BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – Central Michigan golfers won seven matches and finished all square in two others on Monday in posting an 8-4 win over Chicago State during Round 1 of the 2nd Annual Motor City Matchup at Birmingham Country Club.
 
CMU is set to take on Green Bay on Tuesday (10 a.m.) in the championship match of the unique coed match play tournament at the storied club just north of Detroit.
 
Green Bay posted an 8-4 win over Detroit Mercy in Monday’s other Round 1 match. Detroit Marcy and Chicago State will play in the third-place match on Tuesday, also at 10 a.m.
 
CMU got victories from Ella Zanatta, Rachel Niskanen, Jeffrey Andrus, Brooke Morris, Hudson Vedder, Alexis McMurray and Zoe Dull on Monday, while Philippe Yturralde and Jeffrey Sager each earned one-half point when their respective matches ended all square.
 
“This is a team event, not an individual event,” CMU men’s coach Kevin Jennings said. “Some guys maybe weren’t happy with the way that they played today, however it’s a team event and kudos to your teammate for holding you up.
 
“Now we get ready for (Tuesday); get your mind right, and if you didn’t like the way you played (Monday), play better (Tuesday) and let’s get this W. Hopefully we get more of them clicking and then we can get what we desire.”
 
Mother Nature delivered an unusually gorgeous day for golf in mid-October with sunny skies, very little wind, and temperatures that peaked in the mid 70s.
 
“The weather is wonderful, the course is in great shape,” Jennings said.
 
Zanatta and Niskanen, the Chippewa women’s top two players, respectively, posted resounding victories, as did McMurray. Zanatta posted a 4 and 3 win, Niskanen rolled to a 7 and 6 victory, and McMurray won 6 and 5.
 
Zanatta’s match was all square through five holes and then Zanatta won back-to-back holes to go 2-up. After her opponent, Maria Quintero, won the eighth hole to cut Zanatta’s lead to 1-up, Zanatta won three consecutive holes, Nos. 11-13, to go 4-up. She then ended the match two holes later.
 
Niskanen came out on fire, winning five of the first seven holes to go 4-up on Begona Perez. Niskanen then won the first three holes on the back nine to finish the match early.
 
McMurray, likewise, never trailed against Aarushi Bhanot. McMurray won the first two holes to go 2-up and was 3-up at the turn. She then won holes 12, 13 and 14 to close it out.
 
Dull’s and Morris’ wins were much more hotly contested, though neither ever trailed.
 
Dull held a 1-up lead on Hannah Butzer and then won on No. 17 to close out her match; Morris’ match with Gia Lamba was all square when Morris won on No. 16 to go 1-up. She and Lamba then halved the final two holes.
 
On the men’s side, Andrus won 3 and 1 over Jose Monge, and Vedder captured posted a 2 and 1 win over Theo Hustler.
 
Neither Andrus nor Vedder ever trailed. Andrus was 3-up through 11 holes and then Monge won No. 12 and No. 14 to cut Andrus’ lead to 1-up. Andrus responded by winning No. 16 and then closed it out by winning No. 17.
 
Vedder’s match was all square through 15 holes. He won both No. 16 and No. 17 to end it.
 
 

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