2001 CCL Championship Recap

            Ebel may have been a dark horse to the bettors, but his charge to the final match was not all that surprising. Playing solid golf throughout the season, he struggled only slightly in the second half of the season once he became saddled with a low handicap. But on this day Eaglesticks set up perfectly for Ebel’s game and rewarded him for doing what he does so well, touching them all with the driver. Ebel’s immense carry off the tee, combined with the soft landings provided by the rain-soaked fairways added up to a huge advantage.

            With a bye in the first round, Ebel caught a big break in his first match of the day. His second round match against Dan Freiburger ended in a tie. Freiburger, who had knocked down four birdies to beat Mark Lutz in the first round, took a ten on the sixth hole of the match costing him the low net tiebreaker.

            In his semifinal match, Ebel faced off against the Commish and was looking for revenge. Just six days earlier, they had faced each other in a pivotal season-ending match. The Commish won big and passed Ebel to take second place in the overall season standings. Also, still on Ebel’s mind was the painful loss to the Commish at The Ryder Cup in July. Facing a season sweep, Ebel came up big with a 35 and took out the Commish in convincing fashion.

            If Ebel thought he was done with May after ending The Commish’s season, then he was just as surprised as everyone else to see Doug May in the final. But the younger May’s uprising was not all that hard to fathom. Despite a last place finish in the season overall standings, Doug finished with the lowest net scoring average in the league. Week after week he played well only to have another player “go low” on him. His disappointing season now behind him, Doug looked to the major for redemption.

            Doug’s day started with a pleasant break. Facing a tough first round match against fourth seeded K.C. Budzik, May instead got to warm up for nine holes when Budzik was unable to recover from his brother’s bachelor party the night before and failed to show for his tee time, giving May a forfeit. Suddenly relaxed and loose, May’s practice round turned into a 39. He walked off the ninth green firing on all cylinders and filled with confidence. His steady play continued in the second round. Scott Schoemer, who eliminated Ryan Webb in a first round upset, kept it close against May, but could not cool him off. Nor could Rob Burkley, who earlier took out the top seed, Eric Osborn. Burkley and May battled hard in their semifinal match, but when May grabbed the lead on the third hole he never gave it back.

            Standing on the 10^th tee, May looked relaxed. Standing next to him was Ebel, virtually a living legend – the man with too many nicknames. King Kong. POB. Pete Tutchemall. If May was intimidated, he didn’t show it. Despite putting his tee shot on the par three opening hole right of the green, across the cart path, with what little green he had to work with sloping away from him, May showed he was in it to win with an incredible up and down to halve the hole. Then on the par five 11^th, May took advantage of a stroke and took a one up lead.

            After halving the par three 12^th, the second par three in three holes, May held a one up advantage and looked like he was determined to keep it. Unfortunately, the next three holes were not par threes and Ebel took over with his driver. Launching monstrous bombs of the quality that inspired his many nicknames, Ebel got it going and before Doug knew what had hit him, Ebel had won the next three holes. Ebel was two up with three to play.

            The par four 16^th looked like it would be more of the same. Ebel thunked a 320-yard cruise missile down the right side leaving him 25 yards to the green. Doug, showing fatigue and some nerves, topped one down the left side short of the fairway. Staring at 200 yards to the green out of the rough, the scant gallery of Burkley and The Commish prepared to administer to Doug his last rights. But Doug collected himself and his trusty four iron and hit a bomb of his own, finishing on the fringe only 12 feet away from a birdie. Ebel, feeling some pressure, then blew his pitch into the heavy rough behind the green. His first chip from there went nowhere, allowing Doug to lag up for an easy par and a crucial point. Things were getting very interesting.

            On the par three 17^th, May again looked like he had Ebel right where he wanted him, with an iron in his hands on the tee instead of a driver. May put his seven iron on the green 25 feet from the flag. Ebel, clearly shaken by the events of the 16^th hole, caught his tee shot heavy and came up short of the green. His pitch shot rolled true right at the hole, just missing and rolled slowly past. And kept rolling, and rolling and rolling. He now faced some 30 feet for his par. His next effort left him 12 feet for bogey. Doug knew a two-putt would square the match, give him huge momentum and, with a stroke on the last hole, a real chance at victory. However, he couldn’t erase the vision of Ebel’s chip shot rolling and rolling past the hole. His first putt came up well short, leaving him a ten-footer for par. Ebel collected himself and hit a firm putt into the back of the jar. Bogey. It would prove to be the biggest putt he made all day. May, despite a fantastic roll, watched his putt break at the last instant and curl just right of the hole.

            Disappointed, May stood on the long par five 18^th needing to win the hole to go to sudden death. From where he stood just two holes earlier, it was not all that bad. May hit a good drive, but just missed the fairway on the right. Ebel then did what Ebel does best. He touched them all right down the middle long. May’s second shot found a place right under some tree limbs that proved just annoying enough to prevent him from reaching the green in regulation. With Ebel just off the green in two, May needed an up and down par to have any chance. He couldn’t deliver. Ebel’s two footer for par sealed the deal and gave him a hard-fought victory and the first ever CCL Championship.

            Congratulations to Pete Ebel. The man with too many nicknames now has one more to add to the list. Champ.