From 2001-04, Skip Tendall won the 72nd Maryland Father-Son championship three times with son Ryan, a former University of Illinois player. On Tuesday at Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, Tendall teamed up with another of his sons, Connor, a sophomore at Xavier, to claim the title for a fourth time.
In the alternate-shot event, the Tendalls (Congressional) fired a 2-under-par 70 good for a one-stroke margin over four teams — recent U.S. Senior Open contestant Pete DeTemple (Cedar Point) and son Stephen (Breton Bay), David and Connor Nocar (Chartwell), John and Matt Pipitone (Hunt Valley), and Bud and Alex Brueggemann (Maryland Golf & CC).
Squaring off in the same foursome, the Tendalls and Brueggemanns were in a match-play situation late after the Brueggemanns made an eagle 3 at No. 16. On the 129-yard par-3 18th hole, the Tendalls made a routine par while the Alex Brueggemann missed from 3 feet for a par to drop into second place for the second straight year.
The Tendalls made three birdies in a span of six holes on the back nine to secure their edge. The last time a father won with different sons, it was William McFerren, who actually did it with three — Jerry (1973), Bob (1960) and William Jr. (1954).
The Tendalls have far to go to catch the most prolific Maryland Father-Son champions. Ralph Bogart won it eight times, twice as a son, and six times with son Bruce. Richard and Justin Klein won seven titles between 1990-2000.
