Team MCC wins H-55 Cup
The Highway 55 Cup is going to look pretty good when it's displayed prominently at McMinnville Country Club over the next year.
Team MCC defeated WillowBrook Golf Club 16-10 this weekend in the first meeting between the clubs since 2021, snapping a three-event losing streak in the rivalry and bringing the trophy back to McMinnville.
Thanks to a dominant showing Saturday where McMinnville Country Club won nine of 13 matches and halved another on its home course, Team MCC entered Sunday's finale at WillowBrook needing just four points to secure victory.
It got much more than that.
The teams split Sunday's action 6.5-6.5, but by then McMinnville had already built too much of a cushion to be caught. The even split was more than enough to complete a mission that had been years in the making.
"I'm just glad to bring the cup home where it belongs and where it's going to stay if this team has anything to do with it," said MCC head golf professional Clayton Myers, who also played over the last two days for his club. "We earned it and now it's time to celebrate the win."
While Sunday's team score ended even, no pairing from McMinnville was more dominant than Michelle Dodson and Vicky Benedict.
The MCC duo was on fire all day, ultimately winning 8-and-7 before continuing to play out the remainder of the round against Jennifer Costello and Heather Senters. Dodson, a multi-time MCC women's club champion who has dominated local competition in recent years, carded a 75 over 18 holes during the victory.
"Winning the HWY 55 Cup was a true team effort," said Dodson. "Being the ladies first time playing in it, I'm extremely proud of us for bringing home the 'W.' Everyone brought their best game, supported one another and stayed positive from start to finish. Two days of great golf, teamwork and plenty of laughs made this victory even sweeter."
The ladies got MCC off to a fast start Sunday and several more groups quickly followed.
Tucker Lynn and Mark Seymour completed a perfect weekend together by earning a 5-and-4 victory over Greg Perry and Dan Senters. After seeing an early two-hole advantage disappear, Lynn and Seymour responded by winning Nos. 6, 7 and 9 to seize control before putting the match away with victories on Nos. 10 and 12.
John Wilson and Andrew Brock delivered one of the day's most satisfying victories for Team MCC.
After suffering a heartbreaking loss on the final hole Saturday, the duo bounced back in emphatic fashion against David Burris and Jacob Prater. Wilson and Brock scorched the front nine with a 30 to build a four-hole lead and never looked back. By the time they won Nos. 12 and 14, the match was effectively over as the pair cruised to a 5-and-4 victory.
Lynn and Seymour became the third MCC pairing to secure a point Sunday. Dodson and Benedict were first, while Ethan Campbell and John Kidd brought McMinnville even closer to the finish line by surviving a furious late rally from Robbie Miller and Korey Young.
Campbell and Kidd were 4-up with four holes remaining before Miller and Young stormed back to cut the deficit to one entering No. 18. The McMinnville duo answered with a par on the final hole to secure the point.
Bryan Matheny and Jamie Stinson then pushed Team MCC to the brink of victory. Their halved match against Keith Byars and Hayden Proffitt gave McMinnville 13 total points, guaranteeing at least a tie in the overall competition.
The winning points officially arrived shortly afterward.
Wilson and Brock's victory pushed Team MCC over the top and secured possession of the Highway 55 Cup before Myers and Isaac Walker added another point with a 3-and-1 victory over John Collins and Samuel Prater.
The final points for Team MCC came from halved matches by Greg Brock and Larry Willmore and the team of Brad Brock and Buck Brock.
WillowBrook attempted to mount an early comeback Sunday.
Jeff Houck and Bracton Womack opened the day with a 4-and-3 victory over Matt Cotten and Casey Talbert, providing some early momentum. But the rally never fully materialized.
Justin Kuhn and Will Stern added a 2-and-1 victory for WillowBrook, while Jeff Coole and Kirk Pender also won 2-and-1. Michael Jones and Ryan Perry earned a 4-and-2 victory and Daryl Malone and John Prater added a 3-and-2 win, but the hole created Saturday at McMinnville Country Club ultimately proved too large to overcome.
