First Fricker Cup Provides Drama in a Beautiful Location

Brilliant blue skies and a slight breeze greeted the golfers of the first annual Fricker Cup competition at Hueston Woods Golf Club in Oxford, Ohio.  For the front nine the best ball format gave the team of Brad Flinders ’85 and Keith Zurawski ’81 an edge as Flinders 25 years earlier had played as a member of Miami’s Golf team. Miami was one of the best in the midwest at that time and used this course as it home practice course. 
 
After 9 holes Flinders/Zurawksi were in the lead with 4 strokes over the second place team of Tom Collins ‘83 and Jeff Meek ’87.  Collins was hopeful that the back nine format of Alternating Shots would help his team catch up, but when Zurawski’s 9 iron from 148 yeards out dropped 2.5 feet from the pin it signalled that the Fricker Cup would not be so easily 

After a tie on 11, Meek won a point sinking his putt  after Zurawski missed long on a 5 foot putt on 12 and held ground when Flinders shocked everyone by chunking a 4 foot putt leaving it 18 inches short after another stunning Zurawski approach shot.  On 14 Collins dropped a 14 foot downhill putt with perfect speed and a deceiving left to right line. The team of Collins and Meek was now only 3 points back and feeling more confident.     

Flinders and Zurawski were feeling the pressure and it appeared to have impacted Flinders who had been dropping balls within 6 feet of the pin regularly but on 15 left a 9 iron 21 feet below the pin. Zurawski’s putt with great speed was pin high but two feet to the left.  Keith marked the ball and replaced it with Flinders’s tee shot ball explaining that “Brad is more comfortable playing with his own balls.” 

Down 3 points, Collins and Meek had to win the remaining holes including the course’s featured hole number 16, a 196 par three over a fairway made only of lake water!  But it was not meant to be as Meek’s shot went far left of the green and Flinders and Zurawski pulled out back to back shots that landed safely on the green.  While Collins and Meek combined to win a point on 17 they came up 2 points short in the end. The battle went to Flinders and Zurawski.
 
The trophy presentation occurred immediately after with the assistance Golf Course Host, Merideth, wearing white gloves protecting her from the curse of Fricker which is brought upon any human touching the trophy who has not yet won the contest. At long last the 
winners were able to touch the trophy becoming the first people to do so with bare hands since its creation. Flinders and Zurawski both kissed the trophy and raised it above their heads in jubliation to the light applause of those in attendance at the awards ceremony.
 
Later near the parking lot, Flinders still high with testerone from the epic battle was recorded sharing his thoughts about the days competition and his feelings about winning the first event.  (Video is available on Twitter @KSTUAA)

The names of the winners will be engraved on the trophy cemementing their place in Theta-Upsilon history and commencing a new tradition for Kappa Sigma. They were also given smaller replica trophies to display at home. 

The next epic Fricker Cup contest is being planned for the summer of 2015 at a location yet to be determined. 

Email us at KSTUAA@gmail for details.