Amateurs seize momentum to win Underwood Cup over Northern Chapter PGA

The coldest weather to hit the 35th annual Underwood Cup in years brought a familiar result: a victory for the team of First Coast Amateurs.

Needing only four points in singles on Feb. 3 at the Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach to retain the Cup it won last year at Deerwood, the amateurs won 4.5 among the first eight of 12 matches and went on to win 15-9, their seventh in the last nine years of the match-play event that began in 1992 at the Timuquana Country Club.

Lance Lacombe birdied the par-5 14th on a 12-foot putt and won No. 16 and 17 with pars to pull away from a tie with Rob Lee through 13 holes to win the clinching point. Lacombe dropped an 8-footer for par at the 17th (where all three of his matches ended in a victory).

The Amateur team in the 2026 Underwood Cup Matches display their trophy with tournament title sponsor Clayton Bromberg of Underwood Jewelers.

“It was hard work both days,” Lacombe said. “Cold, windy, firm greens and the pros fought hard. They were really good opponents.”

Amateurs rode momentum from foursomes matches

Lacombe’s victory followed a 3 and 2 decision for Jeff Dennis over Hayes Farley; a 6 and 4 victory for Matt Saxton over Aaron Russell; a 2-up victory for Tyler Gullikesen over Josh Wolfe; and a halved match between Ty Capps and Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth, when Eiswerth made an 8-foot birdie putt on the last.

Chase Baldwin of the Amateur Underwood Cup team hits his tee shot at No. 1 at the Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach on Feb. 3.

“Certainly the conditions, especially on [Feb. 2] were pretty miserable,” said amateur captain Steve Carter. “The golf course was in fantastic condition, super-firm, super-fast and it was great golf on both sides. We came up strong, got a little momentum and that made all the difference.”

The pros got three early points when P.J. Politan dispatched Jeff Golden 5 and 3; Clint Avret edged Andrew Morris 2 and 1; and Bobby Newberry cruised past Jordan Batchelor 4 and 3.

But they needed 8.5 points after the amateurs won two double sessions 8-4 and got no closer than that four-point margin to start the singles. There were opportunities for the pros: seven of the 12 singles matches were in doubt when the competitors were standing on the 17th tee.

“We got some good results from the middle of the lineup,” said pro captain Dean Grunewald, also the director of golf at the Plantation. “We had things right where we wanted for a bit. Then momentum turned and we couldn’t stop it.”

Underwood Cup 2026 captains Dean Grunewald of the professionals (left) and Steve Carter of the amateurs (right) present a pin flag signed by members of both teams following the matches at the Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach on Feb. 3.

The weather, morning frost delays and playing as many as 36 holes on the first day were a grind for all involved.

“It was a lot of prep work,” said Avret, who played the most holes on his team (53) and went 1-0-2. “A lot of layers, a lot of shedding, hand warmers like Tom Brady used to use … it was a lot of work out there. There are always one or two matches each session that can go one way or another and the amateurs made the putts and made the shots they needed.”

Players battled wind, cold

Five alternate-shot matches needed to be completed in the morning after darkness suspended play on Feb. 2. The pros got only 1.5 points from those suspended matches and the amateurs won two on the 17th hole, Lacombe and Morris over Russell and Lee; and Graham Nichols and Geise over Lanahan and Barsamian.

“The morning, ending the way it did, was huge for us,” Carter said. “It catapulted us into the singles. But there was still a chance for the pros to win and until we got that 12th point, it’s always nervous.”

The second day of matches was slightly warmer and less windy. The teams battled for eight hours on Monday in temperatures that ranged from the mid-30s when they started at 10 a.m. to the low 40s when darkness fell shortly after 6 p.m.

35th Underwood Cup

At Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach (7,141 yards, par-72)

Amateurs 15, Northern Chapter PGA 9

Four-Ball matches

Matt Saxton-Jeff Golden (A) d. Sydney Mattiace-Bobby Newberry (P) 5 and 4.
Clint Avret-Stephanie Connelley-Eiswerth (P) halved with Jordan Batchelor-Jeff Dennis (A).
Mike Smith-Lance Lacombe (A) d. Josh Wolfe-Hayes Farley 2 and 1.
Ty Capps-Tyler Gulliksen (A) d. P.J. Politan-Jarrod Barsamian 1-up.
Rob Lee-Aaron Russell (P) d. Andrew Morris-Chase Baldwin (A) 1-up.
Austin Hill-Andrew Lanahan (P) d. Sam Geise-Graham Nichols (A) 1-up.