Chadd Slutzky and John Ramsey captured a record third CDGA Amateur Four-Ball title Wednesday at Ridgemoor Country Club in the event's seventh iteration.
Day Three: Wednesday, Aug. 10
CHICAGO, Ill. - Already donning two CDGA Amateur Four-Ball trophies on their mantles ahead of the event's seventh iteration in 2022, Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / Royal Fox CC) and John Ramsey (Glenview / Glenview Park GC) continued their dynastic run in the CDGA's premier team championship with a third title. This time, the final victory came over 2019 champions, and brothers, Tommy Dunsire (Naperville / Medinah CC) and Scott Dunsire, Jr. (Warrenville / Medinah CC) Wednesday afternoon at Ridgemoor Country Club.
The win pushes the duo ahead of 2022 Round-of-16 participants, Steve Sawtell (Northfield / Merit Club) and Michael Natale (Burr Ridge / Edgewood Valley CC), who won in 2016 and 2018, for the most in the event's history.
"It's amazing," said Slutzky of his team's triumph in the 7th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship. "To be the first three-time winners of this event really means a ton. We're really excited about the victory – we had a lot of tough matches that we somehow came out on top of after a long fight, and it's amazing."
"This is one of the events that we look forward to all year," added Ramsey. "It's fun to come out on top of it and to be the first three-time champ is fantastic."
Related Links: (Full Recap) / (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery)Day Two: Tuesday, Aug. 9
CHICAGO, Ill. - Two past champion duos and two who have nearly attained glory remain in the 7th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship following the Round of 16 and Quarterfinals Tuesday at Ridgemoor Country Club.
Among the teams still alive are two-time past champions Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / Royal Fox CC) and John Ramsey (Glenview / Glenview Park GC), who claimed hardware in 2017 and 2020, and 2019 winners Tommy Dunsire (Naperville / Medinah CC) and Scott Dunsire, Jr. (Warrenville / Medinah CC). They’re joined in the Quarterfinals by Michael Fastert (Wheeling / Sanctuary GC) and Graham O’Connor-Brooks (Waukegan / Glen Flora CC), the former of whom made it to last year’s Championship match alongside a different partner, and Jack Paeglow (Dekalb / Kishwaukee CC) and Grant Goltz (Dekalb / Black Sheep GC). Paeglow / Goltz advanced to the Semifinals and Quarterfinals in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Related Links: (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery)The most circuitous route to Wednesday’s semifinals belongs to Fastert / O’Connor-Brooks. The duo returned to Ridgemoor following Monday’s stroke play without a match play spot secured, as they were one of two teams remaining from a seven-for-three playoff that was called due to darkness. A birdie on their first hole of the day secured the 16th and final spot in match play and set the tone for a 2-up upset of the top-seeded pairing of Timmy Crawford (Arlington Heights / Mt. Prospect GC) and Greg Brehm (Park Ridge / Ridgemoor CC) in the Round of 16. Then, in the Quarterfinals, Fastert rolled in a clutch 8-foot birdie putt on the 186-yard par-3 18th to secure a 1-up defeat of Nick Steffens (Evanston / Conway Farms GC) and Jack Foster (Chicago / Conway Farms GC).
Awaiting Fastert / O’Connor-Brooks in Wednesday’s first Semifinal is the Slutzky / Ramsey dynamic duo, who never trailed en route to a 3-and-2 besting of Brad Kay (Arlington Heights / Ivanhoe Club) and Brien Gerber (Bolingbrook / Bolingbrook GC) in the Round of 16. Their Quarterfinal match with Michael Cascino (Palos Park / Olympia Fields CC) and Dominic Cascino (Palos Park / Olympia Fields CC) featured more fireworks, as the duos combined for 15 birdies and an eagle. Ultimately, a Slutzky birdie from 20 feet on the par-3 finisher secured a dramatic 1-up win.
Looking to join Slutzky / Ramsey as two-time champions are the Dunsire brothers, who followed up their co-medalist-earning 6-under 66 in Monday’s stroke play portion with two victories on Tuesday. The 409-yard par-4 17th hole proved decisive in both of the brothers’ triumphs. A par on the penultimate hole clinched a 2-and-1 win over Adam Rutan (Chicago / Schaumburg GC) and Soo Ahn (Chicago / CDGA Member’s Club) in the morning, before a birdie on No. 17 broke a stalemate with Craig Toler (Sullivan / Sullivan CC) and Blake Hilliard (Effingham / Effingham CC) in a 1-up Quarterfinal victory.
The Dunsires will face off against Paeglow / Goltz in the second of Wednesday’s Semifinals, as the Dekalb duo notched two 3-and-2 conquests on Tuesday. They bounced back from an early 2-down deficit to Colin Izzo (Chicago / Beverly CC) and Thomas McKeown (Chicago / Ravisloe CC) in the morning, before withstanding an ace by Joe Egan, III (Lake Forest / Deerpath GC), partnered with Paulie DiFranco (Park Ridge / Park Ridge CC) on the 350-yard par-4 14th in the afternoon.
The Semifinal round will tee off at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, with the Championship Match to follow in the afternoon.
