Two perennial contenders from Western Slope set to square off in finals of CGA Team Interclub
By Gary Baines – 10/10/2019
The CGA Team Interclub will conclude its 10th season this weekend with the championship match, and in at least a couple of ways, this finale will be unlike any of the previous nine.
It will be the first CGA Team Interclub final held outside of the Denver metro area.
And it will be the first title match involving two teams from western Colorado.
Eight-man squads from Rifle Creek Golf Course and Battlement Mesa Golf Club are set to square off, weather-permitting, on Friday at Aspen Glen Club in Carbondale. The finals are normally held at CGA-owned CommonGround Golf Course in Aurora, but with both finalists coming from the Western Slope, a site more convenient for the teams was selected.
Rifle Creek comes into the match with a 6-0 record on the season, which includes one forfeit victory. Battlement Mesa went 5-1, also with a forfeit win. They played in the same round-robin group, and Rifle Creek beat Battlement Mesa 18-6 in the regular season. Half of Rifle Creek’s eight-man roster for Friday is the same as it was for that previous matchup, while seven of Battlement Mesa’s players are the same.
Not only is Rifle Creek unbeaten in 2019 Interclub Team play, it has been dominant, with its closest two matches being decided by 18-6 scores. In the five non-forfeit matches, RC has beaten its opponents by a combined 99-21. And, a year after losing to The Broadmoor for the second time in the Team Interclub finals, Rifle Creek beat the defending champions 19-5 in the recent semifinals.
This will be Rifle Creek’s fourth trip to the Team Interclub title match, but it has yet to come away with the trophy.
Battlement Mesa is going to its third finals, and claimed the championship three years ago. Seven of Battlement Mesa’s eight players in Friday’s finals competed on the 2016 title-winning team. This season, Battlement Mesa has outscored its opponents 74-46.
Over the years, 10 different clubs have advanced to the finals of the Team Interclub. And half of those have made at least two finals appearances. The clubs that have made the Team Interclub finals more than once are The Broadmoor, Rifle Creek, Lone Tree, Todd Creek and Battlement Mesa.
The CGA Team Interclub stands apart among CGA championships. Every other championship on the schedule is contested over the course of one to four days. The Team Interclub, on the other hand, typically lasts about five months, with a regular-season round-robin of geographically-linked groups of teams going from late spring through July, then a 16-team single-elimination playoff being held from August to October.
Both in the regular season and the playoffs, teams of eight golfers each — of widely varying abilities — square off, with net singles and net four-ball matches held concurrently. Each individual match is worth two points — two for a win and one for a tie. Rosters can vary throughout the season.
Teams are now comprised of four “A” players of low handicap indexes of 9.9 and under and four “B” players of low handicaps between 10 and 20.
This year’s original CGA Team Interclub field featured 28 teams. The record number of team entrants for the event was 64 in 2013.
The Team Interclub finals will conclude the 2019 CGA championship season.
For more information on the CGA Team Interclub, CLICK HERE.
FRIDAY’S PLANNED MATCHUPS FOR FINALS
Singles
Jared Brown (RC) vs. Doug Choate (BM)
Michael Smith (RC) vs. Andrew Curtis (BM)
Jeb Savage (RC) vs. Mark Barlau (BM)
Tod Smith (RC) vs. Jeff Bradley (BM)
John Wolff (RC) vs. Ken Seidel (BM)
Todd Crabtree (RC) vs. Chuck Hall (BM)
Mark Sours (RC) vs. Fred Inman (BM)
Clint Hostettler (RC) vs. Luke Cody (BM)
Four-Ball
Brown/M. Smith (RC) vs. Choate/Curtis (BM)
Savage/T. Smith (RC) vs. Barlau/Bradley (BM)
Wolff/Crabtree (RC) vs. Seidel/Hall (BM)
Sours/Hostettler (RC) vs. Inman/Cody (BM)
ROAD TO 2019 CGA TEAM INTERCLUB FINALS
Rifle Creek Golf Course (6-0)
Regular Season: Defeated Battlement Mesa 18-6
Regular Season: Defeated Glenwood Springs by forfeit
Regular Season: Defeated Lincoln Park 22-2
Playoff Round of 16: Defeated Homestead, 22-2
Quarterfinals: Defeated Mariana Butte/Olde Course 18-6
Semifinals: Defeated The Broadmoor 19-5
Battlement Mesa Golf Club (5-1)
Regular Season: Lost to Rifle Creek 18-6
Regular Season: Defeated Glenwood Springs by forfeit
Regular Season: Defeated Lincoln Park 16-8
Playoff Round of 16: Defeated Sunset GC, 18-6
Quarterfinals: Defeated Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek, 18-6
Semifinals: Defeated Indian Peaks GC 16-8
CGA TEAM INTERCLUB FINALS HISTORY
2018: The Broadmoor GC def. Rifle Creek GC 13-11
2017: Saddle Rock GC/Murphy Creek GC def. Glenwood Springs Golf Club 22-14
2016: Battlement Mesa GC def. The Broadmoor GC, 26-10
2015: Todd Creek GC def. The Broadmoor GC, 23-13
2014: The Broadmoor GC def. Rifle Creek GC, 23-13
2013: GC at Bear Dance def. Todd Creek GC 20-16
2012: Lone Tree GC def. Rifle Creek GC, 28-8
2011: Lone Tree GC def. Battlement Mesa GC 24-12
2010: The Ranch CC def. Indian Tree GC, 22-14