The people we surround ourselves with definitely have an effect us. And some of them can make us better.

Kind of like the influence Chris Gebhard has had on Noah Firestone.

On Sunday at the Lebanon Country Club, during the final match of the championship flight of the 72nd edition of the W.B. Sullivan Better-Ball-of-Partners golf tournament, Firestone sank an eight-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Chad Stine-Drew Patterson for their first title of the prestigious event. If Firestone had missed his clinching putt, Gebhard had a back-up lined up from 18 inches out.

Partly because of their older brother/younger brother chemistry, Firestone and Gebhard clicked all weekend long. Both the youthful Firestone and the seasoned Gebhard had finished second at previous Sullivans, with different partners.

Firestone and Gebhard had reached the final match with a 3&2 triumph over Tyler Massar and Brady Demey in Sunday morning’s semifinal. After firing a five-under 67 during qualifying that earned them the seventh seed in the championship flight, Firestone and Gebhard won four straight matches to bring home the championship.

– Jeff Falk