Team West had a dramatic come from behind victory Saturday Oct. 6th to win their 4th cup in 6 years. Taking a 4-2 Cup lead! Team West down 6 points with only 3 matches & 9 points left to be had needed a strong finish. Team East only needed 2 points to lock up a victory. However Team West captured 8.5 of those points to secure a 2 point victory. It was the closest Classic in the history of the event. 38.5 - 36.5 Team West.
Team West started strong taking 10.5 points to Team East's 4.5 points in the Scramble Division. Getting it started was Team West Founding Father Dan Pulick and John Iannone shutting out Bob Pulick and Sean Brand 3-0. Iannone stuck a shot inches from the cup on the last hole to secure all 3 points. In addition, the Teams of Don Golding / Frank Marto & Rob Paulson / John Cafone each had strong 3-0 shut outs enabling Team West to take a commanding early lead.
Things then got interesting in the Best Ball Division. Team East dominated the Best Ball Division and after the dust settled they found themselves with a 23.5 to 21.5 lead. Team East Founding Father Dan Leszczynski and team mate Jeff Tuper posted a 3-0 shut out over Mini Beaz (Johnny Perez) & Chris Pace. Team East Captain Ryan Fay and Founding Father / 2006 MVP Chris Carter took 2.5 points in their match over Eric Westoff and Mark Beaudine. Other strong performances were Hafeli / DeBrita and Dave Bauer / Fred Kandelar taking 3 points in each of their matches..
The stage was set for the Single Ball matches! Team West started out strong with Rookie Anthony Pubblo winning 2-1 over Dave Williams. Then Team West veteran Peter Pace took 2.5 points in his match against Team East veteran Mike Koziarz. Next for Team West came Andrew "Bones" Rinaldi vs. Mike Balzano a rematch from the 2005 Classic. This great match ended in a split leaving Team West up by 1 26.5 to 25.5. Next up was Team West Founding Father and self-declared 2007 MVP James Combs vs. Scotty VanHoesen. Combs started strong and took a commanding lead. Combs up 3 holes with 3 to play on the back 9 thought victory was in the bag and started to enjoy a few cold ones (2-3 a hole). Before it was over Scotty managed to split the back-9 winning all 3 of the last holes despite being unable to stand himself! However, it was a little too late for Scotty V as Combs managed to take 2.5 points. Combs...being the competitor he is was devastated by the split on the back 9. It cost him a possible MVP he claimed he'd been dreaming about all year and tortured him all night at Finn McCools!
Team East now down 30 to 27 needed some magic. Captain Ryan Fay was not nervous. Ryan knew he had his big guns at the top. It certainly looked that way as Team East Rookie Jason Little shut out Team West Rookie Chris Heaney 3-0 and right behind that match Team East's Tom O'Neill shut out 2005 MVP Timmy Brennan 3-0. Than came TJ Jankowski for Team East taking on Founding Father Tom Beasley. TJ shot lights out and posted another 3 points for Team East. In the blink of an eye Team East secured 9 points to take a commanding 36 to 30 lead with only 3 matches left.
Captain Fay had a confident grin as Team East members stood and cheered. Fay knew Team East needed only 2 out of the possible 9 points left to win the CUP for the second straight year. He was confident after meeting with his Founding Fathers on Friday night that he had selected the right guys for his top three seeds. Brain Danowski last years number 1 seed was moved to the number 3 seed this year to take on under dog Richard Seid. Seid with a putter that wouldn't quite won a close match that was decided on the 18th hole. Securing 2.5 points in his first Classic! Next up was Adam Nielsen. Another rookie thrown into the fire by Team West Captain Evans Killeen. Nielsen drew Trevor Wilkins the #2 seed for Team East. Before the match Team East's #1 seed Chip Kooman stated to Team West Captain Evans Killeen quote "Watch my boy Trevor, he is going to rip Nielsen a new asshole." Fortunately for Team West that prediction didn't happen and Nielsen won easily over Wilkins 3-0.
The stage was set...Team West was down 1 point with only one match to go. Chip Kooman vs. Team West Captain Evans Killeen. Kooman did not lack confidence going into the match. After dethroning Team West MVP Timmy Brennan last year he was still flying sky high. The match was tight and it turned on the 9th hole as Kooman missed his par putt to lose the front and go down 1 on the match. Some witnesses at the hole say his putter was kicked further then any of his drives! Kooman's putter did survive the kick but he went down 2 after Killeen birdied the 10th hole. Kooman came back strong winning 12 and 13 rolling in a 30+ foot birdie putt to pull the overall match even and go up 1 on the back with 5 left to play. However, Killeen stayed focused and won the next 3 holes and ended it by draining a 6 footer on 18 for birdie securing 3 points for Team West and completed a great effort by ALL of Team West to come from behind and take the 2007 Classic. Team East put up a great fight and this Classic will go down in history as one of the best. Thank you to everyone that played. We look forward to seeing everyone again next year at Olde Vine Golf Club on 9/27/08. | 
