The Battle at Brooklyn, The Showdown at Medinah and now you can add the Comeback at Okanagan Golf Club to great Ryder Cup matches.
The Vernon North team bounced back from a two-point deficit in the morning best-ball matches to dominate singles play and win for the fifth straight year and ninth time in the 12-year history of the Vernon vs Kelowna Ryder Cup.
The best ball competition was played at the Quail course at the Okanagan Club.
Myles Johnson (Spalumcheen) and Ian Henson (Tobiano) took down Jamie Stephens (Kelowna) and Ty Griffiths (Black Mountain) 3 and 2.
Jesse Crowe (Salmon Arm) and Dave Munn (Nike Golf) beat Mark Lindsay (Puma Golf) and Miles Palhaniuk (Sunset Ranch) 2 and 1 with Lindsay prolonging the match by holing an eight iron from 155 yards on No. 16 for an eagle two.
Adam Blair (Talking Rock) and A.J. Eathorne (Predator Ridge) lost 2 and 1 to Cam Muirhead (Okanagan Golf Club) and Jon Ferrier (Doc’s Driving Range).
Brooks Jones (Vernon) and Mark Kohlen (Talking Rock) lost to Chad Scott (Harvest) and Clay Stohers (Okanagan Golf Club) 1 down.
Keith Vandenbrink (Hillview) and Lee Ranger (The Rise) lost to Chris Hinton (Harvest) and Greg Forbes (Black Mountain) 2 and 1.
Shannon Glenesk ( Vernon) fell to Scott Ellen (Tower Ranch) 1 down in the only singles match of the morning.
“With Kelowna up 4-2 after the morning there really wasn’t much to tell the team,” said North captain Crowe, who claimed a $340 eagle skin at the Callaway IPGA stop Monday at Black Mountain.
“I told them go out make putts and win every point. As it turned out we almost did. As a group in the afternoon, 10 of our 11 players were under par and we were a combined 35 under as a team.
“A.J. Eathorne led us off winning her match 6 and 4 over Chris Hinton as she shot 63. After A.J.’s start, I think we wanted to ‘Play like a girl.’”
Blair then beat Scott 3 and 2 to pull Vernon North even at four.
Johnson shot 64 and beat Stephens 5 and 4, while Henson lost to Palhaniuk 2 and 1 and Glenesk stopped Stohers 2 and 1 .
Munn won 6 and 4 over Forbes, Vandenbrink took down Ellen 3 and 2, Kohlen iced White Hot pro and curler Tyrel Griffith 4 and 3, Jones defeated Ferrier 2 up and Ranger cruised past host professional Cam Muirhead 5 and 4.
Crowe and Kelowna captain Lindsay halved their match when the teams came out to tell them Vernon North had retained the cup as they were all square through 16.
