In a showdown of the local young guns of golf on Sunday afternoon, Chris Gilliland and Tyson Elliott walked away with the championship of the CDGA Four-Ball Match Play Tournament at The Honors Course.

Early in the round, Elliott's father, Jim Elliott, said his son didn't practice enough.

Tyson responded with three birdies on the first 11 holes, giving his team a 1 up advantage over Bryce Ledford and Thomas Smith.

Later in the day, Gilliland's father, Hunt Gilliland, showed up to watch the finishing holes.

Chris responded by making two straight birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, putting his team 3 up with four holes to play. Gilliland's par putt on No. 16 sealed the 3 and 2 victory.

"My dad's always on me to practice more,'' Tyson Elliott said.

Said Chris Gilliland, "I don't think dad had anything to do with it. I struggled a little bit at the beginning, and finally got calmed down.''

Ledford and Smith, who play for UTC's golf team, had a tough semifinal match in the morning, but held on and beat Tom Schreiner and Greg Privette, 1 up in 19 holes.

Meanwhile, Gilliland and Elliott were cruising past Joey Warwick and Mark Degler, 8 and 6.

Consequently, Gilliland had to wait from 11:30 a.m. until 2:15 until their championship tee time.

"That was tough on us,'' said Elliott, a teammate of Ledford and Smith at UTC. "They had a tough match and were able to come in, eat and go right back out. They had the advantage on us the first five holes, but we stayed even. We only hit four greens the first six holes. That was such a key.''

Said Gilliland, who plays for Furman, "Our short game saved us early. We had the short games working.''

Smith made a birdie putt on No. 8 and gave his team a 1 up advantage making the turn. That's when Gilliland and Elliott made birdies on five of the next six holes.

"This is the best I've ever seen Tyson play,'' Gilliland said. "We've struggled as teammates the last two years.''

Said Elliott, "We played a fun match on Thursday at Council Fire and we decided this weekend we wouldn't make a bogey on the same hole. We didn't, and that's why we won.''

Ledford, who finished as runner-up last year in the event with Larry McGill, said it was tough losing to Gilliland and Smith.

"Oh, yeah,'' he said.

Ledford, who won the Don Malarkey, the Red Bud and the Bear Trace tournaments earlier this summer, said he just couldn't get his putter going Sunday.

"I hit it great,'' Ledford said. "I just didn't make any putts. And they putted well.

"Now, I've got to get ready for school golf. We have our first tournament at UTC on Sept. 20. Maybe this will be a warm-up for that.''

Meanwhile, Gilliland and Elliott are also ready to start school golf.

"We'll start on Wedneday,'' Elliott. "I feel really good about UTC golf this year.''

Said Gilliland, who won the Men's Metro championship earlier this summer, "I've had some ups and downs this summer, but it's been a good summer. I'm going to Miami to see a teacher there, then back to Furman on Sept. 7. I'm looking forward to a good season.''

The Michael C. Jenkins Trophy, presented to Gilliland and Elliott on Sunday afternoon, will reside the next year at Council Fire.

Sunday's semifinals:

Gilliland-Elliott (Council Fire) d. Warwick-Degler (CGCC), 8 and 6; Ledford-Smith (Council Fire) d. Privette-Schreiner (Brainerd), 1 up 19 holes.

Sunday's final:

Gilliland-Elliott d. Ledford-Smith, 3 and 2.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)