Defending champs deny Gardner-Kersey Sullivan title
Either way, there was going to be a record-tying four-time winner after the 77th W.B. Sullivan Invitational golf tournament was decided early Sunday evening at Lebanon Country Club.
Defending champs Jeff Castle and Billy Wingerd from Towson, Maryland, outlasted the Lebanon County duo of Jim Gardner and Cody Kersey by birdieing No. 17 to win 1 up.
Castle had won previously in 2006 with Michael Tydings and again in '16 with Jim "Swampy" Grem.
Gardner won in 1999 and 'O2 with Jim Calhoun and in '12 with Andy Gibbons.
Castle tied the record of Stu Ingraham and Hugh Vaughn III, who set the standard by winning four straight from '78-81.
"It feels great to win for the fourth time," Castle said. "It was a good match. Jim and Cody played great. We were down 2 after two holes. It was pretty much a battle after that."
Gardner made birdie on No. 11 to go 1 up.
Wingerd then made a 15-foot par putt on 12 to halve the hole.
"If Billy hadn't made that putt, we would have been in a bad place," Castle said.
Castle then made bird on 15 to square the match.
After both teams parred 16, Castle took the tee on 17, a short 306-yard dogleg left par 4 uphill between the trees.
Castle's drive landed softly about eight feet from the hole and rolled back down just off the green.
"I've usually hit driver on that hole," Castle said, "but today it was playing into the wind (with a slight rain falling). We decided I'd go for it and Billy would play short."
Castle's putt from the fringe came up short, but he made the five footer for bird after Gardner and Kersey settled for par.
There was still some drama left. Gardner and Kersey hit great second shots on 18 that were inside 10 feet, but neither birdie putt fell.
Castle then made a four-foot par putt to win the tournament.
"We both had good looks at in on 18," Gardner said. "So close."
Gardner and Kersey have now teamed eight or nine times for the Sullivan in search of Gardner's fourth title and Kersey's first. They won't get closer than they were Sunday without winning it.
Castle and Wingerd got to the final by beating Brady Goodling and Steve Goodley in their Sunday morning semifinal 3&2.
Gardner and Kersey reached the final with a 1 up win over Brixton Albert from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and Tony Parkhurst from Chicago, Illinois.
Castle and Wingerd fired a 64 in qualifying, which tied Chris Gebhard and Jeff Daniels for low round honors.
Gebhard, a former two-time winner of the Sullivan, and Daniels were then upset by Dane Fahnestock and Josh Majzlik, who birdied eight holes during their 4&2 win.
For complete results visit LebCC.com.
This article originally appeared on Lebanon Daily News: Defending champs deny Gardner-Kersey Sullivan title
