City of Aurora courses set to square off in CGA Team Interclub finals as Meadow Hills faces Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek
By Gary Baines – 10/25/2021
Over the first 11 years that the CGA Team Interclub Championship was held, there were plenty of examples of the two finalists being separated geographically by 100 miles or more.
In fact, it happened seven times in the first nine years of the event. And five times, the driving distance from the site of one finalist to another surpassed 200 miles.
But in recent years, the trend has changed, with each of the past two finals featuring courses separated by less than 30 miles.
And this year, while the finalists are not exactly neighbors, they’re not far from from it, being less than 10 miles apart. And, more notably, they’re siblings of sorts, representing three courses that are all City of Aurora facilities.
Specifically, the 2021 Team Interclub finals will see Meadow Hills Golf Course squaring off with a team representing both Saddle Rock Golf Course and Murphy Creek Golf Course. Their finals match is set for Saturday at The Meadows Golf Club in Littleton, with the winner being crowned champions of the 12th CGA Team Interclub.
The finals are the culmination of a season-long competition that started in the spring. Twenty-six teams from around the state — from Battlement Mesa in Parachute to Murphy Creek in east Aurora, and from Elmwood Golf Course in Pueblo to The Olde Course in Loveland — participated in the 2021 competition, seven more than took part in 2020. The record number of team entrants for the event was 64 in 2013.
The Interclub features a regular-season round-robin of geographically-linked groups of teams, followed by a 16-team single-elimination playoff held in late summer and early fall.
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.
While Meadow Hills is making its first appearance in the Team Interclub finals, a team from Saddle Rock and Murphy Creek claimed the title in 2017 by beating Glenwood Springs Golf Club in the finals. That’s the only appearance in the finals by a City of Aurora course(s), prior to this year. And it should be noted that Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek was a semifinalist last year, losing to eventual champion Ute Creek.
Neither team will take an undefeated record into the finals as Meadow Hills is 5-1 (with a loss to Englewood Men’s Club) and Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek is 4-1-1 (with a loss to Red Hawk Ridge in the season opener and a tie with Lone Tree). Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek was among the last teams to earn a berth in the playoffs as it went 1-1-1 in the group round-robin. From 2013 through ’19, the finals never featured two teams with losses on their records.
As for last year’s finalists, defending champion Ute Creek was ousted in the round of 16 by Battlement Mesa, 23-1, while the 2020 runner-up Riverdale didn’t make the playoffs.
The Team Interclub finals concludes the 2021 CGA championship season.
For more information on the CGA Team Interclub, CLICK HERE.
SATURDAY’S CGA TEAM INTERCLUB FINALS PAIRINGS
Four-Ball
Jeff Sweet/Joe Fabrizio (SR/MC) vs. Brian Richmeier (MH)
Alex Williams/Rick Mandock (SR/MC) vs. Kurt Miller/Michael Day (MH)
Bill Holinger/Naga Prasad (SR/MC) vs. Johan/Aaestroem/Brian Gaul (MH)
Mike Desmarais/Julio Palacios (SR/MC) vs. Cedric Keppler/Lenny Cardella (MH)
Singles
Jeff Sweet (SR/MC) vs. Brian Richmeier (MH)
Joe Fabrizio (SR/MC) vs. Jeff Woods (MH)
Alex Williams (SR/MC) vs. Kurt Miller (MH)
Rick Mandock (SR/MC) vs. Michael Day (MH)
Bill Holinger (SR/MC) vs. Johan Aaestroem (MH)
Naga Prasad (SR/MC) vs. Brian Gaul (MH)
Mike Desmarais (SR/MC) vs. Cedric Keppler (MH)
Julio Palacios (SR/MC) vs. Lenny Cardella (MH)
CGA TEAM INTERCLUB FINALS HISTORY
2020: Ute Creek GC def. Riverdale GC, 18-6
2019: Rifle Creek def. Battlement Mesa GC, 17-7
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
ROAD TO TEAM INTERCLUB FINALS
Meadow Hills GC (Record: 5-1)
Defeated Littleton Golf Club 20-4 in group play
Lost to Englewood Men’s Club 13-11 in group play
Defeated The Meadows 17-7 in group play
Defeated River Valley Ranch 15-9 in round of 16
Defeated Hyland Hills 17-7 in quarterfinals
Defeated Elmwood 14-10 in semifinals
Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek (Record: 4-1-1)
Lost to Red Hawk Ridge 13-11 in group play
Defeated South Suburban 13-11 in group play
Tied with Lone Tree 12-12 in group play
Defeated Saddleback 14-10 in round of 16
Defeated Kennedy 15-9 in quarterfinals
Defeated Battlement Mesa 17-7 in semifinals
2021 CGA TEAM INTERCLUB SINGLE-ELIMINATION PLAYOFFS
Round of 16
Hyland Hills def. The Meadows, 13-11
Meadow Hills def. River Valley Ranch, 15-9
Englewood Men’s Club def. Homestead, 16-8
Elmwood def. Red Hawk Ridge, 15-9
Battlement Mesa def. Ute Creek, 23-1
Walking Stick def. Lone Tree, 15-9
Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek def. Saddleback, 14-10
Kennedy def. Desert Hawk 17-7
Quarterfinals
Meadow Hills def. Hyland Hills, 17-7
Elmwood def. Englewood Men’s Club, 15-9
Battlement Mesa def. Walking Stick, 13-11
Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek def. Kennedy, 15-9
Semifinals
Meadow Hills def. Elmwood, 14-10
Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek def. Battlement Mesa, 17-7
Final
Meadow Hills vs. Saddle Rock/Murphy Creek