Chris Baloga, rolling in putts from all over, made six birdies and finished at 4-under par in defeating friendly rival Billy Wingerd, a 2000 finalist, 3 and 1, to join Tim Elliott in the final of the fifth annual Baltimore Municipal Golf Corporation match-play championship at Pine Ridge Golf Course yesterday.
Elliott stopped Michael Castrilli, 4 and 3.
Their scheduled 18-hole match will start at 8 o'clock this morning at Mount Pleasant GC.
Baloga birdied the eighth and ninth holes to go 3-up at the turn in the battle of 19-year-olds, but Wingerd, a U.S. Publinx and U.S. Amateur qualifier in recent weeks, won the 10th and 13th, the latter with a 5-foot birdie putt after Baloga had forced the issue with an 18-foot par putt.
Then, Baloga birdied the 14th from 16 feet to go 2-up. He got up and down to save par at the 15th and clinched it with a 12-foot birdie putt at the 17th after Wingerd, who would miss only one green and finish 1-under par, left his birdie bid short from 15 feet.
Elliott, 26, who had eliminated Tim Osgood in the morning to reverse the outcome of their final a year ago, was 3-up after nine against Castrilli, 32.
