2023 Broken Tee 2-Man: Sleepy Hollow

Daylight is a golfer’s best friend. Dusk, the eternal combatant. We’ve all raced a low-riding sun through a hurried back nine, gauging our round’s lifespan by finger widths held against the treetops. But sometimes it’s best to give in to nature, and enjoy the sunset with friends and a cold drink.

Sleepy Hollow Country Club’s stomach-turning hills and spectacular green complexes rightfully make it one of the best courses in the U.S. But its post-round scene on the west lawn of Woodlea, the 1892 Vanderbilt mansion that doubles as the clubhouse, may not have an equal.

The club welcomed 108 Broken Tee Society members for the 2023 Broken Tee 2-Man, and they spent a full day charging the Punchbowl 15th and throwing darts at the world-famous 16th. The competition was fierce, going down to the final hole. And yet the fellowship afterward, complete with stories of triumphs and failures while the sun dipped beyond the Hudson River, might be what everyone remembers most about this year’s flagship event.

Below, enjoy a selection of sights and scenes from the 2023 Broken Tee 2-Man.

2023 Broken Tee 2-Man Sleepy Hollow — The first tee at Sleepy Hollow.

The reverse Redan 7th, site of the BMW hole-in-one challenge. Sadly, no participants left with a new car.

A Heavyweight Fight

Minnesota’s Tanner Grimmius and Brent Borgstahl entered the day as two-time defending champions. Their playing partners for the day? Jeff Ober and John Marshall, the 2020 2-Man winners. The battle was joined from the very start.

After a back-and-forth day, the two teams were tied atop the leaderboard heading into the 16th. Marshall put one close on the thumbprint green, and Grimmius stuffed a wedge to 3 feet in response. Marshall’s putt was true, and Sleepy’s devilish greens hit Grimmius with a vicious lip-out. Ober and Marshall, one-up. On the ski-jump, two-shot 17th, Grimmius gained redemption by pouring in a 25-footer for birdie. Tie ballgame going into 18.

Grimmius pulled driver, but ended up long and right, stymied under the most prominent tree on property. After Marshall put his approach to kick-in range, Borgstahl needed a 20-footer to tie things up. His putt slid past the left edge, Marshall swept in his birdie, and the 2020 champions ascended the 2-Man throne once again.