steve Carter (A) 2-up.
Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth-Jeff Hanson (P) d. Kirk Irvin-Len Schonfeld (A) 2-up.
Jennifer Borocz-Hayes Farley (P) d. Toby Ragland-Kevin McDonald (A) 1-up.
Mark Spencer-Jake Posze (A) d. Aaron Russell-Gerry James (P) 1-up.
Michael Smith-Nate Mosby (A) d. Will Rehberg-Rob Lee (P) 2 and 1.
Foursomes
Spencer-Posze (A) d. Russell-Haley (P) 5 and 4.
Ragland-Smith (A) d. Connelly-Eiswerth-Hanson (P) 3 and 2.
Davis-James (P) d. Mosley-McDonald (A) 2 and 1.
Borocz-Farley (P) d. Carter-Irvin (A) 3 and 2.
Henderson-Golden (A) d. Wolfe-Etherton (P) 2 and 1.
Lee-Rehberg (P) d. Schoenfeld-Butler IV (A) 1-up.
Tuesday singles
(Amateurs need six points to retain Underwood Cup)
8:15 a.m. -- Haley (P) vs. Golden (A).
8:24 a.m. -- Russell (P) vs. Posze (A).
8:33 a.m. -- Connelly-Eiswerth (P) vs. Ragland (A).
8:42 a.m. -- Hanson (P) vs. Butler IV (A).
8:51 a.m. -- Lee (P) vs. Spencer (A).
9 a.m. -- Davis (P) vs. Irvin (A).
9:09 a.m. -- Wolfe (P) vs. Smith (A).
9:18 a.m. -- Borocz (P) vs. Schoenfeld (A).
9:27 a.m. -- Rehberg (P) vs. Mosby (A).
9:36 a.m. -- Farley (P) vs. Carter (A).
9:45 a.m. -- Etherton (P) vs. McDonald (A).
9:54 a.m. -- James (P) vs. Henderson (A).
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Pro team, infused with new blood, battles to a tie in Underwood Cup doubles
