The clock has not struck midnight, Cinderella is still wearing the glass slippers and can surely drive, pitch and putt.
Late Friday afternoon Pat McDonald, playing with his nephew, Whitfield McDonald, said “We have to bring our ‘A’ game” in reference to a Saturday quarterfinal appointment with No.1 seed and defending champion Brandon Born and Grant Caldwell.
It’s Swing Ding 2015 at the Lookout Mountain Golf Club and the No.8 seeded McDonald duo used a high “B” game this afternoon to take down Born-Caldwell, 6-and-5 to advance to the Sunday morning championship flight semifinals (9:30 a.m.) with finals set for 2:30 p.m.
“We played well not great, were consistent from tee to green and Brandon and Grant didn’t play their best and their putts didn’t fall for them,” said Pat who last played in the Sunday semis with Garrett Smith a few years ago.
Playing in memory of the late Tim McDonald, Whitfield’s dad, who died early Thursday morning, the McDonald team took a 1-up lead on No.2 on a Whitfield par putt and never looked back.
“Whitfield carried us early, winning Nos. 2, 4 and 7 (to go three-up) and I putted well the last few holes,” Pat stated.
Pat rolled in a birdie putt on No.9 to go 4-up at the turn, then won No.11 with a par followed by his match-closing par on No.13.
“We were able to match them off the tee for distance which was a big help and then made the putts necessary to win,” said Whitfield.
Wearing Tim McDonald’s Shoes: Whitfield has worn his dad’s golf shoes the last two days and plans to have them on for the semis.
“When I came over here Friday, someone on the club’s staff had them polished and ready for me to wear which was special.”
American Flag at Half-Staff: The American flag flew at half-staff Thursday at the Lookout Mountain Golf Club for Tim McDonald and had flown at half-staff two weeks earlier for the late King Oehmig.
Sam’s Have It: In Flight 8 Finals (1:50 p.m.) shows, Sam Campbell IV and Sam Campbell V to take on Sam Smartt III and Sam Smartt IV
Sunday Morning Schedule
Finals and 3rd place matches for Flights 1-14 start at 7:20 a.m. with 14th final (7:20 a.m.) followed by 14th consolation (7:30 a.m.) and end with 7th flight consolation (2:20 p.m.) and 7th flight final (2:30 p.m.)
9:30 a.m. – Championship Flight Semis (9:30 and 9:40)
3 p.m. – 56th Annual Championship Final
Championship Flight
Sunday Semis
9:30 a.m. – No. 4 John Williams-Neil Spitalny vs. No.8 Pat McDonald-Whitfield McDonald
9:40 a.m. – No.2 Winston Brown-Fletcher Thompson vs. No.3 Scott Smith-Jay Walston
Sunday Consolation
9:10 – No.1 Brandon Born-Grant Caldwell vs. No.5 Chase Torrence-Ward Davenport
9:20 – No. 6 Jarvis Davenport-Ricky Davenport vs. No.7 Heat Haley-Tim Mahla
Quarterfinal Results
1:30 p.m. – No. 4 John Williams-Neil Spitalny def. No.5 Chas Torrence-Ward Davenport
1:40 p.m. – No.3 Scott Smith-Jay Walston (65) def. No.6 Jarvis Davenport-Ricky Johnson, 2-and-1
1:50 p.m. – No.2 Winston Brown-Fletcher Thompson def. No. 7 Heath Haley-Tim Mahla, 3-and-2
2 p.m. – No.8 Tim McDonald-Whitfield McDonald def. No.1 Brandon Born-Grant Caldwell, 6-and 5
contact B.B. Branton at william.branton@comcast.net