The Maryland Golf Association A-Team championship on Saturday will be a re-match of the 1999 finals between Beaver Creek and Hillendale, and their head professionals, Dirk Schultz and Bill Gombert.
Beaver Creek of Hagerstown won the 1999 meeting for its lone team title, 12.5-5.5. The defeat was one of seven in the finals for Hillendale, which is still looking for its first A-Team championship.
“I’m sure they want it badly,” said Schultz. “A lot of their guys played on that 1999 team.”
On the strength of impressive wins over Congressional, 10.5-7.5 in the quarterfinals on Saturday, and Bethesda, 11-7, in the semifinals on Sunday, Beaver Creek enters on a roll.
Playing big roles in the semifinals Sunday was the team of Bernie Deane and Steve Ligi, who won all three points at Bethesda, the first time both seen the course. They also took two points Saturday. By virtue of winning the club championship for the second time last summer, Deane, a Frederick County school guidance counselor, captains the squad.
The Beaver Creek team of Chuck Thatcher and Dennis Stoner earned 5.5 of a possible 6 points over the weekend. Greg Henry and Tim Steiner earned three points at home against Congressional. Schultz and Finley Benjamin notched 2.5 at home on Sunday as Beaver Creek took the Washington side of the bracket.
In winning the Baltimore side, 11.5-7.5 over 2008 champion Baltimore Country Club, Hillendale got sweeps from the teams of Jamie Hebbel-Geoff Lindsey and Chris Baloga-Mike Stallings, who won on the road.
In a 13.5-4.5 win over Nassawango in the quarterfinals, Hillendale duos Matt Margolies-Van Strakes, Baloga-Tom O’Laughlin, and Hebbel-Ryan Maldry were perfect.
