Match Play 2015 moves into the semi-finals. Here’s a quick look at the road to the final four for the survivors:
Match 1: battle of the Steves: (4) Brown vs (21) Irwin
No stranger to MatchPlay victories, former MP Champion Steve Brown received a play-in round bye, then took down family rival Camomot 3&2 in Round 1 before blitzing Rone 6&4 with a stunning 74 at Quail Chase. Steve Irwin, on the other hand, received a tremendous gift with opponents Deetsch and Wolf both unable to make the schedule work and having to withdraw. No wants to win like that, and at least Irwin had a spirited battle with Fetter before sending him packing, 2up at Seneca. Can Brown use a MP Championship to close the gap at the top of the Season Points Standings?
Match 2: battle of the short-knockers: (1) Gibson vs (10) Nacrelli
While these guys may not be known for their distance on Tour, they’ve both proven themselves battle-worthy on the Matchplay circuit. In another inter-family showdown, Nacrelli shocked Walton 3@2 in Round 1. He then went on to the “unprecedented comeback of epic proportions” (quotes by Fetter)- after allowing Weining to go dormie after hole 13, Nacrelli took 5 straight holes, plus the 85yd playoff to advance to the semi-finals. Gibson eeked out a victory over Buzz with a brilliant putting display during the MatchPlay Kickoff. He then got out early on Quintana and managed to keep him at bay for a 4&3 win at the Quail. Is the 2015 Match Play Champion but steps away from a repeat trophy?
Steve, Steve, Mitch and Matt- the idea is always to complete Match Play before the Memorial (Sept 13th). I know Mitch and Matt are scheduled. Steves- please try to play as soon as you can get it schedule, before the end of August.