Beach, Yates Repeat At Tribute

ROGERS -- Nick Beach and Casey Yates appeared on the brink of elimination Sunday in their search of a second straight championship at the Red Hudson Tribute 4-Ball Invitational. But with time running out on their last match, Beach and Yates rallied just in time before eventually pulling out a 1-up win in 19 holes over Aaron Bragg and Creighton Parker in the championship flight finals at Pinnacle Country Club.

"We knew we had some holes left and with match play, anything can happen," Beach said. "We hit a couple of good shots and put some pressure back on them. And if you panic it only makes the situation worse."

Red Hudson Tribute 4-Ball Invitational

Where: Pinnacle Country Club

Results

Championship Flight — Beach-Yates def. Bragg-Parker, 1 up (19 holes)

First Flight — Baumhder-Staley def. Nelson-Smith

Second Flight — Knight-Murders def. Crossland-Weaver, 3 and 2

Third Flight — Blakeman-Nabholz def. Duke-Bailey, 3 and 2

Fourth Flight — Colebanks-Quinn def. Lawson-Bray, 3 and 2

Fifth Flight — Hudson-Suski def. Paschal-Garza, 3 and 1

Beach and Yates, both of Fayetteville, took a 1-up lead over Bragg and Parker into the 12th hole Sunday. But that's where the match momentarily turned against the defending champs.

Parker sank a 20-foot birdie putt on the par four 12th to even the match. Both Beach and Yates then missed par putts on the par four 13th, moving Bragg and Parker -- both from Little Rock -- one hole ahead.

On the par three 15th, Bragg hit his tee shot within five feet and sank birdie to move he and his partner two up with just three holes left to play.

But Yates had an answer at just the right time.

"On 16 when I ran that putt in, I think the momentum definitely swung in our favor," Yates said. "And then Nick hit a good shot in there on 17."

Yates' birdie on the 16th brought he and Beach back within one. On the par three 17th, Beach was the only golfer in the foursome to hit the green. His par would even the match back up, heading to the par five 18th.

Beach and Yates actually had a putt at the win on the 18th green, but Yates' eight-foot downhill attempt at birdie missed left and led to a playoff.

"That was a really tough downhill putt," Beach said. "And he had to be careful there because I had made bogey on that hole."

The teams played No. 1 as the playoff hole and after Beach and Yates missed long birdie putts to settle for par, the championship was crowned when both Bragg and Parker missed on five-foot par putt attempts which could have continued the match.

"We ham and egged it out there today," Beach said. "Last year when we won we ham and egged it, but we really had to do it in this one."

Sports on 07/21/2014

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