CLEMENTON, NEW JERSEY | Stephen
Summers won the 87th playing of the prestigious George Crump Memorial tournament at
Pine Valley Golf Club, defeating Kelly Miller in a
rainy championship match, 4 and 3.
Summers, 27, fell behind early, and then
won four holes in a row beginning at the fourth
to go 2-up. He turned at 3-up, and was 5-up after the 13th hole. Miller conceded the match on
the 15th green. Summers’ length off the tee on
the rain-soaked golf course was a key advantage over the 52-year-old Miller.
Summers, a Dallas resident who played
his college golf at the University of California,
qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur last month,
advancing to the second round where he was
beaten by eventual champion Randal Lewis,
2-up. He shot 8-over-par 148 to qualify for the
championship flight in his third Crump Cup
appearance.
Miller, of Southern Pines, N.C., and a three-time club champion at Pine Valley, beat Jordan
Nasser, 4 and 3, and then Arnie Cutrell, 3 and 1,
on Saturday afternoon. He then took out Brian
Komline, 2 and 1, to secure his spot in the final.
Summers beat Pat Brady, 4 and 3, and then Andrew Biggadike, 3 and 2, to set up a semifinal
match with defending champion Mike McCoy.
McCoy’s bid for a fifth Crump Cup win ended
when he lost a 21-hole thriller to Summers.
McCoy, the stroke-play qualifying medalist, had
a chance to win in regulation, but his eight-foot
putt rolled over the hole. Summers birdied the
third playoff hole, and McCoy’s reign was over.
The senior final featured a pair of former
U.S. Mid-Amateur champions, George Zahringer III (2002) and Jim Holtgreive (1981).
Zahringer prevailed over the 2011 Walker Cup
team captain, 5 and 4. Holtgrieve’s performance, in light of his Walker Cup duties, was as
impressive as it was surprising.
Alan Fadel was the Senior medalist at 140.
His two even-par rounds of 70 bested Holtgrieve by two shots. Fadel beat Jeff Burda, 4
and 3, before giving way to Zahringer, 6 and 5.
Holtgrieve beat Michael Dominick, 1-up, and
then got past 2009 Crump Cup senior champion Pat Tallent, 1-up, to gain a spot in the
championship match.
Defending senior champion Vinny Giles
qualified for match play, but lost a first-round
encounter with Zahringer, 2 and 1.
In a replay of their 2010 championship flight
semifinal match, Scott Rowe defeated past
champion Michael Muehr in 20 holes to win
the second flight. Dan Horner defeated Robert
Gerwin II, 4 and 3, to take the third flight, while
Alan Small defeated Michael Rose, 6 and 5,
to take the senior second flight. Steve Smy-ers downed five-time Crump Cup champion O.
Gordon Brewer, 1-up, to win the senior third
flight.
