Winghaven Team Wins The Benson
Winghaven Country Club’s Zach Holland and Adam Tomcich were hotter than the asphalt in Missouri’s Bootheel shooting 10-under par 134 to run away with the St. Louis District Golf Association’s (STLDGA) Jim Benson Memorial 2-man Open Division Championship at Dalhousie Golf Club in Cape Girardeau on Tuesday, Sept. 16. Quincy Country Club’s Andrew Boudreau and Ryan Schuenke finished six strokes back.
In Monday’s opening Ryder Cup style (four ball) event, Holland/Tomcich fired a 66 to set the pace, but were even with reigning champions Brevin Giebler and Ian Souter of Dalhousie. Whitmoor Country Club’s Michael Holtz and Jake Hackerson were tied with Bogey Hills Country Club’s David Schilp and David Schilp Jr. at 68. Meanwhile, Boudreau/Schuenke were lurking three strokes back.
Despite the 66, Holland/Tomcich got off to a slower start than they’d hoped in round one. “We hit it pretty well, but didn’t make many putts on the first 14 holes,” Holland analyzed. “Adam caught fire and birdied the last four holes on Monday to get us 6-under for the day. The pin locations were tough, all over the edges of the greens, so it was tough to get rolling, but we found a way.”
In Tuesday’s alternate shot (foursomes) round, Holland/Tomcich polished off the field with birdies at holes 13, 14 and 15.
“We made a clutch up-and-down from the bunker on the par-3 11th hole, and that built momentum for us,” Holland said. “We got on a run to get to 10-under, and had said the night before that if we could get to 10-under, it would be tough to catch us.”
Boudreau/Schuenke were 1-under on Tuesday, but couldn’t mount a serious challenge. It was the second straight disappointing finish for Boudreau/Schuenke as they dropped the 2024 title to Dalhousie’s Giebler/Souter by a stroke.
Holland and Tomcich love the alternate shot format, “Adam and I are great friends and know each other’s game very well,” Holland acknowledged. “We can tell each other what we want to do with the ball and what shot we want to have for our next shot, which is why the alternate shot is a great format for us.
“We see shots the same way, and it’s good to have a relationship like that on the course. We trust each other and are comfortable with each other’s games.”
Also on Tuesday, Giebler/Souter slipped to a 3-over 75 and finished tied for third with Holtz/Hackerson at 3-under 141. The Schilps were the only other duo in the 13-team field to finish under par at 2-under 142.
Holland, Tomcich, Boudreau and Schuenke all qualify for the Jim Jackson Invitational at Algonquin Country Club in October.
In the Net Division, The Legends Country Club’s Tim Conway and Jim Roth also capitalized on a sizzling round one on Monday with a 64 and finished at 6-under 138 while holding off the 20-team field for a two-stroke triumph. Old Hickory Country Club’s Russell Pancio and John Siesennop were the only other pair under par at 4-under 140. In a three-way tie for third, Westwood Country Club’s Neal Fenster and Robert Millner, Persimmon Woods Country Club’s Chris George and Nathan George, and Old Hickory’s David Machisko and Brian Worth all were 1-over 145.
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