Oct. 4, 2008
WEST POINT, N.Y. - For the second year in a row, the Navy golf team will have to stage a Sunday comeback in singles action to claim the N-Star, as the Mids once again trail by a 2.5-1.5 margin after the four 4-ball matches played Saturday at the West Point Golf Course.
"I thought we gained a lot of positive momentum in that last match by coming behind for the win," said 19th-year Navy head coach Pat Owen, who owns a 10-8 record in dual action against the Black Knights. "We're not where we want to be, but we will make the best of it. Like I told the guys, it's only halftime."
Army grabbed the early lead as Adam Renfroe and Matt Krembel teamed up to take down the sophomore duo of Josh Ziska and Robert Merkert (Spotsylvania, Va.), 5 & 4.
The host Black Knights then extended their advantage as James Raymond and William Park topped Navy seniors Ryan Wielgus (Bethesda, Md.) and Chip Hardie (Arnold, Md.), 3&2, to claim a second straight point for Army.
In what was a see-saw battle, Navy sophomores Marcus Heyland (Fort Madison, Iowa) and Ben Hayes (Carmichael, Calif.) played well late to halve their point against Army's Zach Garrison and Austin Rhymer. Down one after 16 holes, Hayes sank a birdie on the 17th to pull the Mids even and prevent the Black Knights from taking a commanding three-point advantage.
In the final match of the day, Navy looked to a pair of upperclassmen in Eric Stinson (Spotslyvania, Pa.) and David Miller (Chillicothe, Ohio) for a much-needed lift. And the senior duo did just that, delivering a dramatic come-from-behind 1-up victory by claiming each of the final two holes.
Down one shot at the 17th, Stinson produced an eagle on the 485-yard par-five to even things up with one hole left to play. On the 18th, Miller picked up where his partner left off by birdying the par-five final hole to win the point for the Mids and give the team some welcomed momentum headed into Sunday's finale.
If Navy is to win its third consecutive N-Star, the Mids will have to recapture the magic from last fall's comeback victory. A year ago, Navy found itself in an identical situation, trailing 2.5-1.5 following the four-ball portion of the competition, before staging a dramatic rally on its home course with victories in five of Sunday's seven singles matches to earn a 6.5 - 4.5 win over the Black Knights.
It was the first time in series history (10 matches in this format) that a team had come back to win the match after trailing following the 4-ball matches.
On the strength of Saturday's exciting finish and with last year's comeback still fresh in their memory, Coach Owen and the Mids are optimistic headed into tomorrow's 9:00 a.m tee off.
"We definitely know it can be done," said Owen. "I think last year's win definitely provides us with some extra confidence. Hopefully we can build on some of the clutch performances we received today."
Navy will need to win five of the seven singles matches on Sunday to win outright, however, if the Midshipmen win four of the seven, it would force a playoff between the No. 1 players from each team.
Day One, Fourball- Army 2.5, Navy 1.5
Adam Renfroe - Matt Krembel (A) def. Josh Ziska - Robert Merkert (N), 5&4
James Raymond - William Park (A) def. Ryan Wielgus - Chip Hardie (N), 3&2
Zach Garrison - Austin Rhymer (A) tied Marcus Heyland - Ben Hayes (N), halved
Eric Stinson - David Miller (N) def. Sam Walenz - Mark Garrison (A), 1-up
