2017 Fourball Betterball Final

The final of the Fourball betterball matchplay took place on Friday afternoon with Shane Lowey (9) and Michael McAnulty (19) taking on Junior (18) and Joe (6) McKnight.

The cagey game started with six halved holes with shots coming into play at 1, 2 and 6. However Michael was playing great golf with six straight pars from holes three to eight to leave them 2-up. Junior was playing steadily as well with pars from holes three to six and only two great putts on 9 kept his team from going 3-down.

Junior and Joe clawed back with pars at 10 and 11 and went ahead for the first time with another par at 12. Shane and Michael were having none of that and again Michael hit two superb shots into 13 to bring it back to level. Shane then nailed a 5 iron into the 14^th to win and take the lead again, 1 up.

Junior and Shane nearly birdied the 15^th then Michael hit a cracker of a drive down the 16^th. Joe followed slightly behind on the fairway with Shane and Junior in the trees to the right. With Michael getting a shot, Junior’s advice to Joe was fairly straightforward – “You may leave this beside the pin!” Joe hit an 8-iron from 157 yards to 6 inches for a birdie three. Michael was left of the green and after chipping had a putt for par but it slipped just past to mean the match was level again.

On the 17^th four good drives left shots to the green however all missed with Junior first to play with his third shot. He hit a 5-iron to 5 feet while Shane and Michael were short. Joe chipped to 3 feet from behind the bunker then Shane and Michael saw their putts for par just slip by. Joe halved the hole with a 4 so Junior had a free putt for the win, but it just fell away at the last.

With the match all square, the players shook hands on the 18^th tee before driving off. Joe and Shane were right of the fairway but Junior and Michael (who were both getting shots) drove left. They both chipped out while the others played down the fairway. Shane’s approach went left while Joe came up just short, while Michael’s fourth shot also dropped agonizingly short. Junior was pin high a foot off the green. Michael chipped up short and had a putt for a six and Junior putted up to 18 inches. Michael’s putt just slid past so Joe and Junior scraped past the post with a 1 hole win.

It was a tight game played in good spirits with some outstanding golf on a lovely Autumn evening. Joe and Junior had to dig deep to stay in the game to claim the title for the third time in 10 years with Shane and Michael unlucky in a game so close it could have went either way.