OXFORD – It didn’t take long for Todd Seiler and David Martin to mesh as partners.
The duo came from four shots back to capture the Bluestone Golf Course men’s member-guest title Sunday in Oxford.
Seiler and Martin were one of three teams to capture flight championships. A pair of brother combinations took the first and second flights. Mark and David Hinlicky, who had never played in a tournament at Bluestone until four years ago, took the first flight, while brothers Bill and Rick VanOrden, veteran winners in various flights, nailed down the second flight.
Seiler and Martin were first-time partners in the tournament, “and it’s the first time we’ve played together,” Martin said after the victory. After shooting an opening-round 2-under-par 68, Seiler and Martin found themselves in a four-shot hole to Nate Denz and John Davis, who fired a 6-under 64 in the best ball format.
The closing round, as always, was played under captain and mate rules, and that format clearly suited the long-hitting Seiler, who was complemented by the steady and straight Martin. Seiler and Martin birdied their opening hole, the dogleg right second hole, then added red numbers on the sixth, seventh, and ninth holes to move to 4-under-par.
Meanwhile, Denz and Davis, leaders by three to second-place Jason and Keith Finch, jumped out of the gate with a birdie on the first hole. However, difficulties soon befell the leaders, who double-bogeyed the third hole, and never really found a rhythm the rest of the way with just two more birdies to finish with a 1-under-par 69.
After a bogey on the 11th hole, Seiler and Martin played the next six holes in 5-under-par birdieing 12, 14, and 16, then topping off a brilliant 8-under-par 62 with an eagle on the par-five 17th. Denz and Davis finished alone in second place three shots behind the victors, while the Finch brothers took third.
The Hinlickys simply made the fewest mistakes en route to their victory picking up a pair of birdies on the front nine and back nine, while losing just one stroke to par to finish with a final-round 67. Chad Bradley and Ryan Bishop placed second three shots behind the Hinlicky tandem.
The VanOrdens led the second flight by two to start the day, and doubled that advantage topping runners-up Terry Finch and Larry Thorne. Bill and Rick Van Orden had five birdies and five bogeys in shooting a second-round even-par 70.
Below are team scores by flight
(Format: First round, best ball, second round captain and mate)
Championship Flight
T. Seiler-D. Martin 68-62-130
Denz-J. Davis 64-69-133
J. Finch-K. Finch 67-69-136
R. Race-Birdsall 73-65-138
