CHICAGO DISTRICT GOLF ASSOCIATION

In his relationship with Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / The Grove CC), Ramsey considers himself the 9-year-old. While the duo has combined to win three CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championships and qualify for three U.S. Four-Ball Championships as a tandem, Slutzky has been the more accomplished solo player, winning the 2022 CDGA Player of the Year award and owning four CDGA-administered individual titles compared to Ramsey's one.

On Wednesday at Merit Club, however, it was the little brother who "came out swinging."

Mere hours before boarding a flight together to head to Kiawah Island for this year's U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Ramsey got the best of "big brother" Slutzky, winning the Championship match of the 8th CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship in 19 holes.

"We've had a few [wins] together, but he has a bunch on his own, so it felt good to go out there and get a second one myself," Ramsey, who also claimed the 2020 Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship, said. "It's been a few years since the first one. It's nice to validate the first one with this one."

In the first matchup in a CDGA-administered event between the two cohorts, who deemed the experience "weird," Ramsey admittedly was nervous early on. Slutzky claimed the first two holes to gain an early 2-up advantage.

"When you go up against somebody like him, you can't make a lot of mistakes," Ramsey said of his slow start. "I stayed in it and tried to battle."

Ramsey began his fight back with a birdie on the par-4 fourth. From there, the rest of the match was played within a one-hole margin. Still 1 down at the turn, Ramsey gained his first advantage with pars on Nos. 10 and 11. After a setback on the par-5 12th, Ramsey bounced back by driving the green on the water-lined par-4 13th and two-putting for birdie. After tying the par-4 14th, Slutzky and Ramsey rotated hole wins on Nos. 15-17 to set up an even match on the tee box of the par-5 18th.

Fittingly, the duo found themselves side-by-side 40 yards short of the 18th green laying two.

"You really couldn't have drawn it up any more perfectly," Ramsey said.

Both players got up and down for birdie, sending them back to 18 for a 19th hole. This time, both players found the green in two - Ramsey, however, was below the hole, while Slutzky had a difficult downhill eagle look from the back of the green.

"I had a good feeling that, if I could get up and down for birdie, that the two-putt for him was going to be difficult," Ramsey said.

Slutzky went first and ran his putt out about 8 feet beyond the hole. Ramsey lagged his to "gimme" range, and when Slutzky missed his come-backer, "little brother" was triumphant.

After a quick lunch, it was an hour-plus-long jaunt down the Tri-State to Midway to board a flight to South Carolina for the U.S. Four-Ball. The experience will begin with practice rounds on Thursday and Friday before the event formally begins on Saturday. Will Wednesday's festivities be brought up?

"The entire time," Ramsey said with his trademark laugh. "I hope he's not mad at me when I do it every time, but I will be bringing it up non-stop.

"We're going to go down there and have a real good time. He and I always have a good time together. Hopefully we can do something special."