Scot Forbis said he will undergo acupuncture for the first time in his life this week, Forbis, the pro at Mountain Branch Country Club in Joppa, Md., is willing to try anything to ease the pain in his back in preparation for Saturday’s Maryland State Golf Association A-Team championship.
After all, it might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Mountain Branch and defending champion Breton Bay of Leonardtown have survived five elimination rounds, emerging from an NCCA basketball-like field of 72 teams.
“A few needles in my back for a chance to play in the finals?” asked Forbis. “I’ve got to do that.”
Seven-year-old Mountain Branch had never gotten past the second round in the tournament. Breton Bay won the title for the first time last year, surprising traditional powers Congressional and Baltimore Country Club in the final two rounds.
“This is a huge deal for us,” said Forbis, formerly the pro at Queenstown Harbor, “Mountain Branch is a new club. We’re trying to get established. This helps tremendously. Obviously, it shows we’ve got some strong players.”
Forbis hopes to be among them Saturday. He threw out his back on his opening tee shot of the quarterfinals last Saturday against Green Hill. Forbis played the rest of the way “half-swinging my way around,” he said, and helping Mountain Branch earn a key point in its 10.5-7.5 victory.
In Mountain Branch’s 11.5-6.5 semifinal victory Sunday over Hayfields, teaching pro Damon Klepczynski subbed for Forbis, combining with Serge Hogg in the two-man best-ball format for a 3-0 victory. Club champion Stefan Buitron and Mike Wettig also swept their match, 3-0.
Throughout the tournament, Mountain Branch has been virtually unbeatable at home, winning 43.5 of a possible 45 points on its undulating, 6,969-yard course.
Breton Bay, led by the team of Pete DeTemple and Mark Cusic, has been just as dominant at home, but also formidable on the road. Only one of Breton Bay’s five victories has been decided by fewer than eight points.
DeTemple and Cusic were set to play in the Belle Haven Four Ball this week. The 58th annual event is one of the highlights of the local golf schedule. But they will be at home Saturday.
“Mark and I were looking forward to Belle Haven,” said DeTemple. “But getting back to the finals changed our plans. No way we’d miss this. We’ve got to be there for our club.”
