GENEVA, Ill. – Many of the 50 duos competing in the 10th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship came in with years of experience playing alongside one another.
Jackson Hulsey (St. Charles / The Hawk CC) and Joseph Luchtenburg (West Chicago / St. Andrews G&CC) had nearly a lifetime’s worth.
The cousins relied on their familial bond to emerge victorious, 1 up, in the Final Match against Dustin Sloat (Charleston / CDGA Member’s Club) and Tyler Comerford (Glen Carbon / CDGA Member’s Club) Wednesday evening at Eagle Brook Country Club.
"We’ve known each other for a very long time,” Hulsey said, estimating they first played golf together 15 years ago at the ages of 6 and 4.
“The more we’ve played together, the more we know each other’s games,” Hulsey added. “We know if one gets in trouble, the other one gets either aggressive or safe and just go from there on who hits first and everything like that.”
There was no better example of this rhythm than the decisive 17th and 18th holes in the title tilt. With the match tied, Luchtenburg fired his approach on the 189-yard par-3 to 15 feet above the hole. With Comerford in a similar range, Luchtenburg collaborated with Hulsey to read the putt and sank it for birdie. Comerford’s bid slid by the hole, sending the eventual victors to No. 18 1 up.
“I knew in the moment it was a must-make,” Luchtenburg, a rising sophomore at Olivet Nazarene University, said. “I had to assume the competitor was going to make his. I put a good line on it and hoped it went in. It went in and I was very happy about that.”
Next, it was Hulsey’s turn to bolster the team. Luchtenburg hit first and put his drive in the water down the right side, leaving Hulsey in a precarious position as he stepped to the tee of the demanding 448-yard finisher.
“On 18, after I saw him unfortunately hit in the water, I knew that it was ok because I trusted myself and trusted the process. One shot at a time,” Hulsey said.
The rising senior at Aurora University flirted with the same hazard Luchtenburg found, but wound up safely in the rough. Sloat was the only one from his duo in play off the tee. His approach shot went long left, while Hulsey’s rolled just off the back left corner of the green. Sloat notched a skillful up-and-down to save par before Hulsey clinched the title with a nervy three-footer.
“I just looked at it, picked out my target and hit a couple good shots there at the end,” Hulsey said. “That’s all I knew I had to do.”
The 16 holes preceding the climax were closely contested, with no side leading by more than one hole. Hulsey and Luchtenburg birdied the par-3 third to go 1 up and held the advantage until No. 10, when Sloat and Comerford birdied Nos. 10 and 11 to surge in front.
The deficit was short-lived, as Hulsey responded by chipping in for eagle on the par-5 12th and celebrated with an assertive fist pump and scream. He also birdied the par-4 14th, sticking his approach from the right rough to within five feet and rolling in the birdie bid.
“It was very important for us,” Hulsey said of regaining the advantage. “We don’t do good on No. 10 and 11. We didn’t really win those. We always lost on 11. But we always knew that Nos. 12-14 were our stretch where we could take advantage.”
“We love that stretch of holes,” Luchtenburg added. “We were just comfortable throughout that, which helped us out a lot.”
Sloat responded impressively in his own right, tallying a 2 on the par-3 15th to once again even the match before the heroics from Luchtenburg and Hulsey concluded the proceedings.
Each victor hopes to build off their success in this event, and throughout the summer in the Chicago District, as they prepare to continue their respective college careers.
“It helps build confidence,” said Hulsey, who also finished 14th in the Illinois State Amateur Championship and made match play in the CDGA Amateur Championship. “Seeing that trend in my game builds confidence in me.”
“Coming out here and getting a win is a huge stepping stone that I’m glad to finally be over,” said Luchtenburg, also a 2019 Drive, Chip & Putt National Finalist.
The 2025 CDGA Championship Schedule continues in August, as the 33rd Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship is slated for Inverness Golf Club, Aug. 18-19.
MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Final Match
(16) Jackson Hulsey / Joseph Luchtenberg def. (15) Dustin Sloat / Tyler Comerford, 1 up
Semifinal Matches
(16) Jackson Hulsey / Joseph Luchtenburg def. (13) Dylan Drogemuller / Nick Barry, 4 and 3
(15) Dustin Sloat / Tyler Comerford def. (3) Greg Bauman / Riley Bauman, 4 and 3
Day Two: Tuesday, July 29
TITLE DEFENSE FALLS SHORT AS SEMIFINALS ARE SET IN 10TH CDGA AMATEUR FOUR-BALL AT EAGLE BROOK
GENEVA, Ill. – A new tandem is guaranteed to hoist the 10th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship trophy by day’s end Wednesday, as defending champions Brien Davis (Peoria / WeaverRidge CC) and John Ehrgott (Edwards / Arrowhead CC) came up short in their title defense Tuesday at Eagle Brook Country Club. The duo fell to Jackson Hulsey (St. Charles / The Hawk CC) and Joseph Luchtenburg (West Chicago / St. Andrews G&CC) in the afternoon’s Quarterfinal match, 1 up. Hulsey and Luchtenburg, the event’s No. 16 seed, headline the Semifinal slate.
Following the Round of 16 matches Tuesday morning, Davis and Ehrgott and Hulsey and Luchtenburg quickly traded hole wins on Nos. 1 and 2. The 2024 victors built a 2-up lead around the turn, winning holes Nos. 8, 9, and 11. Hulsey, a rising senior at Aurora University, and Luchtenburg, a rising senior at Olivet Nazarene, then roared back with three straight from Nos. 12-14 to take a 1-up lead of their own. Davis and Ehrgott pulled even with a win on No. 17 before Hulsey and Luchtenburg closed the door on a repeat with a par win on No. 18.
Elsewhere, the Quarterfinal matches featured a slew of one-sided affairs. The tandem of Dylan Drogemuller (Frankfort / Cog Hill G&CC) and Nick Barry(Lockport / Midlothian CC) took down Jack (Roselle / CDGA Member’s Club) and Josh (Roselle / CDGA Member’s Club) Lahner, 5 and 4. Drogemuller, of Drake University, and Barry, of Carthage College, never trailed in the match, building a 5-up lead through 11 holes. Despite a loss on No. 12, that lead was regained with a birdie on No. 13. The squad will meet Hulsey and Luchtenburg in the Semifinals.
Matching that match’s margin of victory was by Dustin Sloat (Charleston / CDGA Member’s Club) and Tyler Comerford (Glen Carbon / CDGA Member’s Club), who bested the Loyola University Chicago duo of Clay Heilman (South Elgin / Prairie Landing GC) and Connor Woodin (Arlington Heights / Buffalo Grove GC), 5 and 4, in the Quarterfinals. The latter tandem built a 2-up lead through two holes, before Sloat and Comerford won seven of the next 12 holes, including six birdies. They will meet a brother brace in the Semifinals, as Greg (Crystal Lake / Biltmore CC) and Riley (Crystal Lake / Biltmore CC) Bauman defeated Alexander (Hinsdale / Butterfield CC) and Bennett (Hinsdale / Butterfield CC) Rasmussen, 4 and 3. The Baumans’ four wins came via birdies on Nos. 2, 11, 14 and 15.
