Sept. 25, 2010

WEST POINT, N.Y. - Navy golfers Tim Shield (Grosse Pointe Park, Mich.) and David Hall (Huntersville, N.C.) paired up, as did Rob Merkert (Severna Park, Md.) and Tyler Kuhn (Louisville, Ky.) to win the first-two four-ball matches of the morning before Army rallied to lock up the match at 2-2 following the opening day of the annual Army-Navy Star Match played Saturday at the West Point Golf Course.

"This course is an exceptionally tough course to manage, but I felt like our team performed well today," said Navy head coach Pat Owen, who is in his 21st year. "The weather conditions were tremendous, as was the course."

Shield and Hall played perhaps the most exciting match among the four four-ball matches on Saturday afternoon, battling Army team captain Matt Krembel and junior Ethan Johnson. The Navy twosome found itself down one after the second hole of the match, but by the turn of the round, it led by one.

On hole 14, Krembel sank a 25-foot birdie putt from off the green, but Hall, a rookie, retained the Mids' 2-up advantage by making a 15-foot putt for birdie. Krembel, meanwhile, cut into Navy's lead on the following hole with a birdie, and on 16, a tricky par 3 hold, both Army players bogied and Hall made a 10-foot putt for par. The Navy pair put the match away on 17 when Johnson put his ball on the green in two and was putting for eagle. Army ended up 2-putting for birdie. Meanwhile, Shield calmly sent in a 10-foot breaking putt for birdie which tied the hole and sealed the win for the Mids.

"Tim and David really complemented one another today," said Owen. "It was one of the better matches between the two teams that I've seen in recent memory."

Meanwhile, Merkert and Kuhn got off to a sensational start to their match and never looked back. Kuhn birdied the first two holes and Merkert birdied the following four to open up a big lead on their counterparts, Austin Rhymer and Michael Zierdt. Merkert and Kuhn took the match, 4 & 2.

The final two matches of the day went in favor of the Black Knights with Matt Phillie and Wes Carver taking down Navy's Peter Reilly (Merrimack, N.H.) and Andrew Haines (Kirtland, Ohio), 6 & 5, while Ben Hayes (Carmichael, Calif.) and Collier Jones (Little Rock, Ark.) dropped a 4 & 3 decision to Army's William Park and Anthony Kim. For Hayes, a senior, and Reilly, a junior, it was the first time either has lost a match, singles or 4-ball doubles, against the Black Knights. both will head into Sunday's singles matches with 2-0 marks against Army in singles action.

"Neither team (Reilly-Haines and Hayes-Jones) really ever got on track today, but in fairness their opponents played well, too," said Owen.

While Owen is forced to settle with the match level at 2-2 heading into the singles matches, he is relying up the trend of his team this season to help pull it through on Sunday.

"In the two tournaments we've played in this fall, we've played better on the second day, so I feel like we are in a great position to challenge for the win tomorrow."

The annual Star Match will conclude with seven singles matches Sunday morning beginning at 9:00 am. The first team to six points is declared the winner.

Match Tied: Army 2, Navy 2
• Tim Shield and David Hall (Navy) def. Matt Krembel and Ethan Johnson (Army), 2 & 1
• Rob Merkert and Tyler Kuhn (Navy) def. Austin Rhymer and Michael Zierdt (Army), 4 & 2
• Matt Philie and Wes Carver (Army) def. Peter Reilly and Andrew Haines (Navy), 6 & 5
• William Park and Anthony Kim (Army) def. Ben Hayes and Collier Jones (Navy), 4 & 3


### Go Navy ###