Mohnton, Pa. (Oct. 27, 2021) - Alvernia University rolled to a 3-0 lead over Albright College after day one fourball matches of the 17th annual John Yocum Challenge Cup Wednesday afternoon at Ledgerock Golf Club.

Tyler Cebular and Jack Lynam tied the largest margin of victory for Alvernia in fourball matches with a 9&7 win over Nick Griffith and Josh Kuykendall.  Holt Albertson and Luke Fagley teamed for an 8&7 win over Will Tarpine and Kyle Vonderlinden, and Jake Duffy and Joe Polidoro earned a 2&1 win over Jake Cramer and Jeremy Brubaker.

Aidan Mansfield and Bobby Cullen posted a 9&7 win for Alvernia in a fourball match at Berkshire in 2016.

It's the fourth time a team has taken a 3-0 lead after fourball matches and the second time for Alvernia which did it last in 2015.  Cebular now owns two of the top three largest margins of victory in fourball having teamed with Duffy for a 7&5 win in 2019.

Match Summaries
Cebular and Lynam--playing in Match 2--were the first ones to earn a point for the Wolves.  Pars were good enough to win the first two holes and halve the third.  The pair ran off five straight wins from 4 through 8 to take a commanding 7-up lead.  Lynam carded pars for wins at 4, 5, and 8, and Cebular's bogey at 6 was good enough for a win.  Albright conceded the par 5 7th after struggling to find the green in regulation. 

Lynam tapped in for par and a half on 9 then won 10 with a par to go 8-up, and his 2-putt bogey at 11 was good enough for another win to close the match.

Albertson and Fagley kept pace with the Cebular/Lynam match one hole in front of them.  They were conceded birdies to win the 1st and Fagley's 2-putt pars were good enough to win 2 and 3 and go 3-up.

Fagley kept his foot on the gas stuffing it in tight for birdies at 4 and 5, before Tarpine temporarily stopped the momentum with a par and a half at 6.

Fagley's par at 7 was good for a win and got the Wolves back on track.  He reached the par 5 8th in two and 2-putted for birdie to get to 4-under on the day on his own ball and 7-up in the match.

Both Albright players found the putting surface at the par 3 10th and Tarpine was able to 2-putt for par and a win as neither Fagley nor Albertson was able to get up and down from off the green.

Both Alvernia players returned the favor at 11 with matching pars to win the hole and the match.

The first match of the day was the closest of the three with neither team holding a lead more than 2-up.  The Lions were 2-up thru five holes when Cramer's bogey 5 was good enough to win the 5th.  Polidoro cut that in half with a par on the par 5 7th and after three straight halves both Duffy and Polidoro made back-to-back pars on 11 and 12 to take a 1-up lead--their first of the day.

Both teams carded sixes on the par 5 13th and Brubaker was the only player to find the green on the 3 14th and 2-putted for par and a win to level the match.  Polidoro won a putting contest with a tidy 2-putt on 15 to go back 1-up, and Duffy went fairway and green at 16 for a par to go 2-up with two to play.

Duffy--who split the fairways most of the day--was down the middle on 17, but had a pair of chip shots roll back to his feet greenside.  He was finally able to negotiate a 15-footer for double, and when Cramer's 8-footer for bogey slid past the hole, Alvernia claimed the 2&1 win.

The 17th Annual Yocum Cup wraps up Thursday at Berkshire with six singles matches.

Fourball Matches
Match 1: Jake Duffy/Joe Polidoro (Alv) def. Jake Cramer/Jeremy Brubaker (Alb) 2&1
Match 2: Tyler Cebular/Jack Lynam (Alv) def. Nick Griffith/Josh Kuykendall (Alb) 9&7
Match 3: Holt Albertson/Luke Fagley (Alv) def. Will Tarpine/Kyle Vonderlinden (Alb) 8&7