By Staff
FROM THE FAIRWAY Reid Kennedy fires a shot from the No. 9 fairway during match play at Briarwood Country Club. PHOTO BY PAULA MERRITT / THE MERIDIAN STAR
By Will Bardwell / staff writer
Sept. 21, 2003
Briarwood golfers used their home course advantage to jump out to a six-point lead over Northwood on Saturday in the two country clubs' second annual match play tournament.
The two-day event began Saturday with nine, two-player matches at Briarwood Country Club. Under the tournament's four-ball format, the Briarwood team won six matches to earn 12 points. Northwood won the remaining three matches for a total of six points.
Four of Briarwood's pairs won by at least five holes.
Briarwood golfer Rex Gentry, who along with partner Colton Tisdale won 5 and 4 over Northwood's Eddie Brown and Chuck Gordan, said his familiarity with the course gave him an advantage over his opponents.
Gentry said the individual match play format on Sunday will not change his approach.
Teams teed off from the championship tees at Briarwood, making the course just over 6,700 yards long.
The event also added three senior teams this year for golfers age 50 and over. All three senior matches were won by Briarwood golfers. Senior division golfers Mac Barnes and Aaron Davidson posted the day's largest margin of victory with a 6 and 5 win over Northwood's Sidney Bowers and David Larkin.
Senior division teams shot from the white tees, from which the course plays just under 6,500 yards.
Northwood's three winning teams all won by at least four holes. Their closest margin of victory came from Scott Morgan and Kelly Swain, who edged Briarwood's Matt Smith and Jonathen Winsted 4 and 2.
Play will continue today at Northwood Country Club with 18 individual matches.
Briarwood won last year's tournament.