21st Sigel Match Play Day 2
Final four set at 21st R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The competition continued Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) 21st R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship in the Round of 16 and quarterfinals, whittling down the field to just four remaining golfers competing for this year’s title at Sunnehanna Country Club.
Patrick Sheehan (Talamore CC), who finished third after yesterday’s pair of rounds and was runner-up in this event in 2021, continued his momentum by dispatching Bidermann's Colin Smith, 5 & 4, in the morning, then put together an incredible quarterfinal match against Willowbrook CC’s Chuck Tragesser, 7 & 6. Tragesser played mistake-free golf but Sheehan was simply locked in—totaling a 5-up advantage and a 29 on the front nine thanks to four birdies and an eagle on the par-five ninth hole.
“On nine I smoked a drive and I think I had 310 and I probably hit the best 3-Wood of my life, low cut to six feet,” said Sheehan. “I did end up making it, so that was a good hole.”
Birdies on holes No. 10 and 12 wrapped up the match and sent Sheehan on to tomorrow’s final four.
“Today went really well,” remarked Sheehan. “I haven’t played very well in the last year, honestly, but I finally started to figure out my swing with my irons and that’s the thing that’s been missing. Something just clicked in the second round and it carried over to today and I had a lot of confidence that I was just going to keep making birdies. The greens are all great here so if you just hit it close and get it on a good line it most likely goes in. I’ve just got to keep doing what I’m doing. I know I’m playing well and just happy to be out here, it’s a great golf course and I’m having fun playing.”
After earning medalist honors after 36 holes of stroke play on Monday, Amani D’Ambrosio (Longue Vue Club) was once again on his game, surviving Eric Williams (Glenmaura National GC), 2 & 1, in the round of 16. Williams, who booked the final spot in the bracket yesterday by winning an eight-man playoff, was 1-up on D’Ambrosio after 11 holes—but Amani won holes No. 12, 14, and 15 to go 2-up and eventually claim the match.
It was another close one in the afternoon for D’Ambrosio, as the top seed tangled with No. 8 seed Derek McGlaughlin of Hershey CC. McGlaughlin was 1-up after seven holes but D’Ambrosio rattled off wins in the next three holes to go 2-up. McGlaughlin fought back on holes No. 12 and 15 to bring the match back even, but bogeyed 18. D’Ambrosio’s mariculous par from right trees on the hole was good enough to send him on to play in Wednesday’s semifinals.
Peyton Mussina (Williamsport CC) and Nathan Piatt (Oakmont CC) contested a back-and-forth match in their quarterfinal. Piatt, the No. 4 seed, was 1-up after 13 holes but No. 5 seed Mussina birdied and won holes No. 14, 16, and 17 to clinch the match. Mussina will face D’Ambrosio in Wednesday’s semifinals.
The final quarterfinal featured No. 7 seed Nicholas Turowski (Hannastown GC), who was runner-up at last month’s PAGA 81st Junior Boys Championship, and No. 15 seed Jimmy Meyers (Oakmont CC), who upset No. 2 seed Rick Stimmel (Connoquenessing CC), 4 & 3, in the round of 16 by winning four of the six holes they played on the back nine.
Against Turowski, Meyers did his best to stage a comeback. Turowski was 3-up after seven holes but Meyers took holes No. 8, 10, 13, and 15 and cut the lead to just 1-up on three separate occasions. Turowski, who will be a freshman on the golf team at West Virginia in the fall, won 12 and 14 then stayed steady the rest of the way to take the match.
The semifinals, featuring Mussina vs. D’Ambrosio and Sheehan vs. Turowski, begin on Wednesday, July 10.
The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Sunnehanna Country Club for the hospitality shown during today’s matches, with additional thanks going to DICK’S Sporting Goods for sponsorship of the event.