MATCH PLAY RESULTSRound of 16 Matches
(16) Michael Fastert / Graham O'Connor-Brooks def. (1) Timmy Crawford / Greg Brehm, 3 and 2
(9) Nick Steffens / Jack Foster def. (8) Justin Schwab / Jeremy Schwab, 6 and 5
(5) Michael Cascino / Dominic Cascino def. (12) Max Kogen, Jr. / Sam Kogen, 5 and 4
(4) Chadd Slutzky / John Ramsey def. (13) Brad Kay / Brien Gerber, 3 and 2
(2) Tommy Dunsire / Scott Dunsire, Jr. def. (15) Adam Rutan / Soo Ahn, 2 and 1
(10) Craig Toler / Blake Hilliard def. (7) Michael Natale / Steve Sawtell, 1 up
(6) Paulie DiFranco / Joe Egan, III def. (11) Justin Mustari / Todd Creviston, 5 and 4
(3) Jack Paeglow / Grant Goltz def. (14) Colin Izzo / Thomas McKeown, 3 and 2
Day One: Monday, Aug. 8
CHICAGO, Ill. - Following a four-hour weather delay at Ridgemoor Country Club Monday morning, the 7th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship stroke-play round finished with two duos earning co-medalist honors at 6 under - the team of Timmy Crawford (Arlington Heights / Mt. Prospect GC) and Gregory Brehm (Park Ridge / Ridgemoor CC) and the brother tandem of Tommy (Naperville / Medinah CC) and Scott Dunsire, Jr. (Warrenville / Medinah CC). The field of 42 pairs vied for one of 16 available match-play spots, starting on Tuesday.
Related Links: (Qualifying Scores) / (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery)Beginning their round on No. 1, Crawford and Brehm rattled off birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, a par 4 and par 5, respectively. The pair gained more momentum around the turn, as they birdied the par-3 seventh and par-4 eighth holes to turn at 4 under. They then rattled off two more birdies on Nos. 10 and 11, par 5s, to get to 6 under. They would finish with a clean card and an early clubhouse lead, eventually culminating in the No. 1 seed going into match play.
Following behind, the Dunsires, 2019 CDGA Amateur Four-Ball champions and medalists in last year’s event at Flossmoor Country Club, also got off to a hot start with red figures on Ridgemoor’s first two holes. They then birdied Nos. 5 and 6, turning in 4 under like Crawford and Brehm. The youthful twosome also utilized their length on Nos. 10 and 11, as they birdied both par 5s. A dropped shot on the par-3 13th was recouped by a birdie on No. 14, before joining Crawford and Brehm at 6 under.
Joining the co-medalists in match play will be a pair of two-time champions. 2017 and 2020 victors Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / Royal Fox CC) and John Ramsey (Glenview / Glenview Park GC) carded a 4-under 68 to grab the No. 4 seed. 2016 and 2018 titleholders Steve Sawtell (Northfield / Merit Club) and Michael Natale (Burr Ridge / Edgewood Valley CC) finished the day with a 3-under 69 to take the No. 7 seed. Brad Kay (Arlington Heights / Ivanhoe Club) and Brien Gerber (Bolingbrook / Bolingbrook GC), the 2019 CDGA Senior Amateur Four-Ball champions, also advanced to match play as the No. 13 seed with a 2-under 70.
A seven-for-three playoff began Monday evening and will finish early Tuesday morning to finalize the match-play tree. Round of 16 matches are slated to begin at 8 a.m. Tuesday morning, with the Quarterfinals in the afternoon. Semifinal matches will take place on Wednesday morning, with the Championship match following in the afternoon.
Preview
LEMONT, Ill. - The first team event of the 2022 CDGA Championship slate is set to commence less than 10 miles due west of Chicago's Lake Michigan coast, as the 7th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship will visit Ridgemoor Country Club Aug. 8-10. First opened in 1905, the site of Ben Hogan's 1942 Hale America National Open victory is sure to provide a tough test.
FORMAT
Forty-four duos will compete in 18 holes of stroke-play qualifying on Monday, Aug. 8 to determine the low 16 teams for match play. The Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 9, with the Semifinal and Championship matches following on Wednesday, Aug. 10.
The event debuted in 2016 and was created to emulate the exceedingly popular U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. Each competitor plays their own ball, with the lowest gross score from each hole counting as the team's score.
ABOUT THE FIELD
Ninety-six pairs attempted to qualify for the Championship via two qualifiers at Heritage Bluffs Public Golf Club and Randall Oaks Golf Club last month, while 10 others were exempt into the championship proper. Registration was open to any CDGA member with a Handicap Index® not exceeding 10.4.
Related Links: (Full Preview) / (Round 1 Tee Times) / (Field) / (2021 Recap) / (Event History)
Championship Information
New to the CDGA championship slate in 2016, the CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship is a team match play event. Two-person teams begin the Championship with 18 holes of stroke play on the Monday of the event before the low 16 teams are seeded into a match play bracket. Both team members play their own ball throughout, with the lowest score on each hole counting. Hinsdale`s Josh Lundmark and Mac McClear hoisted the hardware for the first time in 2021.
Qualifying
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