Saturday, July 21, 2012 at Brickyard Crossing Indianapolis, Indiana

This year's Nino Memorial, the 13th annual, did not disappoint. Analysts believe it was the most competitive match in the tournament's storied, decade-plus history. We now have our first 5-pete champion (Tim Boyer) and third 4-pete champion (Dave Hoffman).

The Hoffman-Boyer duo won their fourth title as a team, but only their first such accolade since 2007. Their even par 72 was only just barely good enough to edge out the Eric Swillinger/Robbie Mentle and Tim Spiegelglass/Jeff Small tandems, both of which finished at a respectable +2. The Spiegelglass/Small team was actually -2 after the front 9, but stumbled with multiple bogies immediately after the turn. The dejection was especially felt by Jeff Small, who was seething after the conclusion of the round. It was his team's tournament to lose - and that's exactly what they did.

Sour grapes were had, to be sure, by other participants. In disgust with his partner, Eric Swillinger questioned the legitimacy of two fine golfers playing along side eachother in the winning group. Given the strength of all the pairings (aside from the Ruben brothers), Swillinger's gripe is without merit. Maybe if his partner Robbie Mentle stepped up his game like his younger brother Josh did this year, things would have been different. Time will tell if Swillinger has what it takes to claim the title in the future.

Jaeson "Nino" Becker had his finest round in years, despite his team finishing double-digits over par. He had multiple strong drives throughout the day, and was a sniper around the greens as usual. If anything, the downfall of his team likely rests with his partner (and former champion) Aaron "Denmark" Vickar. Vickar was essentially the opposite of clutch throughout the day, leaving his partner befuddled, particularly on the front 9. Vickar was observed playing Words with Friends on his phone frequently throughout the round. His commitment to winning this year was lacking - and that may be a serious understatement.

The Ruben brothers were a dynamic duo - dynamically inconsistent. Phil "Chip" Ruben's vociferous frustrations could frequently be heard as he missed short putt after short putt. Andy Ruben could have played better, but since it was his birthday, this writer will just celebrate his presence. Although good competitors, it is not anticipated a tartan jacket is on the horizon in the near future for either of these Cincy boys.

The Kevin Lucas/Josh Mentle team was a force this year. They were only +1 at the turn. Although they finished +7 on the day, one should expect them to be in the hunt for years to come. Josh Mentle's new residence in Florida has helped him gain experience and shot-making skills. The Mentle/Lucas team should never be underestimated in future events.

In the end, it came down to past champions Boyer and Hoffman doing what it took to reclaim the title. Hoffman chipped in from 60 feet away for a birdie on No. 3. Boyer had several clutch shots of his own, making par putt after par putt when the team needed it most. His approach shot on 18, which ricocheted off the left hills, rolling to a stop just 5 feet from the pin for an easy birdie putt was easily the shot of the tournament. It was truly a magical day for this fearless team. With the win, Boyer is now the first person in history to claim the Nino Memorial title for the 5th time. He also became only the third participant in Nino Memorial history to earn the Decader award.

dh