The 10th iteration of the CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship will conclude on Wednesday, with the Semifinals commencing at 8:20 a.m. The Championship clash will be contested in the afternoon.MATCH PLAY RESULTS
Quarterfinal Matches
(16) Jackson Hulsey / Joseph Luchtenburg def. (9) Brien Davis / John Ehrgott, 1 up
(13) Dylan Drogemuller / Nick Barry def. (12) Josh Lahner / Jack Lahner, 5 and 4
(15) Dustin Sloat / Tyler Comerford def. (7) Clay Heilman / Connor Woodin, 5 and 4
(3) Riley Bauman / Greg Bauman def. (11) Bennett Rasmussen / Alexander Rasmussen, 4 and 3
Round of 16 Matches
(16) Jackson Hulsey / Joseph Luchtenburg def. (1) Brian Zimmerman / Matt Galvan, 2 up
(9) Brien Davis / John Ehrgott def. (8) Pablo Castro / Joseph Sluzas, 3 and 2
(12) Josh Lahner / Jack Lahner def. (5) Michael Fastert / Graham O’Connor-Brooks, 2 up
(13) Dylan Drogemuller / Nick Barry def. (4) Jack Mortell / Sam Mortell, 2 and 1
(15) Dustin Sloat / Tyler Comerford def. (2) Nick Schenk / Dan Gratton, 20 holes
(7) Clay Heilman / Connor Woodin def. (10) Justin Schwab / Nick Feinberg, 2 up
(11) Bennett Rasmussen / Alexander Rasmussen def. (6) Lewis Martin / Jake Niebrugge, 2 and 1
(3) Riley Bauman / Greg Bauman def. (14) Connor O’Grady / Sean O’Grady, 4 and 2
GENEVA, Ill.– Much like the steamy weather conditions on Monday at Eagle Brook Country Club, Brian Zimmerman (Normal / Crestwicke CC) and Matt Galvan (Naperville / CDGA Member’s Club) teamed up to card a blistering 10-under 62 in stroke-play qualifying of the 10th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship. The tandem will hold the No. 1 seed heading into match play, which begins on Tuesday.
Early morning rains necessitated a one-hour delay on Monday, with duos up and down the leaderboard utilizing soft course conditions to the tune of sub-par rounds. For Zimmerman and Galvan, their day began on Eagle Brook’s back nine with a birdie on the par-4 10th. They then proceeded to notch a birdie on No. 12, before a streak of red figures from Nos. 14-17. After turning in 30, they kept the gas pedal down, racking up birdies on Nos. 2, 4, 5 and 7. With 10 birdies on the day, and not a single bogey-blemish, Zimmerman and Galvan finished two shots clear of the field.
Elsewhere, Nick Schenk (Batavia / Black Sheep GC) and Dan Gratton (Geneva / Village Links of Glen Ellyn) earned the No. 2 seed for match play after their 7-under 65 featured eight birdies to one bogey. Brothers Greg (Crystal Lake / Biltmore CC) and Riley (Crystal Lake / Biltmore CC) Bauman carded six birdies and an eagle on the par-5 12th hole to finish with a 7-under 65 of their own, earning the No. 3 seed via scorecard submission order. Additionally, 2024 victors Brien Davis (Peoria / WeaverRidge CC) and John Ehrgott (Edwards / Arrowhead CC) began their title defense with a 5-under 67, which included six birdies and one bogey. The pair teamed together for the first time last August to claim the title at The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club in Rockford, and will look to match their winning ways as the No. 9 seed.
The Round of 16 matches will begin Tuesday morning, with the Quarterfinals slated for the afternoon. Wednesday will feature both the Semifinals and the title tilt to crown a champion.
Preview
The 2025 slate of CDGA-administered championships continues with the 10th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship, July 28-30, at Eagle Brook Country Club in Geneva. Eighteen holes of stroke-play qualifying and a 16-team match-play bracket await a field featuring 50 of the Chicago District's top tandems.
Schedule
Monday, July 28 The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play to determine the low 16 who will advance to match play.
Tuesday, July 29 The Round of 16 and Quarterfinal matches will take place.
Wednesday, July 30 The Semifinals and Championship match will be contested on Wednesday.
CLICK HERE or the image for a full preview and notes package.
New to the CDGA championship slate in 2016, the CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship is a team match play event. Two-person teams begin the Championship with 18 holes of stroke play on the Monday of the event before the low 16 teams are seeded into a match play bracket. Both team members play their own ball throughout, with the lowest score on each hole counting. Peoria's Brien Davis and Edwards' John Ehrgott hoisted the hardware for the first time in 2024, defeating four-time champions Chadd Slutzky and John Ramsey in the Final match.
Cousins Jackson Hulsey and Joseph Luchtenburg emerged victorious in the 10th CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Eagle Brook Country Club.
Preview
