Chasing titles at Spring Creek

They’ve been here several times before, Championship Sunday, but have struggled to close the deal. Today brings another chance.

The semifinalists in the Third Annual Central Virginia Match Play Championship at Spring Creek Golf Club all have their eyes aimed at taking home a rare title this afternoon. Two of them, No. 2 seed Jerry Burton and third-seeded Scott Garrison, breezed their ways into this morning’s semis, while No. 1 seed Paul Kane and fourth-seeded Jeff Toms have had some battles on their hands.

Nevertheless, the top four seeds survived to fight it out in the semis that begin at 8 a.m., followed by the 18-hole championship beginning at 1:30.

Kane, making his second appearance in the semifinals in three years, advanced to the quarters on Saturday by building a healthy lead on No. 16 Tom Taylor, who withdrew after 13 holes. Then, Kane went on to outlast Spring Creek’s Jud Foster in a 20-hole match to reach the semis.

Toms reached the semifinals for the second straight year after ousting Neil Davis, 3 and 2, then pulled out a win over David Passerell on the 18th hole to advance, 1-up.

Burton, also making a semifinals appearance for the second time in three years, romped over Bob Rotella, 8 and 7, in the opening round before going 5-up on Jim Higginbotham in the afternoon, eventually winning 3 and 2.

Garrison, who has been in the quarterfinals all three years of the event, beat Bill Hamilton, 6 and 5, in the morning, then held off Kevin Gibson, 5 and 4, in the afternoon to earn his first semifinal spot.

All four are hoping to claim their first Central Virginia Match Play title and adding another overall tournament win. Kane, a Farmington member, has won three city championships during his local career, while Toms claims a Greene Hills trophy as his lone win.

Burton and Garrison have yet to clinch a local title, but have been in the hunt on several Sundays in recent years. Garrison’s was the most recent contender at last weekend’s Jefferson Cup. However, he faltered down the stretch, as did Kane, who was within a couple of shots of the leader until a disastrous hole took him out of contention.

Kane also came close at the prestigious Kenridge, but couldn’t quite pull it off. Burton has also been in the hunt as has Toms in the last three years but haven’t managed to get over the hump.

“I was very fortunate to win the second match,” said Kane, after beating Spring Creek’s Foster on the second playoff hole. “I struggled all day and I missed seven greens with a sand wedge in my hand.”

One of those came on the 20th hole, when Kane stood a mere 84 yards out on the par-5, second hole, hoping to put it close on his third shot and end the match. Foster had struck a poor tee shot and had put his third shot over the green into the underbrush.

However, Kane, true to form for his second round match, air-mailed his wedge shot over the green as well and into the same brush. Both took drops, with Foster’s pitch rolling five feet past the hole and Kane’s about three feet. Foster missed his par attempt, while Kane drained his to end the long day in the 90-degree heat.

It was an impressive comeback for Kane, who was 3-down after four holes, but won No. 5 and No. 8 to get to within one, then fell back to 2-down at the turn after Foster sank a birdie at the ninth.

“I wanted to win because Jud beat me last year [also in the quarters] and I didn’t want to lose to the same guy twice in a row,” said Kane, who played for the championship in 2007, losing to UVa men’s golf coach Bowen Sargent.

Kane played a strong stretch to even the match with a birdie at 10 and a spectacular eagle at the par-5 12th.

Foster wasn’t through and made a determined effort to take control, winning 14 and 15 to go 2-up, but suffered a double bogey at 16 and conceded the hole. The two halved 17 with bogeys before Kane parred the par-5 18th to beat Foster’s bogey and send the match into a playoff.

They halved the first playoff hole with pars, before Kane settled the issue on the 20th hole of the afternoon.

“If I play Sunday like I did today, I’m in trouble,” Kane said. “Inside 120 yards, I was horrible.”

Burton’s early match didn’t test him as he got off to a fast start at 4-under par after eight holes, and was 8-up at the turn. In that 11-hole match, Burton finished at 4-under.

Rotella was travel weary, having flown in from the PGA Championship in Minnesota late Thursday night after working with some of the players in that event.

Higginbotham, the most veteran player in the field, had upset seventh-seeded Ty Grove of Old Trail in the morning round and was hoping to give Burton a test. But Burton kept on rolling.

The two Spring Creek members parred the first five holes before Burton birdied No. 6 to go 1-up, then took advantage of a couple Higginbotham miss-hits on the next two holes to go 3-up, then 4-up with a birdie at the ninth. Burton added another birdie at the 12th to go 5-up, then slipped to 4-up with his lone bogey of the day on the 14th.

Burton’s match was dormie with four holes to play, leading Higginbotham to announce that he was going to birdie his way home and nearly did. He rattled off three straight birdies, ending with a 30-footer at 16, only to watch Burton hit to within five feet and sank that birdie to end the match.

“Jim put a little scare into me there,” Burton smiled. “It was as good a day of golf as I’ve had all year. I hit shots where I wanted to and putted well. Of course, I putt these greens well because I know them.”

He will be facing Old Trail’s Garrison in a rematch of the 2007 quarterfinals, when Burton made eight birdies in 16 holes to advance.

Garrison got on an early roll against Gibson, ripping off wins on three successive holes at Nos. 3, 4 and 5 to go 3-up, then hit it tight on the ninth for a conceded birdie for a 4-up lead at the turn, coasting the rest of the way in.

The Toms vs. Passerell match was a slugfest as they leapfrogged one another all afternoon. Toms won the 14th with a conceded par to go 1-up and increased that to a 2-up lead on the 15th by sinking an 18-foot birdie.

However, Passerell came back to win the 16th and 17th with pars to square the match heading into the treacherous, par-5, 18th, bordered by a lake down the entire left side of the hole.

Passerell’s tee shot found a watery grave, leaving the door open for Toms, who hit two safe shots before missing the green left on his approach, landing in some thick rough just over the bunker. Meanwhile, Passerell, lying two after his drop, drilled a 280-yard 3-wood to the bunker on the right, just missing the green.

Passerell left his fourth in the bunker, then blasted out past the pin and bogeyed the hole, while Toms chipped close and sank his par to end the dramatic match.