Upsets highlight opening rounds of Jay Sigel Match Play Championship
Match play treeNEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.-Fantastic performances by Christian Davis of Glenmaura National GC and Kyle Davis of Kennett Square G&CC (not related), highlighted a day of upsets at the inaugural R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship at Aronimink GC on Monday.
The top five seeds were eliminated – four in the first round – and only one top 10 seed, Dave Brown of St. Clair CC, survived the round of 16.
The Sigel field of 32 consists of the top 31 players (eligible for the competition) from the 2003 William C. Fownes, Jr., Amateur Player of the Year standings and the current club champion of the host site.
Kyle Davis, 18, seeded 15th, upended John Robinson of Commonwealth National GC, 5&4, in the first round, before disposing of Arnold Cuttrell of Totteridge GC, the No. 2 seed, 3&2, in the Round of 16.
Robinson of North Wales, Pa., is known in the Philadelphia area for his dogged approach in match play while Cuttrell of Greensburg, Pa., has netted a number of championship titles in the Pittsburgh region.
In the end, Davis, a left-hander and solid striker of the ball, made short work of both with some timely shot making and clutch putting.
In his second round match with Cuttrell, Davis made the turn at 3-up. A Cuttrell birdie on No. 10 (par 4, 454 yards) and a Davis bogey on No. 13 (par 4, 393 yards), however, reduced his advantage to one hole.
But on the difficult par 3, 14th hole (218 yards), Davis rifled a 4-iron to four feet for an impressive birdie. On No. 15 (par 4, 469 yards), Davis managed to get up and down for par and Cuttrell three putted.
Two pars on No. 16 (par 5, 549 yards) ended the contest.
"I felt it slipping away after 13," said Davis of Kennett Square. "Then I hit that shot on 14."
In his opening round match with Robinson, Davis dropped the first two holes, but captured five of the next six with five pars and a birdie, and never looked back.
Davis is no stranger to the match play format. He captured the Golf Association of Philadelphia’s Junior Boys’ Championship last summer and also advanced into match play at the U.S Junior Amateur Championship.
Davis said he was even-par for the two rounds.
Christian Davis, 20, seeded 26th, edged James Bryan of Latrobe CC, the 2001-02 Middle-Amateur champ (decided in match play format), 2-up, in the first round and Craig Tallent of Merion GC, the 10th seed, 3&2.
Davis of Scranton, Pa., and his long, powerful swing jumped out in front of Tallent, the defending Pennsylvania Junior Boys’ champion, with two pars in his first two holes and never looked back.
"I just kept trying to make pars and force Craig to make birdies," said Davis. "I think he started pressing a little bit later in the round, but against a guy like that you can never relax."
In his opening-round contest against Bryan, Davis said it was his deft putting stroke that turned the trick.
One behind, he dropped a 9-iron to a foot on No. 5 (par 3, 149 yards) for a birdie to go All Square. On the uphill 6th hole (par 4, 400 yards), he then rolled in a 20 foot slider to take a 1-up edge with Bryan staring at a 10-foot birdie chance.
He never trailed again, although Bryan did bring the match back to even a couple of times.
"It seemed like I was draining a 10 footer every other hole," said Davis. "That gave me a lot of confidence and I started swinging better and better."
Davis is a sophomore at Davidson University.
First round
Gary Daniels of Aronimink GC, the 32nd and final seed who earned a berth into the R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship field as the defending club champion, upset top-seeded Chris Lange of Overbrook GC, 4&3.
Daniels grabbed a 2-up advantage after the first two holes and never trailed. In fact, the 50-year-old resident of Berwyn, Pa., was 4-up at the turn before closing Lange out on No. 14.
He is a two-time Aronimink GC club champion and has been a member of the facility for the past seven years. That translates to a distinctive home course edge.
"My advantage here is driving the ball in the fairways," said Daniels. "It you drive the ball into the rough, it’s basically unplayable."
Only 8 of the top 16 seeds advanced into the second round.
Cuttrell of Totteridge GC moved into the Round of 16 with a 3&2 victory over Michael Moffat of Commonwealth National GC, the 31st seed.
Cuttrell is one of three members of Totteridge GC who advanced.
Brandon Antus, the 21st seed, and Joe Corsi, seeded No. 24, were also upset winners.
Antus stopped 12th-seeded Artie Fink of Sinking Valley CC, the 12th seed, 1-up, and Corsi defeated John Jones of Oakmont CC, the No. 9 seed, 4&3.
Second round
17. Greg Pieczynski, Irem Temple CC, d. 32. Gary Daniels, Aronimink GC, 6&5
24. Joe Corsi, Totteridge GC, d. 8. P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia CC, 2&1
13. Paul Polinsky, Manufacturers G&CC, d. 4. Clint Deibert, Doylestown CC, 1-up
28. Andrew Achenbach, Lu Lu CC, d. 21. Brandon Antus, Totteridge GC, 2&1
15. Kyle Davis, Kennett Square G&CC, d. 2. Arnold Cuttrell, Totteridge GC, 3&2
26. Christian Davis, Glenmaura National GC, d. 10. Craig Tallent, Merion GC, 3&2
14. Eric Williams, Honesdale GC, d. 30. Dan Walters, Conestoga CC, 2-up
6. David Brown, St. Clair CC, d. 22. Ed Blechschmidt, Whitemarsh Valley CC, 4&3
First round
32. Gary Daniels, Aronimink GC d. 1. Chris Lange, Overbrook GC, 4&3
17. Greg Pieczynski, Irem Temple CC, d. 16. Joseph O’Donnell, Longue Vue Club, 3&2
8. P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia CC, d. 25. Garrett Basalyga, Cobbs Creek Publinks, 1-up
24. Joe Corsi, Totteridge GC, d. 9. John Jones, Oakmont CC, 4&3
4. Clint Deibert, Doylestown CC, d. 29. Arthur Kania, Jr., Overbrook GC, 3&2
13. Paul Polinsky, Manufacturers G&CC, d. 20. Daniel Vater, Schenley Park GC, 3&2
28. Andrew Achenbach, Lu Lu CC, d. 5. Lynn Thomas Kilduff, Huntsville GC, 4&3
21. Brandon Antus, Totteridge GC, d. 12. Artie Fink, Sinking Valley CC, 1-up
2. Arnold Cuttrell, Totteridge GC, d. 31. Mike Moffat, Commonwealth National GC, 3&2
15. Kyle Davis, Kennett Square G&CC, d. 18. John Robinson, Commonwealth National GC, 5&4
26. Christian Davis, Glenmaura National GC, d. 7. James Bryan, Latrobe CC, 2-up
10. Craig Tallent, Merion GC, d. 23. Charles Dowds, III, Applebrook GC, 19 holes
30. Dan Walters, Conestoga CC, d. 3. William Smith, Chambersburg CC, 3&1
14. Eric Williams, Honesdale GC, d. 19. Gregg Hostetter, Meadia Heights GC, 2&1
6. David Brown, St. Clair CC, d. 27. David West, Whitford CC, 6&5
22. Ed Blechschmidt, Whitemarsh Valley CC, d. 11. Brian Gillespie, St. Davids GC, 3&2