Shuping/Taylor Finish Runner-Up At USGA Four-Ball Championship

BANDON, Ore. --- ECU rising seniors Logan Shuping and Blake Taylor made their way past four duos in the 2019 USGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship to advance to Wednesday's final, where they finished runner-up to the veteran tandem of Todd Mitchell and Scott Harvey.

After five trips to match play in this team event that began in 2015, including a semifinal showing in the inaugural competition at The Olympic Club in San Francisco, Harvey and Mitchell, both in their 40s, defeated the Pirates' 21-year old duo, 2 and 1, in the finals of the fifth-annual event.

The championship match was tied through four holes, but Shuping and Taylor lost holes five and six to go 2-down, but won on seven, 10 and 13 to go 1-up.

Harvey and Mitchell won 14, 15 and 16 — all with birdies — to go 2-up and then halved 17 to seal the win.

"Obviously, we'd like to be holding the trophy," said Shuping. "Any time you lose, you're not going to be that happy. I think we held our own. Wish we could have made some more birdies down the stretch, but that's how it goes.

"Those guys got hot, and they're great. That's what happens."

Play on Wednesday began with the semifinals as Shuping/Taylor defeated Taylor Wood and Andrew Medley, 2-up. The match was tied after seven holes before the ECU duo went 3-up with six holes to play. The Pirates' twosome was just 1-up through 17 holes, but closed the match with a birdie.

During Tuesday's quarterfinals, Shuping and Taylor eliminated the hottest pair entering the quarterfinals – Bobby Leopold, of Coventry, R.I., and his brother-in-law Tyler Cooke, of Warwick, R.I. Leopold and Cooke were a combined 12 under par through their first 27 holes of match play, with the usual concessions, but they could muster just three birdies against Taylor and Shuping, who posted a 2-up victory.

Shuping and Taylor were 2-down in the Round of 16 through 16 holes, but birdied each of the final three cups, while their opponent shot par off each tee, to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the Round of 32, Shuping/Taylor needed just 16 holes to best team of Chip Brooke and Marc Dull, 4-up.

The pair of ECU rising seniors finished stroke play at 8-under 133 (65-68) to finish tied for 17^th and move on to match play.

"Looking back on it, this is probably going to be my favorite week of golf ever," Shuping said. "I mean, this is so much fun, having the family here, playing with Blake. We played so well."

Shuping/Taylor Finish Runner-Up At USGA Four-Ball Championship

Players Mentioned

Logan Shuping

Blake Taylor

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