Back in 1976, Tim Gillespie was teeing off in his first Bloomington City Golf Tournament Junior match during America’s bicentennial.
Now 64, as America celebrates another milestone birthday, Gillespie was face-to-face with that young man on Saturday at Cascades Golf Course in the form of 15-year-old Ryan Decker, a fourth seed who is heading into his sophomore year at Bloomington North.
Gillespie, well old enough to play in the Senior’s bracket, has competed in the Championship flights of Men’s and Seniors each of the past 30 years. It’s likely his last try at a Men’s Championship title.
“I was just happy to make the field, being that old,” Gillespie said.
Decker, the 2023 Junior champ playing in his first Men’s match, and youth prevailed, 5 and 4.
“It was fun,” Decker said. “I felt like I played good the first eight holes. Really had it going there. Couple putts wished would have dropped didn’t drop. But I still felt like I got the job done. I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Gillespie was impressed by Decker, who turned 15 in January and is trying to become the tourney’s youngest winner, a title set by then 16-year-old Kyle Perry in 2006.
“To get to play with the young kids like that, he played pretty good today,” said Gillespie, the 2024 Senior champ. “He is so methodical on everything. His routine, everything. And to have that at that age is pretty good.
“I think he might have hit one bad tee shot, and got away with it. And me, I hit two or three bad tee shots, and didn’t get away with it. And every time, he’d hit a mediocre, we’d get up there and his lie’s perfect and I’m right next to him in a hole with grass that deep.”
Decker came in off a couple of championships against players his own age in Plymouth and over at IU’s Pfau Course. Age isn’t a factor now in an all-comers tourney, but he’s been in competitive mode for a while.
“It’s given me a lot of confidence,” Decker said. “I’ve just been playing some really good golf and getting a couple victories under my belt has been nice. Getting to come back to Cascades, that’s kind of a little bit of a breather, almost.”
“It’s definitely different,” Decker said. “All my other events, I’m playing people my own age. Tim played great. He made me go out and get it and make some putts.”
Elsewhere in the Men’s flight, all the top seeds won. Half the field picked up their first City Championship flight wins.
Four-time defending champ Jason Bannister didn’t even have to take a swing as Zayne Dwigans was a no-show, one of several withdraws that have plagued the tourney this year. He’ll take on No. 8 Daniel Melwid, a 3 and 2 winner over No. 9 Brayden Bunger. They’ll be paired up with Decker and No. 5 Tyler Jordan, a 1 up winner over No. 12 Zach Sykes.
The bottom part of the bracket saw No. 2 Mitch Oard oust No. 15 Brad Scroggins 5 and 4; No. 7 Sam Wise run past No. 10 Tony Arnett 7 and 6; No. 3 Logan Vernon beat No. 14 Jim Southern 7 and 6 and No. 6 Alec Freund held off No. 11 Jeff Nelson, 2 and 1, winning the last two holes.
Harper ‘got lucky’ in OT win
Nearly every match went to form save for one of the last matches to finish up.
The Ross Rush Super Senior battle between No. 5 Joe Beane and No. 12 Robin Harper was just the second in the championship flights to reach 18 before Harper prevailed on the 20th hole. Neither led by more than two.
“It was not a very well played match,” Harper said. “We didn’t score well. We each had one birdie on 18 holes. It was a game of bogeys.”
The two had gone back and forth much of the day and were even before Harper won 16, then saw Beane take 17. Beane’s drive on 18 drifted left into the grove of trees, but somehow made it through. They would halve the hole to force overtime.
Harper’s second shot on Quarry No. 1 stopped at the bottom of a sharp rise on the uphill portion across the creek. He choked up and chopped an 8-iron to the front fringe, leading to a par and another tie.
On No. 2, Harper’s approach was left, about 15 feet from the flag. Beane was short about 25 feet and his aggressive putt went four feet past. Harper nudged his within inches of the cup and Beane went left again, leaving Harper to celebrate with a peanut butter sandwich.
“Joe’s been playing better than I’ve been playing lately,” Harper said. “Playing the way I played today, I would have expected to have gotten beat. But I got lucky. That’s part of the game.”
True to form
Other than Harper, just two No. 9 seeds pulled off ‘upsets’ in the first round.
Harper’s win set up a “revenge tour” against No. 4 Bob Hasty, who held off No. 13 Paul Toddy, 2 and 1. Defending champ Ike Martin had no problems against No. 16 Phil McCann, 7 and 6. He’ll play No. 9 Burke Geene, who slipped by No. 8 Steve Hinds 5 and 4.
No. 2 Dan Neubecker outlasted No. 15 Marty Hutsell, 3 and 2 and takes on No. 7 John Kaser, a 5 and 4 winner over No. 10 David Devitt. No. 3 Rory Brown and No. 6 Mike Vernon will clash in the final pairing, Brown taking down No. 14 Mike Thomas 5 and 4 and Vernon whipping No. 11 Gary Blackwell 6 and 5.
In the Paul Gray Senior Championship, 2025 champ Chad Osborne was a 3 and 2 winner over No. 16 Ken Wilson, while No. 9 Charles Combs beat No. 8 Lance Ringler 3 and 2. No. 4 Matt Till topped No. 13 Jason Storm, 6 and 5 while No. 45 Brad Leach was a 4 and 2 winner over No. 12 Mike Bruce.
In the bottom bracket, No. 2 Gary EuDaly had just enough to beat No. 15 Thomas Gillespie, Tim’s brother, 4 and 2. No. 7 Chris Stedman was strong late to knock out No. 10 Chuck Vernon, 2 and 1. No. 3 Brian Muehlhaus looked good in his first go-around in the Seniors with a 7 and 6 winner over No. 14 Ross Grimes. He faces another former champ in No. 6 Jim Alexander, a 3 and 2 winner over No. 11 Bill Kelson.
