Champions Donnie Aldrich and Brett Widner
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Illinois (May 27, 2016) -- Brett Widner and Donnie Aldrich have been successful as partners in Indiana, winning the 2014 Indiana Four-Ball and the 2015 Indiana Mid-Am team.
The duo, who hold executive positions with the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity -- Aldrich is CEO, Widner CFO -- took their partnership on the road to Olympia Fields and came home with the title.
Widner and Aldrich opened with a 66 on the North Course on Thursday, putting them a stroke behind Mike Cushing and Jeff Niepagen. Friday on the South, they headed to the final hole at 6-under for the tournament, needing a birdie to avoid a playoff with Brian and Jay Csipkes, who had made "from the trees" birdies on the last two holes to put themselves into position to win.
After over shooting the par-5 18th green in two, Widner faced a delicate eagle shot from the first cut off rough, straight down hill. He elected to putt, and left the eagle try 7-feet short of the hole, far from gimme range.
No matter.
As Jay Csipkes, an AmateurGolf.com Equipment Panelist, reported later:
"After his playing partner watched his putt from 25 feet to win just miss the hole, Widner calmly stepped up and drained his putt to win the championship."
Widner may have holed the winning putt, but he was quick to credit his partner's play over the two rounds, including one key momentum-saving shot in the first round:
"After we both made bogey on the 16th, we were playing No. 17 on north course (our 8th), said Widner.
"It's a 413-yard par-4. He had 125 up the hill from middle of fairway and hit a perfect wedge right at it -- we got up to the green and didn't see ball, so we checked the hole and found it, for an eagle 2."
In the Senior Division, Albert Huddleston and Dan Deichert bettered their first round score of 72 by 6 shots. Their 66 was the lowest round of their division and secured a four shot victory over three teams.
View results for Olympia Fields Four-Ball
ABOUT THE
Olympia Fields Four-Ball
**Will return in 2024 after a course renovation and
hosting the BMW Championship.**
Tournament is 36 holes, 18 on the North and 18 on
the South. The North course is the more famous,
having hosted the U.S. Open. But the South
Course, renovated in 2008 is now the preferred
club of the members and is slated to host several
important professional and amateur tournaments in
the coming years.
This is an invitational event with entries
usually being sent to U.S. Mid Amateur qualifiers
and
other players of note. Combined team index of 6.0
or
less is required to be accepted into the tournament
field.
Mid-Am Division: One or both competitors between
25 and 49 years of age
Senior Division: Both competitors between 50 and
59
years of age
Super Senior Division: Both competitors 60 years of
age or older
View Complete Tournament Information