Match Play Finals 2024 - Spyglass Hills

L & J 2024 Match Play Final
Played 9/8/24 at Spyglass Hill 7:40 a.m.
Josh Brownstein (Playing Handicap 9) v. Kevin Coleman (P.H. 17)
Playing partners:  Thomas Brooks, L & J Co-President, Host and Duke’s Club Member; Matt Mauer, friend of Josh.

Lawyers & Judges’ year-long match play tournament came to its conclusion Sunday, September 8 at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. The players arrived to the course under foggy conditions. Very foggy.  

The players shared directional thoughts on the tee box since they couldn’t see down the fairway.  They teed off and watched their balls disappear into the fog, estimating where it went.  You can see the course that the players were not able to see on, Spyglass Hill’s website. 

The heavy marine layer that the players started in filled the canyons and hills of Spyglass Hill.  Especially the first hour, at times the players could not even see the flag on their approach shot.  

Coleman stroked on the first hole; the par 5 dogleg left downhill.  With both players affected by the conditions, Coleman’s stroke on the hole gave him an early 1 up lead.  Brownstein worked his way back to a tie after 4, but Coleman’s fairly steady play on the front 9, contributed to Coleman’s 3-hole lead after the first nine.

Brownstein started the back nine by paring number 10 to immediately cut Coleman’s lead down to two.  However, Coleman got it back at 11 and then pushed it to 4 after stroking on #13.  

Coleman stroked on 14.  A win would close out the match 5 and 4.  Brownstein hung tough and kept the match alive by outright winning the hole, in spite of Coleman’s stroke.  Brownstein then won the next hole, parring it, to get the deficit to two down after 15 holes.  Coleman’s stroke on 16 got him a tie on the hole and kept him 2 up with two to play.  After missing short putts to win the match earlier, Coleman finally made one on 17, to close it out two and one.