FLOSSMOOR, Ill. - Josh Lundmark (Hinsdale / Edgewood Valley CC) and Mac McClear (Hinsdale / Hinsdale GC) met each other in the first grade, forging a bond over the game of golf.

Their friendship took them to Green Meadows Golf Club to work on their games, before the pair helped Hinsdale Central High School capture multiple state championships. Although Lundmark and McClear, juniors on the Cornell and Iowa golf teams respectively, now play their rounds elsewhere, the friendship has remained.

The formidable duo came back together for the first time in a CDGA-administered event, and added another memory to the list in capturing the 6th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Flossmoor Golf Club Wednesday, besting back-to-back Illinois State Amateur champion Ethan Farnam (Crystal Lake / Crystal Lake CC) and Michael Fastert (Wheeling / The Sanctuary GC), 1 up.

“It’s always been fun to play golf with Josh and even more special to get a win with him,” said McClear of the triumph. “So many memories on the course together, it was a lot of fun today.”

The winning side almost didn’t even make it past the first round of matches on Tuesday after being faced with a 3-down deficit on the 15th tee in their Round of 16 match. Lundmark and McClear rattled off four-straight hole wins to capture the match and advance, while also gaining a much needed momentum boost to win their Quarterfinal tilt later that day.

“We were standing on the 15th tee and weren’t really too confident we were going to walk away with another match in front of us at the end of the day,” said Lundmark. “It’s really a confidence booster because it gives you the feeling that you can do it even if you’re not in prime position all the time.”

On Wednesday, following a two-hour and 25-minute rain delay, Lundmark and McClear bested two-time event champions Michael Natale (Burr Ridge / Edgewood Valley CC) and Steve Sawtell (Northfield / Merit Club), 3 and 2, to advance to the title tilt. On the other side of the bracket, Farnam and Fastert defeated the father-son pairing of Mike Karney (Crystal Lake / Crystal Lake CC) and Kevin Karney (Chicago / Crystal Lake CC), 5 and 4, to set up the afternoon matchup.

Farnam and Fastert put the pressure on Lundmark and McClear with three-straight birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 8 to take a 2-up advantage that would hold through the turn. Harkening back to their previous deficit, Lundmark and McClear stayed calm and clawed back with wins on Nos. 10-12 to take a 1-up lead of their own.

“We were kind of reeling there at the midway point. We weren’t doing too bad, they were just making birdies,” said McClear, who finished as runner-up to Farnam at the Illinois State Amateur last month. “That was good that we could climb back into the match because if we didn’t do something there, it was going to slip away from us. To put three back on them was nice.”

A Fastert birdie on the par-3 13th was answered by a McClear birdie on the par-4 14th, maintaining the 1-up advantage through the 16th. Fastert and Farnam evened the match with a par on No. 17 to tie the contest heading to the 18th tee. Farnam seemed to have his side in the driver seat with a bombed tee shot, some 30-plus yards ahead of the other three competitors. However, all four players all came up short of the green, setting up a short-game faceoff.

McClear was able to nestle a chip from off the front fringe to give-me range for par, while Fastert pitched to about six feet. After a lengthy look with Farnam, Fastert’s putt rolled past the right edge and secured the 1-up win for Lundmark and McClear.

“That first match, I did the same thing – hit a good drive, hit it just short right there and hit a nice chip to give-me range,” said McClear. “It was nice to know that I had done that before and I knew exactly what I had to do and I just had to execute it and I got the job done.”

The Hinsdale Central connection went past just the winning competitors - former teammates served as caddies for both Lundmark and McClear throughout the week. From grinding on the range, to reaching the pinnacle of high school golf in the state, the familiar foursome was able to draw on prior experiences to maintain composure down the stretch.

It definitely took a little bit of the edge off on the first tee, having guys we know on the bag that are easy to talk to, making us laugh on the fairways,” said Lundmark. “And even on the back nine of the Championship match, we’re down, we’re still all smiling, laughing, having a good time. It was a stressful situation and that made it easier.”

The pair will head back to their respective campuses in the coming weeks as they prepare for their college seasons, with McClear looking to build on his Big Ten individual title in the spring. Lundmark and McClear also see the victory, much like the final holes won in their Round of 16 match, as a potential springboard for further success.

“It was nice to get a win here, especially going into the college season here in the fall,” said McClear. “It’s definitely a nice confidence booster. Hopefully both of us can keep this momentum going and have good fall seasons.”

Locally, the CDGA Championship slate forges on with the 29th Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship at Bloomington Country Club, Aug. 23-24.