The Warren County Cup is back in Bovina.

The Clear Creek golfers defeated the Vicksburg Country Club team on Sunday, marking the 12th straight year the home team has won the Cup.

The two-day tournament pits 14 golfers from each of Warren County’s two golf courses in three different formats. Vicksburg Country Club, which won the first six Cups when the series began in 1990, leads the overall series 12-6.

Clear Creek appeared on its way to a dominating win ahead 12-2 in the 14 match-plays through the turn. The VCC made a late charge on the back nine, winning four of the last six matches with one split to finish down 8-5-1. The eight match wins left Clear Creek with the Cup 16 1/2 to 11 1/2.

“The home course is usually going to have the advantage, especially on Sunday, because their golfers just know the course and the greens better,” Clear Creek golf pro Kent Smith said. “But things can change quickly in this format. On Saturday, Vicksburg Country Club was up 6-1 in the afternoon alternate-shot matches at the turn but Clear Creek came back to win 4-3. Today, we were ahead 12-2 at the turn and the VCC was able to close it up.”

Clear Creek’s Mike Hurley, who won his singles match over VCC Club champion Greg Clement 4-and-2, said match play requires a different kind of strategy than stroke play.

“In match play, it’s you against the other guy. The cumulative score doesn’t matter. If you have a bad hole, you just put it behind you. I had a very bad hole on No. 10; must have made a 12 on it. But I came back and won the match,” Hurley said.

Individual matches can swing quickly. After his playing partner, Kacy Presley lost 7-and-6 to Jim Warren, Quentin Lovins, who was down four holes with five to play to Don Lagrone, made a big rally with four straight birdies starting on No. 14.

“He rolled one in from 40-feet on 17 after I had made a par. If he doesn’t make it it’s over,” Lagrone said. Both golfers bogeyed 18 to give Lagrone a 1-up win in the match.

Matt Bell beat Kevin East 4-and-3 to give Clear Creek an 11-6 lead. The VCC’s John Boland rolled in a par putt on No. 18 to beat Bob Davidson 1-up for his team’s first win.

Jeff Cowan won his match 1-up over VCC’s Bobby Burks and Jamie Triplett downed Steven Marcus 4-and-2 to put Clear Creek up 13-7.

The Cup outcome was settled on the next group when Tommy Harrelson and Rocky Sheirs won their matches on the 16th green after concessions from Randy Wright and David Boolos at 4-and-2.

Down 15-7, the VCC rattled off four wins from Allen Hudspeth, Jake Dornbusch, Todd Boolos and Don Marcus.

The last match saw VCC’s Eddie Buckner halve a match with Clear Creek’s Joey Hasty after Buckner rallied to win the 18th hole.