Monroe Golf Club’s Ben Kircher, right, picked up his first major championship title on May 19 at Mill Creek Golf Club, winning the 2019 RDGA Match Play Championship, outlasting Tom Linehan, left, of Brook-Lea Country Club, in the Championship match.|
CLICK HERE for complete results from the 2019 Match Play Championships
CLICK HERE for a PHOTO GALLERY from this year’s Match Play Championships
CLICK HERE for an INTERVIEW with Match Play Champion BEN KIRCHER
CLICK HERE for a feature article on tournament host MILL CREEK GOLF CLUB
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The two champions left standing by the end of the weekend – Monroe Golf Club’s Ben Kircher in the Match Play Championship and Jim Burns of Canandaigua Country Club in the Senior Match Play Championship – arrived at the trophy presentation Sunday taking different paths, however, each survived strong fields to reach the top and earn their first major championship titles.
The RDGA wishes to thank Mill Creek Golf Club, owners Chris and Leslie Gallea and staff – and particularly the efforts of PGA Head Professional Andrew Leikvoll – for hosting this year’s RDGA Match Play Championships.
Kircher Tops Strong Field for First Match Play Championship
Entering this year’s RDGA Match Play Championship, most observers would have given Jim Scorse better-than-average odds for winning the 2019 title, if for no other reason than he was the three-time defending champion of the event – and was playing for his 10th career District Match Play title since 1998.
Certainly, there were many other reasons to pick the multiple District Champion and RDGA Player of the Year to win the 2019 District Match Play Championship. However, match play can often produce unexpected results – as the saying goes, that’s why they play the matches.
Day two of the RDGA Match Play and RDGA Senior Match Play Championships at Mill Creek Golf Club featured the Round of 16 and Quarter Final Matches of the Championships that narrowed the respective fields of the twin competitions from 16, to eight, then to four.
The Match Play Quarterfinals Saturday afternoon saw 9-time champion Jim Scorse advance, as well as Benton Kircher, Matt Genaway and Brook-Lea Country Club’s Tom Linehan.
On Sunday morning, the Men’s Match Play Semi Finals got under way with Linehan meeting Genaway and Scorse matching up against Kircher. Linehan advanced in a 3-and-2 decision over Genaway – and in an upset, No. 20 seed Kircher scored a 2-up decision over Scorse. Both Linehan and Kircher advanced to the Match Play finals for the first time.
In the Men’s Match Play Championship Final on Sunday afternoon, Kircher and Linehan waged a back-and-forth battle. Kircher built a 2-up lead through 6 holes – but Linehan battled back to all square at the turn. With the match still all square through the 11th hole, Kircher won three holes in a row to take a 3-up lead with 4 to play. The two parred the next two holes and Kircher claimed a 3-and-2 victory for his first career local amateur title.
Following his victory, Kircher enjoyed his moment in the sun, reflecting on the week’s success.
“I had a lot of fun out there today,” he said of the Final match Sunday. “I played one of my good friends growing up – we played a lot of junior golf together – Tom Linehan. I also got to play a lot of good players this week. I played Jim Scorse, who’s won this event nine times, and I also played Jim Mason, who has won this event a couple of times.”
Although he had fun – and a good challenge – from Linehan in the Finals, it was Kircher’s upset victory over Scorse in the Semi Finals that stood out among his victories in the 2019 Match Play Championship. In fact, the 2-up decision begged the question if he had received any advice for playing Scorse from his father, John Kircher, who has played Scorse for many championship title through the years.
Burns Earns First Senior Match Play Title
The 2019 RDGA Senior Match Play Championship – for players ages 55 and over – also featured a strong starting field and, as in the Match Play Championship, the two finalists both reached the CHampionship Match for the first time.
In the opening round of the Senior Match Play, the top 9 seeds all had First Round byes, with six other matches deciding which players would advance to the Second Round on Saturday morning. Among those matches, past Senior Match Play Champion Mark Battle defeated Bob Anderson, 6-and-5, and Ridgemont’s Ron Plummer defeated John Quethera, 6-and-4.
As his first RDGA Championship title, Burnswas very happy to claim victory. And – later this year – he will attempt to become the fourth player to win the “Senior Slam” when he tees it up at the 2019 RDGA Senior Championship at Wayne Hills Country Club on August 26 and 27.
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