MASHPEE, Massachusetts – The teams of Darin & Denise Eddy and Kimberly & Steven McCrohon played on two different days, played two completely different rounds, but finished with matching 77s to split the 2021 Sheeran Mixed Tournament Title.
The Sheeran Mixed Tournament is a two-person team event open to legally married amateur golfers. It is a one-round tournament, competed over two days to maximize the field size. Competition was held for both Gross and Net Divisions.
The format of play allowed both golfers to hit tee shots. The teams then had the opportunity to choose which drive they wanted to use and then played alternate shot into the hole.
Playing on Monday, Darin & Denise Eddy (Marshfield CC) shot the round of the day and gave the teams playing Tuesday a score to chase. Starting on hole 10, the Eddy’s had a steady and uneventful opening 9 holes, shooting a 2-over-par 38.
The closing 9 was a completely different story, where their 39 included just one par. They made an eagle, a couple of double-bogeys, and everything in between. But the highlight of the round was a birdie on their closing hole, one that would (eventually) give them a share of the title.
Kimberly & Steven McCrohon (Green Hill GC, Holden Hills CC) teed it up in a Mass Golf event for the first time ever Tuesday. Like the Eddy’s, the McCrohon’s played steady over their first 9 holes, playing 3-over-par during the opening stretch.
They were able to continue their steady and consistent play to match the 77 posted by the Eddy’s on Monday. In total, the McCrohon’s made 1 birdie, 11 pars, and 6 bogeys. They were one of just two teams to avoid making any double-bogeys (or worse) during the tournament.
Of Note: Earlier this summer Darin Eddy qualified for the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship at his home course, calling it “A Dream Come True.”
In the Net Division, the team of Anne & Neil Schneider (Framingham CC) shot a net score of 64 (-8) on Monday. They were red hot on their closing stretch, making net-birdies on 5 of their final 6 holes to claim the Net Division Title by two strokes. This marks the second straight year the Schneider’s have won the Net Division. Making a boatload of net-birdies was important, but limiting mistakes seemed to be the difference. The Schneider’s made just one net-bogey on the day, which was two less than the teams directly below them on the leaderboard. They edged out a pair of 66s from fellow Framingham CC members David & Michelle Marseglia and Martin & Sue Gould (Pinehills GC).
Located along the coast in Mashpee, the Club at New Seabury is among the best clubs on the Cape. With its two championship courses, Ocean and Dunes, New Seabury provides its members and guests with the ultimate Cape Cod golf experience. Recently renovated by Bruce Hepner, the two William Mitchell courses are designed to accommodate golfers of all skill levels.
In recent years, the Club at New Seabury has hosted several Mass Golf events including the 2020 Women’s Stroke Play Championship, the 2015 Women’s Endicott Cup & Tri-State Matches, and numerous Mass Golf Member Days.
Last year, Tom Dunne wrote a fascinating piece in Golfweek about the recent course renovations at New Seabury. The renovations were done by architect Bruce Hepner, who once worked in the associate ranks at Tom Doak’s Renaissance Golf, where he served as project lead on modern hits such as Ballyneal and Cape Kidnappers.
Talking about the Dunes course, Hepner said “I thought I could make it feel like an old New England [Donald] Ross course, like Salem or Worcester. So I just whaled on the place, deconstructed it and put it back together. It’s an elegant, rolling piece of ground. The bunkers are very simple and Ross-like, but I got rid of all the Humpty Dumpty mounding. You won’t be overwhelmed by it, but you’ll say, ‘Hey, that’s a pretty cool member’s course.’ Compared to what it was, though, it turned out better than I could have imagined.”
Once his attention turned to the Ocean Course, Hepner drew inspiration from Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw’s work at Maidstone to draw the ocean into the golf course, adding native vegetation to create “a seascape kind of feeling” while also adding a lot of sand.
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