2011 CANADA BREAD BC MATCH PLAY
36-Hole Finals in Review
Northview Golf & Country Club – Ridge Course
Kevin Stinson/Josh Taylor (2) versus Brian Jung/Min Gu Kang (8)
Congratulations to the 2011 Canada Bread BC Match Play Team Champions Professionals Josh Taylor and Kevin Stinson. They displayed an array of talent during the 36-hole round over Runner-ups Amateur Brian Jung and Professional Min Gu Kang on Sunday at the Finals hosted at Northview Golf and Country Club.
Min Gu Kang, Josh Taylor, Kevin Stinson, Brian Jung
Hole-by-hole Recap of this intense 36-hole shoot-out:
Hole #1: The match went all-squared through the 1st hole as all four players kept play in the fairway and made tidy pars.
Hole #2: After Stinson bombs his tee-shot on the right side of the 2nd fairway, he hits his pitching wedge pure to 2 feet for birdie and goes on to win the 2nd hole. Taylor/Stinson take the first lead, going 1 up thru 2.
Hole #3: Each of the teams kept their balls in play off the tee, but it took pars by Taylor and Jung to half the hole. The match stays at Taylor/Stinson 1 up through 3 holes.
Hole #4: Kang hits his second shot to 12 feet for a bird opportunity, while Taylor hits it from the rough to 6 feet, left of the back pin! Jung’s second shot landed to 8 feet, just under the cup. Stinson lobs his second shot to 15 feet. Now it’s a putting contest. All three players miss their putts while Taylor makes his 6 foot putt for birdie, increasing his team’s lead to 2 up through 4 holes.
Hole #5: Jung leaves his tee-shot short right of par 3 green and pitches onto the green for a tap-in par. Taylor has the same play and also makes his par. Stinson makes a great tee-shot to 6 feet but misses his birdie attempt. Taylor/Stinson still leads the match 2 up through 5 holes.
Hole #6: Kang strikes it to 12 feet, just under the hole, while Jung hits it 20 feet, just left of the hole. Stinson bombs his drive and then pitches it to 20 feet above the hole while partner Taylor was out of the hole off the tee. After Stinson and Taylor miss their birdie attempts, Kang rolls in a 12-footer on 6 for birdie to bring the match back to 1 up.
Hole #7: Both Jung and Kang lay up on the par 5 seventh hole. Jung hits his 3rd shot to 20 feet from 130 yards out & partner Kang hits it to 15 feet on this back pin. Taylor’s second shot is just short of the left greenside bunker. His pitch comes up 8 feet short, but after all 3 others miss their birdie bids, Taylor rolls his putt it in to win the 7th hole to go 2 up.
Hole #8: Both Taylor and Stinson drive just short of the reachable par four 8th green. Jung finds water off the tee. Kang hits a nice drive 20 yards short of green and pitches to 6 feet and makes his birdie putting the pressure on Taylor and Stinson to capitalize. Taylor’s birdie putt edges past the hole. The pressure now lies on Stinson to make his birdie to half the hole. And he does it with confidence! The match remains Taylor/Stinson 2 up.
Hole #9: After their tee-shots on the par 3 ninth hole, Taylor pitches from front right of green to 6 feet. Stinson pitches to 8 feet from green side and makes the only par in group to put Taylor/Stinson 3 up thru 9.
Hole #10: Kang and Stinson both make 4 footers to halve the hole. The match remains Taylor/Stinson 3 up.
Hole #11: With a strong opposing wind facing the players on the tee, Taylor & Stinson both knocked it into the water and each pitched to about 15 feet. With Jung and Kang both putting for birdie, Taylor/Stinson concedes the hole, putting the match back to 2 up.
Hole #12: After four decent drives, Kang plays first and lays up on hole 12, and hits his wedge short of the green. Jung hits a great 3-wood just short and right of the green and catches his pitch heavy leaving it on the fringe. But he holes out from 20 feet for birdie, tying Taylor and Stinson’s birdies after they chipped to short distances for their 4’s. The match remains Taylor/Stinson 2 up.
Hole #13: From the fairway on this par 4 Stinson hits an awesome 8 iron to 4 feet. Taylor also covers the flag to 12 feet behind this back left pin. Kang hit a nice shot into the green to 20 feet, but lips out his birdie try. Taylor’s putt slides just past the hole, but his partner Stinson makes birdie to take this match to 3up.
Hole #14: Four great drives from the players on this memorable hole where Mike Weir holed out and won the 1999 Air Canada Championship. From 130 yards out, both Kang and Taylor hit their approaches to 12 feet while Stinson hit it below the hole to 5 feet. Kang rolls in his birdie to win the hole, putting the pressure on Taylor and Stinson to reply – neither does! Jung/Kang are now 2 down through 14 holes.
Hole #15: Stinson makes yet another great shot into 15 and capitalizes with a birdie to win the hole after Jung lips out from 12 feet. Taylor/Stinson are back to 3 up through 15 holes.
Hole #16: Stinson is the only one to find the green off this downhill par 3. The hole is halved after Stinson misses his birdie chance from 12 feet and Kang makes a great up-and-down save from behind green.
Hole #17: All 4 players struggle with this difficult par 4 into the wind, none finding the green in regulation. Kang’s chip from 10 feet off the green snuggles up to 3 feet from the pin. Taylor has a similar shot and pitches to 2 feet. Both make pars and the match remains Taylor/Stinson 3 up.
Hole #18: This par 5 closing hole presents some risk/reward for the players on their second shots over the water guarding the green. Jung is first to play from over 230 yards out and hits a piercing 3-wood onto the green to 5 feet away for eagle. Both Stinson and Kang are out of the hole after Stinson’s 2nd shot found the water and Kang’s third shot is hit fat and short of the green. Taylor has a downhill 20 footer for his eagle, but he slides it by the hole and is conceded the 4’’ tap-in for birdie. Jung now has a 5 footer for the win, but his putt slides on the low side and the hole is halved with birdies. Through the opening18 holes, the match remains Stinson/Taylor 3 up.
