Top Seeds Fall on Friday at the Match Play
SUGARLAND — Many upsets were posted in both rounds, Including the takedown of No.1 and No.2 seed. No.1 being Aaron Hickman of Tyler who lost in Round of 16 and the No.2 seed Russel Chabaud of The Woodlands who lost in Round of 32.
As of now, the No.3 seed Logan Boatner of Humble, No.4 Jeremy Freedman from Dallas and No.6 Joey Gullion of Spring are still in the field and are heading to the Quarterfinals.
No. 21 and two-time champion Colby Harwell, of San Antonio, is the only past victor left in the field.
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Round of 32: Hickman secured his spot going two up against No.32 Pearland’s own Slone Harrison. Many upsets happened this round as No.31 seed Micheal Lee from Houston pulled out the win against Chabaud. Lee punched his ticket after an extra two holes had to be played, after they tied through 18.
Next to fall was another past champion, this time No.5 seed Christopher Wheeler of Addison to No.28 seed Jake Istnick from Dallas, Istnick took the victory at 2 & 1. No.26 seed from Houston Peter Relf also took his match at 2 up against No.7 seed Guy Goodspeed who is a Houstonian as well.
To keep the upset train going, No.9 seed Culley Howard of Spring lost his match at 1 up against No.24 Cal Clyde from Dallas. No.22 seed Houston’s own Campbell Gibson made his mark against No.11 Christian Delacruz of Austin. Gibson took his match at 3 & 2 to advance to the Round of 16.
More upsets rolled in as Harwell won at 7 & 5 against No.12 Jake Goodman, also from San Antonio. To conclude today’s upsets in Round of 32, No.17 Will Wallace from Houston took the win at 3 & 2 against No.16 seed Andrew Grice of Austin.
Today’s Round of 32 was played at 6,611 yards.
Round of 16: To start off the round, Wallace knocked off Hickman at 1 up. Hickman was the favorite, as he had the lowest score in stroke play. Clyde continued his win streak against No.8 Evan Doherty of Houston at 3 & 2.
To keep it going Lee, the 31st seed, pulled another win at 1 up against No.15 Eric Heinle from Conroe.
The Round of 16 was played at 6,551 yards.
Course: The Cypress Course at Sweetwater Country Club opened in 1982 and was designed by Robert Packard. The layout is highlighted by constant elevation changes, numerous water hazards, and sloping green complexes guarded by deep-faced bunkers. Measuring just under 6,700 yards from the back tees, the strategic par-71 course places a premium on finesse, imagination and shot making, rather than strength.
Tournament History: The 26th edition of the championship begins with the mid-amateur (25 years and older) starting field playing 18 holes of stroke play qualifying on Thursday, August 1, with the lowest 32 scorers advancing to the match play stage of the championship. First- and second-round matches will be played Friday, August 2; quarterfinals and semifinals on Saturday, August 3; and the final on Sunday, August 4. 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 will begin at 7:30 am on Saturday, August 3nd. Following those matches, the Semifinals will start in the afternoon beginning at 12:30 pm.
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.