While the eyes of the sports world were on Augusta National as Tiger Woods completed his return from a near fatal car accident, golf’s greatest comeback was authored in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley.
Darren Yowell and Benjie Vess, facing a seemingly insurmountable three-stroke deficit in the 2022 Member Masters at Shenandoah Valley Golf Club, rallied to stun Roger Shank and Jerry Campbell in a playoff.
It was a heroic effort as Yowell and Vess kept grinding, even when all seemed lost. Rattled by the tenacity of their opponents, Shank and Campbell, saw momentum begin to turn against them when Yowell rolled in a triple-breaking, 20-foot birdie putt on Red No. 9, pumping his fist and bringing the suddenly energized gallery to its feet.
By the time Vess chipped in for birdie on Blue No. 3, the roars from a crowd comprised primarily adoring females were echoing through the SVGC pines.
“Darren and Benjie never lost belief in themselves,” said Doug Lancaster, Shenandoah’s director of golf. “Darren’s optimism and unflappability in the face of pressure is contagious and when him and Benjie started rolling, it was reminiscent of New England’s rally from a 28-3 hole to beat the Falcons in Super Bowl LI.”
As the pressure mounted, Shank and Campbell felt their sphincters tighten. Faced with a relentless onslaught and the realization their dreams of victory were slipping away, the duo unraveled.
Campbell’s hands were visibly shaking over putts and Shank, despite his pedigree, was no match for the onrushing freight train that was Vess and Yowell.
“Roger and Jerry should’ve won, but the Red Sox should’ve beat the Yankees in 2004,” a source close to both players said. “Sometimes sports are about more than who should win. Heart and balls of steel can’t be measured by a handicap system, and Benjie and Darren have both in spades.”
As word of the comeback spread throughout the club, the gallery following the match grew exponentially. Women, with tears in their eyes, were throwing bras at Yowell and Vess and asking the dynamic duo to sign their newly freed breasts, leading to a raucous environment few have ever seen on a golf course.
“We deserve all the credit and praise we are receiving,” said the always humble Yowell as he signed autographs for fans 90 minutes after the conclusion of the match. “This was a 30 for 30 worthy victory and we are going to savor it.”
While the loss was a painful one for Campbell, it wasn’t without a silver-lining.
“In defeat, I found two role models to look up to,” he said. “The determination, class, sportsmanship and of course skill of Darren and Benjie is something I dream of one day being able to emulate.”
