Alaska Cup slips away from Valley

PALMER - It's déjà vu all over again for the Mat-Su Valley golfers.

The hopes of wrestling the Alaska Cup trophy away from Anchorage, after losing to Anchorage in each of the last four years, slipped away Sunday during the final round of play. It marked the third-straight year that the Valley team saw its lead evaporate during singles play.

The victory by the 20-member Anchorage team, extended its winning streak to five years at the tournament held at Palmer Golf Course.

&#8220This is usually a fun event with a relaxed atmosphere,” Mat-Su team captain Frank Monfrey said. &#8220But we've got several players who came with their game faces on ready, to play. It's gotten more serious out there.”

The intense, focused approach paid off in the early rounds for the local team as it built a three-point lead after Saturday

Coming up big for the Valley team in the first round was the quartet of females, who were playing in the event for the first time this year.

&#8220The ladies really gave us a big boost and got us off to a good start,” Monfrey said. &#8220That really set the tone for our success the rest of the weekend.”

Unlike stroke play, the Alaska Cup title is decided using a match play system - similar to that used in the Ryder Cup.

&#8220Match play is a little different then regular golf,” said Tim Walsh, a member of the Valley team. &#8220It's all about winning the hole, whether that be shooting par or 50 shots, you just want to either win or halve a hole.”

&#8220Sometimes match play allows you to really go for it and try to hit the big shot,” Gordon Timmerman, the Anchorage team captain said. &#8220Other times you have to be more conservative. It all depends on the score and how good the shot your opponent just hit was. It's a lot of pressure.”

Timmerman missed a chance to finish even with the Valley during Saturday's first round of fourball play. But when he missed a two-foot putt, he allowed the Mat-Su team to score its first point in the team score

event.

After playing two rounds of fourball on day-one, the Valley team had a three-and-a-half point lead.

The last two years also saw the Valley golfers build a big advantage after playing two rounds of fourball and foursome play, only to fall behind during single play.

&#8220We always did better in singles play,” Timmerman said. &#8220Frank (Monfrey) set up some good match-ups for his team but we managed to just catch them this year.”

The fifth-straight loss was difficult for some Valley golfers to swallow.

&#8220This tournament really means a lot to the golfing community,” Walsh said, having played in each of the five tournaments held. &#8220That's why were out here on the Fourth of July weekend. Losing again after having a lead is tough to take.”

Palmer Golf Course manager and Valley team member Jeff Barnhart said the tournament has grown in stature among local golfers that he was getting calls from the Kenai for updates on the progress by local golfers not playing in the tourna-

ment.

&#8220That's how important this was to the local golfers,” Barnhart explained. &#8220In between cast while fishing, they were calling in to find out the score and get updates of how the Valley team was doing.”

Contact Darrell L. Breese

at darrell.breese@frontiersman.com.