Red Team walks away with Ryder Cup title

In an event touted by some male golfers as the best local golfing event of the year, the 2008 “Ryder Cup” — the San Juan Golf and Country Club’s version of the international professional event — pitted local golfers in two teams against each other for a weekend’s worth of golf, camaraderie and one-upmanship.

Ron Bates’ Red Team defeated Bert Geisendorff’s Blue Team, outshooting and outscoring them 21-11. Bates described his team’s victory as a “landslide.”

Each team had 16 players.

The games in the two- day event differ from traditional match play, and are patterned after the format of the international professional event. Saturday’s first nine holes are played in a two-man, alternating-shot format, with the winning pair each splitting a point for winning the hole. The second nine holes of the event is a two-man best-ball format.

Sunday’s match play pitted two evenly matched golfers in heads-up action.

Money raised during the event goes toward the club’s golf scholarship program for local young players.

Local golfer and course record holder Matt Cowell said the event is a favorite among the local golfers.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said Monday. “You’re playing a different team game with different people. Instead of normal stroke play, you get to try out all these different games.”

The Red Team dominated the Blue Team Saturday, 12-4. Sunday it was closer, but the Red Team still managed to win nine matches to the Blue Team’s seven.

According to Bates, the event was resurrected in 2004 by local golfer Bob Wingate. Bates expressed his appreciation of the sponsors, Wingate and Steve Billmyer.

“Without them, the event wouldn’t have the same draw. We’re lucky to have such a great course and great people that make these kind of events happen.”

Next year’s team captains will be Garrett Holmes for the Red Team, and Jeff MacDonald for the Blue Team.