Vicksburg Country Club golfers Eddie Buckner, front, and Greg Clement line up a putt on the 15th hole on Sunday. (Jon GiffinThe Vicksburg Post)

[8/30/04]In what has become an annual event, the Warren County Cup again changed hands Sunday.

One year after the Clear Creek golfers won the cup, the Vicksburg Country Club took it right back. The Country Club won 15-13 Saturday and Sunday to keep an unbeaten home win streak alive. Since the Cup matches began in 1990, VCC has never lost at the Country Club.

“This place is the ultimate home-field advantage,” said VCC golfer Larry Rocconi, who hit the first hole-in-one in the tournament’s history. “We can’t seem to beat them out there and they can’t seem to beat us here. It’s too much local knowledge, I guess.”

Rocconi hit a 5-iron on the 171-yard 10th hole coincidentally located right behind his house for the ace. It was his second career hole-in-one, with both coming on the same hole.

“It was going straight at the flag,” said Rocconi, who spent most of Sunday recalling his shot to a crowd in the VCC clubhouse. “It bounced twice and rolled into the hole.”

Rocconi defeated Mickle Heyward as the Country Club team reached 14 1/2 points the number needed to win the cup before the final two flights had finished.

VCC led 8-6 coming into Sunday’s final day, and by the time Jake Dornbusch defeated Dave Kuchman, the match was over.

Clear Creek won the final four matches, but it was too late for a comeback.

“We are getting better and better,” said Clear Creek golfer Connie Bowman, who defeated Eddie Buckner on the final day. “Our veterans played solid, but some of our young guys didn’t perform quite as well as expected.”

For the VCC, Ben Webb defeated Jamie Triplett, 5 and 4, in the first match on Sunday. Webb was leading by five holes with four to play, meaning Triplett could not make a comeback. In match play, strokes are not tallied, only holes won.

Randy Wright beat John Ferguson, 3 and 2, Ben Brooks defeated Howard Benson, 5 and 3, Rocconi took down Heyward, Todd Boolos knocked off Jeff Cowan, 5 and 4, and Dornbusch defeated Kuchman, 2 and 1.

Paul Campbell tied with Jimmy Thurman and Kevin East tied with Isaac Williams. In a tie, each team receives half a point.

For Clear Creek, Don LaGrone defeated Jamie Creel, 3 and 2, Steve Brown beat Steven Marcus, 1-up, Tommy Harrelson defeated Greg Clement, 2 and 1, Bowman beat Buckner, 3 and 1, Mike Hurley defeated Joe Lindigrin, 3 and 2, and Chad Henley beat Bill Grey, 1-up.

The cup matches will return to Clear Creek next year.

“Hopefully we can take care of them next year,” Bowman said. “We’ve changed the front nine and it’s a real challenge.”

Clear Creek has undergone a facelift this summer, with the entire front nine holes being rebuilt. The back nine are scheduled to be rebuilt as well, but there is no timetable for that.