[table id=17 /]
Second round of the BC Match Play finals gets underway.
Hole #19: After a few errant second shots to the green, Taylor is the only player to make his par, thus extending their team’s lead to 4 up over Jung/ Kang.
Hole #20: With Taylor and Kang out of this hole from errant drives to the right, both Jung and Stinson are left alone to play out this hole. Jung hits from the fairway first and hits a great shot to 15 feet for birdie. Stinson hits an incredible wedge shot to 4 feet putting the pressure on Jung to make or go 5 down. Jung nails his birdie putt and Stinson taps in from 4 feet for his second birdie on this hole on the day, halving the hole. Taylor/Stinson still remain 4 up.
Hole #21: After some shaky approach shots from the fairway, Jung makes a clutch 8 footer and forces misses from 7 feet by Taylor and 6 feet by Stinson for the win. Now the lead is narrowed to 3, with Taylor/Stinson 3 up.
Hole #22: There is a momentum shift on the par 5 after all players pitch onto the green and Jung is the only one to make his putt for birdie from 15 feet, leaving their team just 2 down in the match.
Hole #23: A couple of loose tee shots by Taylor/Stinson lead to bogeys on the downhill par 3, and after Kang 2-putts from 30 feet, Jung/Kang are only 1 down.
Hole #24: Stinson hits his approach shot to 30 feet and two-putts for his par. Taylor hits an incredible fairway bunker shot to 18 inches but his putt is not conceded. From the fairway Jung’s approach shot is hit to 15 feet. Jung once again rolls in a 15 footer making another birdie and when Taylor taps in his birdie the hole is halved. Game on!
Hole #25: From the fairway Taylor reaches the par 5 in two to 40 feet. Kang’s 3rd shot is hit to 18 feet while his partner Jung hits his third shot to 15 feet. Stinson opts to lay-up as well and eventually makes his par. Taylor then 2-putts from 40 feet to make the solo birdie, extending their lead to 2 up.
Hole #26: After both Taylor and Stinson’s slide right with the wind, Jung hits a great drive in front of green while his partner hooks it in the water. Jung’s pitch slides by 15-20 feet and he fails to convert his birdie. Taylor’s drive ended up in the hazard while Stinson’s found the right rough 10 yards off the green. Stinson pitches it to 12 feet and drains his putt for birdie to win the hole and go 3 up.
Hole #27: With both Taylor & Stinson on the green in regulation, Jung is forced to drain a crucial put to save his par and halve the hole when Taylor and Stinson 2-putted for par. The match remains Taylor/Stinson 3 up.
Hole #28: Pars by both teams leaves the match at Taylor/Stinson 3 up.
Hole #29: An awesome birdie on the 29th hole by Jung brings the match back to within 2 with 7 holes to go.
Hole #30: Jung and Stinson hit their second shots just off the green on this par 5. Jung’s just in front and to the right; Stinson in the left side bunker with a tricky stance ball below his feet. Taylor’s 2nd shot hits the green and runs to the back of the green for a 40 foot eagle try. He rolls it within 4 feet and waits for Jung to putt for his birdie, which he makes. Taylor then taps his birdie in to halve the hole. The match remains Taylor/Stinson 2 up with 6 holes remaining.
Hole #31: From the fairway Jung pulls his shot left of the green. Taylor leaves his shot short in between the front bunkers. Stinson hits it to 40 feet in front right part of the green. Kang stripes it to 8 feet. From the green, Taylor pitches to 4 feet while Jung pitches to 6 feet. Stinson putts his 40 footer to within 4 inches and makes par! Kang has a chance to win the hole with his 8 foot birdie putt, but he pulls it left and the hole is halved. Stinson/Taylor remain 2 up.
Hole #32: From the fairway Taylor hits it 50 feet from 155 yards. Kang hits it to 18 feet from 125 yards out. Jung, from 120 yards out, hits it to 12 feet while Stinson stripes it to 7 feet from 100 yards away. It’s another putting contest. From the green, Jung, Kang and Stinson all miss their birdie putts and halve the hole with pars. The match remains Taylor/Stinson 2 up with 4 to play.
Hole #33: From the left side of fairway Kang pulls his shot into the back bunker. Jung hits it to about 25 feet on the front fringe. Both Taylor and Stinson each hit their approach shots to 20 feet. Jung rolls his 20 footer past the hole, and taps in for par. Stinson putts a downhill slider to 6 inches and makes par. Taylor then slides his birdie putt past hole. The 33rd hole was halved with par, resulting in Taylor and Stinson 2 up with 3 to go.
Hole #34: An unreal shot by Taylor on the 34th hole to 5 feet into a gusting wind gave him a real chance for birdie. Jung’s tee shot left him with a 25 feet birdie putt with his partner and Stinson out of play. Could Jung drain yet another clutch birdie putt to keep their team alive? Not this time! He taps in for par and when Taylor nailed his putt for birdie, this match was in the books – a 3&2 win for Taylor & Stinson over their counterparts.
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CoDyJQaAlg
On this day, Josh Taylor and Kevin Stinson become the 2011 Canada Bread BC Match Play Team Champions.
[table id=18 /]
Sincerest thanks go out to Northview Golf & Country Club for hosting the Canada Bread BC Match Play Finals for the 5th year in a row, as well as to all the other hosting golf courses this year. Also, VGT would like to thank the numerous monitors/match reporters for another exceptional job over this 4-week long event, making the 2011 BC match Play a great success!
Click To Enlarge
