David Kluger tees off on the seventh hole at Fox Hill Country Club with his partner Eric Williams looking on. The team of Kluger/Williams defeated Bobby Santarelli/John Barone for the John A. Allan Tournament last Sunday.

David Kluger tees off on the seventh hole at Fox Hill Country Club with his partner Eric Williams looking on. The team of Kluger/Williams defeated Bobby Santarelli/John Barone for the John A. Allan Tournament last Sunday.

<p>Bobby Santarelli watches his partner John Barone attempt to sink a 12-foot put during the John A. Allan Tournament at Fox Hill Country Club on last Sunday. The pair lost to Eric Williams and David Kluger 6 & 5 for the 2020 championship.</p>

Bobby Santarelli watches his partner John Barone attempt to sink a 12-foot put during the John A. Allan Tournament at Fox Hill Country Club on last Sunday. The pair lost to Eric Williams and David Kluger 6 & 5 for the 2020 championship.

EXETER – David I. Kluger and Eric Williams built up momentum as the weekend progressed during the 74th annual John A. Allan Memorial Member-Guest golf tournament at Fox Hill Country Club.

After cutting it close to get through Aug. 14 qualifying, Kluger-Williams left little doubt in the final, ending their Championship Flight title match with John Barone and Robert Santarelli early.

“Our goal on Friday was really just to get into match play,” Williams said.

They did so with a 1-over-par, 72, making the team the 12th seed among the 16 that made the weekend out of 22 that attempted to qualify for the championship flight.

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“Once you get to match play,” Williams said, “anything can happen.”

The Kluger-Williams combo was one of three that tied for 10th with 72 on a day when 74 or better was needed to qualify for the four-rounds of match play.

Once in, they defeated higher-seeded opponents – based on better qualifying scores – in three matches, including both when the event was wrapping up Aug. 16.

“Friday is the hardest day for me personally,” Williams said. “Then, once you get in, then you can just free-wheel it.”

The weekend results proved his point.

Although the top two qualifiers made it to the semifinals, lower-seeded teams won half of the eight first-round matches and all three of the final-day matches.

Kluger-Williams were only extended to the 18th hole once and that came in the first round with a 1-up victory over A.J. Donatoni-Don Donatoni. They made it through the quarterfinals with a 5 and 3 win over 13th-seeded Evan Joyce-Michael P. Crossin.

Mark Answini and Shamus Gartley medaled qualifying by two shots with a 5-under-par, 66 and cruised into the semifinals where they were knocked out by Kluger-Williams, 2 and 1.

The final wound up being the shortest of the 15 Championship Flight matches with Kluger-Williams winning, 6 and 5.

Kluger credited his partner for making Sunday go as smoothly as it did.

“He was flawless,” Kluger said. “He carried me all day. The second 18 was a grind for me and it was a long weekend.

“But, luckily he was phenomenal. He was the best player out there.”

Richard Laneski-Eric Plisko were second in qualifying with a 68, then made it to the semifinals by defeating Joseph Carroll-Patrick Mitchell, 3 and 2, and Christian Davis-William Burke, 1 up.

Barone-Santarelli knocked out Laneski-Plisko with their third straight match play win. They started with a 3-and-2 win over Matt Teesdale-Paul Keating and a 1-up victory over Joseph Weiscarger-William Gill before handling Laneski-Plisko, 4 and 3, in the semifinal.

John J Mulhern Jr. and Zach Mulhern finished third in qualifying as the only other team to break 70 with a 2-under-par, 69.

Santarelli-Barone joined Robert Gill-Brian Corbett, Donatoni-Donatoni and Burke-Davis as the other teams to break par with rounds of 70.

Donald Crossin-Ryan Crossin and John Mikiewicz-Tom Biscotti shot par during qualifying.

Chris Tracy-Ryan Tracy and Teesdale-Keating joined Kluger-Williams as the teams that shot 72 in qualifying.

Crossin-Joyce and Weiscarger-Gill shot 73.

Tyler McGarry-Michael P. Hannagan joined Carroll-Mitchell as the last two qualifiers with 74s.

The teams that fell short of qualifying were: R.J. Nemetz-Marty Behm, 75; Michael Haley-Rich Brown, 75; Brian D. Lombardo-Michael Lazevnick, 75; Lorenzo Medico-Bill Medico, 77; Scott Answini-Derek Answini, 77; and Jamie J. Anzalone-Bill Musto, 79.

The biggest upset of the first round, according to seeds, was 14th-seeded Weiscarger-Gill over third-seeded Mulhern-Mulhern 2 and 1.

Other first round results were: Mikiewicz-Biscotti 1 up over Crossin-Crossin; Joyce-Crossin 3 and 2 over Corbett-Gill; Plisko-Laneski 3 and 2 over Carroll-Mitchell; Davis-Burke 3 and 2 over Tracy-Tracy.

Answini-Gartley beat Mikiewicz-Biscotti, 2 up in the quarterfinals.

There were also 17 flights of four teams each, playing an 18-hole match each day with each hole worth a point. Cumulative points over the three days determined the top flight finishers.

Top two finishers in each flight, with their point totals, were: First, James Jake-Mark Jones 30, Dennis Bonvie-Thomas Gill 28; Second, John Angelella-Joseph Angelella 29½, Joseph J. Manzione-Joseph Patrizi 28; Third, Gary Peters-Josh Peters 30, Alby Albert-Angelo Medico 28½; Fourth, Bill Briggs-Michael Valenti 30, Francis J. Crossin-Kevin Boylan 29; Fifth, Josh Gartley-Scott C. Gartley 30, Joseph Carr-Robert Razvillas 29½; Sixth, Charles J. Blewitt-J.C. Blewitt 31½, Al Pianelli-Mark Pianelli 30½; Seventh, Dante Bovani-Jim Charney 31½, Mark W. Bufalino-Rob Belza 29½; Eighth, John Loughney-Thomas Sharkey 29½, John Altobelli-Peter M Lokuta 29; Ninth, Bob Glycenfer-Robert A. Glycenfer 32½, John Shaskas-Steve Hudacek 29; 10th, David Bruno-Joseph Bruno 28½, Philip Webb-Philip Webb Jr. 28; 11th, Joseph Coccia-Tim Slavish 31, Bob Palma-John M Ferrett 27; 12th, John Carr-Ryan Carr 30, Ronald Sorick-Tom Ruschel 29; 13th, Thomas Bevevino-John McCarthy 32½, John Zalonis-Thomas F. Capone 31½; 14th, Joe Biago-Joseph Ashley 32½, Jonathan Goach-Michael Yanuzzi 28½; 15th, Kevin H. Smith-Mike Champi 31, Al Zangardi-Joseph J. Stella 28½; 16th, Joe Tedesco-Timothy J. Yurek 34, Leonardo A. Selenski-Stephen Selenski 26½; 17th, Craig Champi-Jerry R. Champi 30, Andy Hornberger-Thomas R. Quinnan 27.