November 3rd, 2021 at Fountain Head Country Club, Hagerstown, MD —- The Northern Virginia Seniors Team achieved a convincing 19 to 11 win over the Free State Seniors Team of Maryland in the 28th annual Potomac Challenge Team match which concluded today on the classic 1924 Donald Ross layout at Fountain Head Country Club in Hagerstown, Maryland.

The Potomac Challenge Team Match is a Ryder-Cup style competition conducted over two days with teams of 12 players each from the Northern Virginia area and the Free State Seniors Golf Association of Maryland.  The competition includes four formats in 9-hole matches:  Four-ball, foursomes (modified alternate-shot), select-shot (scramble), and individual match play.

After the first day’s competition the Northern Virginia team held a narrow 2-point lead of 7 to 5 by winning the four-ball format 4 to 2 and getting a tie of 3 to 3 in the foursomes (modified select-shot) format.  On day 2, despite the chilly weather with freezing temperatures the previous night, the Northern Virginia team came out firing and dominated the select-shot format 4 ½ to 1 ½ and won the individual matches 7 ½ to 4 ½ to reach the 19 to 11 total score.

This year’s Northern Virginia Senior Team included:  Seniors (age 55+) Bill Apple (The Golf Club at Lansdowne), Mark Boedicker (Team Captain – RTJ Golf Club), Ron Clatterbuck (Evergreen CC), Steve Galing (Army Navy CC), Dean Griffith (Blue Ridge Shadows GC), Scott McNabb (The Golf Club at Lansdowne), Mike Nicewarner (Blue Ridge Shadows GC), David Price (Stoneleigh GC), Joe Wallenfelsz (Blue Ridge Shadows GC), Jon Zampedro (Fort Belvoir GC), and Super-Seniors (age 70+) Dwight Holman (The Piedmont Club) and Lynn Wessman (Co-Captain —- Army Navy CC).

The team of Ron Clatterbuck and David Price were undefeated in all four formats earning 3 points in the two-man formats and one point each in the singles format.  The team of Mike Nicewarner and Joe Wallenfelsz earned 3 points by winning all three of their 2-man formats.  The teams of Mark Boedicker / Jon Zampedro and Lynn Wessman / Dwight Holman won the majority of their 4 possible points by winning 1 ½ points in the 2-man formats and then each winning a full point by winning their singles matches.

Thanks to all the players for participating in these matches and congratulations to the Northern Virginia Seniors team for their fine play this year.  They are highly competitive and a lot of fun with great camaraderie.  The Maryland team had won this event the last three years in a row and it’s great to have the title back on the Virginia side!

We would like to express our sincere appreciation to Jim Horn (Team Captain for the Free State Seniors team) who made the arrangements for this year’s matches, and to the staff at Fountain Head CC for their hospitality and support of this event.

Mark Boedicker (Captain) and Lynn Wessman (Co-Captain)

 

For a detailed summary of the competitions click on the link below.

2021 Potomac Challenge summary