Final Eight set after Friday at the 28th Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play presented by Sun Cruiser
COLUMBUS — The first day of match play at the 28th Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play presented by Sun Cruiser and hosted by The Covey at Big Easy Ranch saw big upsets as well as a battle of past champions as players looked to advance in the quest to become the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play Champion.
Round of 32: All of the round of 32 matches were settled within 18 holes, none extending to extra holes. Two of the top 4 seeds fell in big upsets as Garrett Driver of Humble defeated medalist John Hunter of The Woodlands in a thrilling match where 12 of 15 holes played were won by either player. Driver would win four holes straight from hole 12 to 15 to close out Hunter 4&3. In the 3 vs. 30 match Ben Carter of Dallas upset Travis Klutts of Krum. Carter went 1 down early after a bogey on the par 5 third hole but would quickly bounce back winning holes 4 and 5 to take a 1 up lead that he would not lose the rest of the way. A par on 14 put him two up and three pars on holes 16 through 18 would be enough to secure the 1 up upset. Other notable round of 32 match results, 2023 Mid-Amateur Match Play champion Aaron Hickman of Tyler defeated Kelle Wilson 5&4 and last years Mid-Amateur Match Play champion Christopher Wheeler fell in his round of 32 match to San Antonio’s Mikey Vaughan 2 down.
Round of 16: Cinderella’s glass slipper continued to fit for Garrett Driver as the number 32 seed pulled off his second upset of the day in another strong performance defeating Daniel Martinez 2 up. Brothers Casey and Michael Carnes both secured round of 16 victories to keep the possibility of an all-Carnes championship match alive with Casey winning 6&5 over Russell Chabaud of The Woodlands. Michael defeated Gibson Terry of Fort Worth 4&3. Ben Carter also continued his upset run. The number 30 seed defeated Austin Jordan of Fort Worth 1 up. The featured match of the afternoon paired the highest remaining seed and past champion Colby Harwell against past champion Aaron Hickman. The match came down to the final hole with Harwell 1 up, Hickman hit his approach to 7 feet and Harwell answered with a wedge to inside of 5 feet, both players would make their birdie putts for Harwell to claim the 1 up victory. The round of 16 also saw the first match that required extra holes with Mikey Vaughan besting Weldon Martin with a birdie on the 19th hole.
Featured Match: Tomorrow’s quarterfinals first match at 7:30am will see Garrett Driver of Humble try to continue his run from the final qualifying spot to 28th Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play champion, against Spicewood’s Matthew Henson.
Weather: The weather was slightly cooler on the first day of match play, with the first tee times being met with temperatures in the high 70s. As the day progressed the high reached 92 degrees. Winds blew stronger with gusts up to 17 mph.
Course: The Covey, a par-72 layout in Columbus, opened in March 2023 and quickly established itself among the state’s premier golf destinations. The course was designed by architect Chet Williams, who also crafted the state’s top-ranked Whispering Pines and led the renovation at Houston Oaks Country Club. The Covey stretches across a 2,000-acre property with elevation changes of up to 80 feet, natural creek systems and specimen post oak and water oak trees framing the fairways. The round of 32 played from 7,154 yards and round of 16 from 7,101. The 28th Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play is the first Texas Golf Association championship to be held at The Covey and will not be the last as the 120th Texas Amateur will head to The Covey at Big Easy Ranch in 2029.
Tournament History: This is the 28th edition of the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play and the first with presenting sponsor Sun Cruiser. The championship itself began with 90 mid-amateurs (25 years and older) playing 18 holes of stroke play qualifying on Thursday, July 23. The low 32 scorers advance to the match play stage of the championship. Round of 32 and 16 matches will be played Friday, July 24; quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday, July 25; and the championship on Sunday, July 26. All matches are 18 holes.
POY Points Race: Statewide Player of the Year points will be awarded to the top players making it to the Round of 16. The champion will receive 750 points towards the statewide honor followed by 500 for runner-up, 400 for semifinalists, 200 for quarterfinalists, and 100 for Round of 16 participants. For more information about TGA Statewide Player of the Year points, click here.
What’s Next: Quarterfinals matches will begin at 7:30 am tomorrow morning, semi-final matches will take place in the early afternoon.
About the TGA: The Texas Golf Association was established in 1906 with a mission to promote the playing and advancement of the royal and ancient game of golf in Texas. The association is one of the most respected in the country with an ongoing commitment to its members, contestants, volunteers and all who strive to preserve the great traditions of the game. For more information about the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play, click here.