Fraters Aldrich, Widner Win Olympia Fields Four-Ball

This story originally appeared on AmateurGolf.com

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Illinois (May 27, 2016) -- Brett Widner and Donnie Aldrich have been successful as partners in Indiana, winning the 2014 Indiana Four-Ball and the 2015 Indiana Mid-Am team.

The duo, who hold executive positions with the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity -- Aldrich is CEO, Widner CFO -- took their partnership on the road to Olympia Fields and came home with the title.

Widner and Aldrich opened with a 66 on the North Course on Thursday, putting them a stroke behind Mike Cushing and Jeff Niepagen. Friday on the South, they headed to the final hole at 6-under for the tournament, needing a birdie to avoid a playoff with Brian and Jay Csipkes, who had made "from the trees" birdies on the last two holes to put themselves into position to win. 

After over shooting the par-5 18th green in two, Widner faced a delicate eagle shot from the first cut off rough, straight down hill. He elected to putt, and left the eagle try 7-feet short of the hole, far from gimme range.

No matter.

As Jay Csipkes, an AmateurGolf.com Equipment Panelist, reported later:

"After his playing partner watched his putt from 25 feet to win just miss the hole, Widner calmly stepped up and drained his putt to win the championship."

Widner may have holed the winning putt, but he was quick to credit his partner's play over the two rounds, including one key momentum-saving shot in the first round:

"After we both made bogey on the 16th, we were playing No. 17 on north course (our 8th), said Widner.

"It's a 413-yard par-4. He had 125 up the hill from middle of fairway and hit a perfect wedge right at it -- we got up to the green and didn't see ball, so we checked the hole and found it, for an eagle 2."

In the Senior Division, Albert Huddleston and Dan Deichert bettered their first round score of 72 by 6 shots. Their 66 was the lowest round of their division and secured a four shot victory over three teams.

Tournament is 36 holes, 18 on the North and 18 on the South. North course is the more famous, having hosted the US Open. But the South Course, renovated in 2008 is now the preferred club of the members and is slated to host several important professional and amateur tournaments in the coming years.

This is an invitational event with entries usually being sent to US Mid Amateur qualifiers and other players of note.