Just one match took place in the Women’s top flight as No. 5 Kourtney Grimes tripped up No. 4 Jullian Moss, 4 and 3. Two players withdrew, pushing the match between No. 2 Carly Cauble and No. 7 Lisa Wise into the semifinals next Saturday.
98TH CITY GOLF TOURNAMENT
PHIL TALBOT MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
[1] Jason Bannister d. [16] Zayne Dwigans, forfeit; [8] Daniel Melwid d. [9] Brayden Bunger, 3 and 2; [4] Ryan Decker d. [13] Tim Gillespie 5 and 4; [5] Tyler Jordan d. [12] Zach Sykes, 1 up.
[2] Mitch Oard d. [15] Brad Scroggins, 5 and 4; [7] Sam Wise d. [10] Tony Arnett 7 and 6; [3] Logan Vernon d. [14] Jim Southern 7 and 6; [6] Alec Freund d. [11] Jeff Nelson 2 and 1.
PAUL GRAY SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
[1] Chad Osborne d. [16] Ken Wilson 3 and 2; [9] Charles Combs d. [8] Lance Ringler 3 and 2; [4] Matt Till d. [13] Jason Storm 6 and 5; [5] Brad Leach d. [12] Mike Bruce, 4 and 2.
[2] Gary EuDaly d. [15] Thomas Gillespie 4 and 2; [7] Chris Stedman d. [10] Chuck Vernon, 2 and 1; [3] Brian Muehlhaus d. [14] Ross Grimes 7 and 6; [6] Jim Alexander d. [11] Bill Kelson, 3 and 2.
ROSS RUSH SUPER SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
[1] Ike Martin d. [16] Phil McCann 7 and 6; [9] Burke Geene d. [8] Steve Hinds, 5 and 4; [4] Bob Hasty d. [13] Paul Toddy, 2 and 1; [12] Robin Harper d. [5] Joe Beane, 20 holes
[2] Dan Neubecker d. [15] Marty Hutsell, 3 and 2; [7] John Kaser d. [10] David Devitt, 5 and 4; [3] Rory Brown d. [14] Mike Thomas, 5 and 4; [6] Mike Vernon d. [11] Gary Blackwell, 6 and 5.
SENIOR REGULAR
FIRST FLIGHT — [1] Jay Freund, bye; [4] Dan Smith d. [5] Rock Scherer, 3 and 1; [2] Rich Scheid d. [7] Aaron Santner, 1 up; [6] Brian Wise d. [3] Allen Aung, 1 up.
SECOND FLIGHT — [1] Jeff Huntoon, bye; [4] Brandon Chambers d. [5] Mike Vernon, Jr. 2 and 1; [2] Ed Huff, bye; [6] Ramesh Venkataraman d. Noberto Mejia, 22 holes.
SUPER SENIOR REGULAR
FIRST FLIGHT — [1] George Finley d. [8] Dick Meacham, 4 and 3; [4] Keith Houk d. [5] Davoid Ripley, 1up; [7[ Drew Antilla d. [2] David Smiley, 19 holes; [3] Gerald Wright d. [6] Mark Deal, 2 and 1.
SECOND FLIGHT — [1] Jim Sims, bye; [4] Jan Bond d. [5] John Cantwell, 4 and 2; [2] Brian Werth, bye; [6] Sam Janaraweragul d. [3] Brett Daniels, 3 and 2.
WOMEN’S REGULAR
FIRST FLIGHT — [1] Libby McElhinney, bye; [5] Kourtney Grimes d. [4] Jillian Moss, 4 and 3; [2] Carly Cauble vs. [7] Lisa Wise, PPD; [3] Marley Jackson vs. [6] Sheila Nickle, both WD.
SUNDAY, JULY 12 TEE TIMES
PHIL TALBOT MEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
7:30 a.m.: [1] Jason Bannister vs. [8] Daniel Melwid; [4] Ryan Decker vs. [5] Tyler Jordan. 7:40: [2] Mitch Oard vs. [7] Sam Wise; [3] Logan Vernon vs. [6] Alec Freund.
PAUL GRAY SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
7:50 a.m.: [1] Chad Osborne vs. [9] Charles Combs; [4] Matt Till vs. [5] Brad Leach. 8:00: [2] Gary EuDaly vs. [7] Chris Stedman; [3] Brian Muehlhaus vs. [6] Jim Alexander.
ROSS RUSH SUPER SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
8:10 a.m.: [1] Ike Martin vs. [9] Burke Geene; [4] Bob Hasty vs. [12] Robin Harper. 8:20: [2] Dan Neubecker vs. [7] John Kaser; [3] Rory Brown vs. [6] Mike Vernon.
MEN’S REGULAR
FIRST FLIGHT — 8:40 a.m.: [1] Cameron Cochren vs. [8] Brett Oeding; [4] Aaron Wicker vs. [5] Cole Trueblood. 8:50: [2] Robert Wise vs. [7] James Richardson; [3] Jake Cunningham vs. [6] Henry Ripley.
SECOND FLIGHT — 9:00 a.m.: [1] Kevin Greve, bye. [4] Russ Wilkie vs. [5] Bryan Fyalkowski. 9:10: [2] Jeremy Wise vs. [7] Brad Garrison; [3] Daniel Johnson vs. [6] Jackson Storm.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Battle of the ages highlights Men’s City Golf Tournament openers
Reporting by Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times / The Herald-Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Gordillo, The Herald-Times | USA TODAY Network
