The IGA, IWGA, Senior, and Super Senior Match Play Championships took place the past few days at Purgatory Golf Club in Noblesville, Indiana.
The first day of the event consisted of a Stroke Play Qualifier in each division where the top-16 players would move on to match play the following day. The top-8 who won the second day, moved onto the third day, where they played in the Quarterfinals then the Semi-Finals, leaving the top-2 players in each division for the Finals.
Despite weather challenges and a couple rain delays during the final matches, many players captured their first Match Play wins. One player even won the event for their third time.
Senior Division
Terry Werner started the IGA Senior Match Play Championship by shooting a 3-under-par, 69 in the Stroke Play Qualifier to be ranked as a number-two-seed going into the match play rounds. The first round of match play, the following day, Werner defeated Kevin Paige 5&4. The next day in the Quarterfinals he defeated Mike Bell 7&6, and then that afternoon in the Semi-Finals, Werner beat Doug Meade 1-up.
With some momentum from his previous wins, Werner defeated Paul Nash 6&5 in the final match to win the event for his third time. Werner’s most recent Senior Match Play win was in 2018, which was also at Purgatory, and his first was in 2017 at Tippecanoe Country Club. Werner is the only senior in the history of the event to win it three times.
Super Senior Division
Ron Carter started the IGA Super Senior Match Play Championship by firing an 11-over-par, 83 in the Stroke Play Qualifier to be ranked as a number-12-seed going into the match play rounds. The following day, the first round of match play, Carter defeated Doug Drake 4&3 to advance to the Quarterfinals the next day, where he defeated Kent Frandsen 1-up. Carter then won again that afternoon against Ed Armantrout 6&4 to advance to the Finals.
Carter continued to defeat Peter Swanson in a close final match 1-up. This final match win secured Carter his first IGA Super Senior Match Play Championship win. This is Carter’s first win since 2018, when he won the IGA Super Senior Amateur Championship at Hillcrest Country Club.
IGA Division
Damon Dickey, incoming freshman golfer at Butler University, started off the IGA Match Play Championship solidly by firing a 4-under-par, 68 in the Stroke Play Qualifier to be ranked as a number-four-seed going into the match play rounds. This solid playing transferred over to the matches. Dickey defeated Blake McIntire and Kenny Cook 3&2 in the first and second rounds of matches, Luke DeHaven 3&2 in the Quarterfinals, and Luke Poole 6&5 in the Semi-Finals to advance to play Javan Johnson in the Finals.
Dickey beat Johnson 4&3 in the Finals to win the Championship. This is both Dickey’s first IGA Match Play win, along with his first IGA win.
IWGA Division
Cailyn Henderson started the IWGA Match Play Championship by shooting a steady Stroke Play Qualifier round of one-over-par, 73 to be ranked as a number-three-seed going into the matches. Henderson continued to play solidly throughout the rest of the tournament. Henderson defeated Ava Ray 8&7 in the first round of matches, Cybil Stillson 4&3 in the Quarterfinals, and Claire Edwards 4&3 in the Semifinals to move onto the Finals, where she would face Kayla Benge.
Henderson birdied her last two holes to defeat Benge 2&1 in the final match. This victory was both Henderson’s first IWGA Match Play win, along with her first IWGA win in general.
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Senior Results
Super Senior Results
IGA Results
IWGA Results