ANNAPOLIS, Md. // After hosting the four-team Match Play By the Bay event on Friday at the Naval Academy Golf Club, the Navy golf team returned to its home course on Saturday where it earned a 5-4 victory over Richmond.
“We were honored to have Coach Adam Decker bring his Richmond squad up to Annapolis for a fantastic day of golf with ideal conditions,” said 31st-year Navy head coach Pat Owen. “We had several highlights over the course of the day in what was a terrific way for us to prepare for next week’s Star Match against Army. We will continue to work on our fundamentals throughout the week in anticipation for a great weekend at West Point.”
Richmond grabbed the early lead in the match when rookie Alex Campbell took a 1-up decision over the Mids’ Ben Burton (Jr / Charleston, S.C.).
Navy went on to win the next three matches in three very different ways. Keegan Shreves (So / Potomac, Md.) was 4-under par through 13 holes and his 6 and 5 victory provided the Mids their first point of the day. Michael Brennan (Sr / Locust Valley, N.Y.) birdied the 15th hole to put Andrew McInerney 3 down with 3 holes to play before holding on for a 1 up victory. Will Meshad (So / Atlanta, Ga.) had Navy’s biggest comeback on Saturday, rallying from an early 3-hole deficit to defeat Richmond’s Garrett Clark 2 and 1.
David Miccoli (Jr / Ludlow, Mass.) was down late against Carter Cook, but he leveled the match with a birdie on the 17th hole. Cook, however, went on to win 1 up.
The Mids clinched the team victory with Nicholas Klock (Jr / Moraga, Calif.) and team captain Charlie Musto (Sr / Sterling, Va.) prevailing 3 and 2 in back-to-back matches against Ben Cooper and Michael Baker, respectively.
The Spiders won the final two matches of the day on the 18th with Michael Childress defeating Ward Wilkinson (Sr / Ashland, Va.) and Lou Baker got by Chad Deegan (Jr / Newport Beach, Calif.). The four players traded birdies throughout the competition with both Wilkinson and Deegan going into the 17th tee down 2 holes with 2 to play. Childress and Baker both missed the green, while the Navy pair scored pars to pull within one hole. However, Childress and Baker held steady on the 18th to defeat their counterparts 1 up.
The Midshipmen will play their regular-season finale next weekend when they travel to West Point to face Army in the annual Star Match. The two-day, 36-hole event will be scored as match play, or the more familiar Ryder Cup-style format, with four Four-Ball matches played on Saturday and seven singles matches played on Sunday. The first team to reach six points will be declared the winner.
Navy def. Richmond, 5-4
Alex Campbell def. Ben Burton (N), 1 up
Keegan Shreves (N) def. Will Tamplin, 6 and 5
Michael Brennan (N) def. Andrew McInerney, 1 up
Will Meshad (N) def. Garrett Clark, 2 and 1
Carter Cook def. David Miccoli (N), 1 up
Nicholas Klock (N) def. Ben Cooper, 3 and 2
Charlie Musto (N) def. Michael Baker, 3 and 2
Michael Childress def. Ward Wilkinson (N), 1 up
Lou Baker def. Chad Deegan (N), 1 up
### Go Navy ###
