Palm Beach Gardens, Fla – After a long four days of golf and battling the tough conditions of the passing tropical storm, James Hassell became the 32nd Amateur Match Play Champion, defeating Ty Capps 3&2 at PGA National Resort.
How it happened:
A week that started with 64 players competing in round robin matches within their pool, James Hassell found himself as the last man standing after 7 grueling matches of battling the heat and then the outskirts of a tropical storm. The test of golf the conditions provided only added to the already difficult PGA National Resort, Champion Course.
Just weeks after claiming the Low Amateur honors at the Florida Open, Hassell added his name to the short list of players to claim both honors in the same year, last done by Nick Gabrelcik in 2019.
Starting in pool play, Hassell found himself needing to overcome early adversity after dropping his first match of the event. He’d go on to win his next two matches and find himself in a playoff to get out of his pool. A birdie at the first playoff hole advanced him to the bracket play and Round of 16.
In the Round of 16, he faced a tough competitor in former Player of the Year, Joseph Latowski, where he found himself two down at the turn. Hassell would go on to win 5 holes on the back 9 including the final two holes of the match to win 2 up.
A quick turnaround due to weather suspensions in the morning, he’d head right back out to take on former Mid-Amateur Champion Jay Halverson. A match that featured great play from both sides, 6 birdies through 16 holes for Hassell was too much and he’d close that match out on the 16th, 4&2.
In the semifinal match on Sunday morning competitors faced winds sustaining over 30 mph as Tropical Storm Debby made its way up Florida’s west coast. Hassell, a redshirt freshman at the University of South Florida, took on Andres Barraza, an incoming transfer at Penn State University. After dropping the first hole of the match, Hassell turned it on winning five holes on the front 9 to turn with a 3up lead. He did not slow down on the back 9, winning holes 11, 13, and 14 to close the match out 5&4.
The stage was set for the Championship match versus Mid-Amateur Ty Capps of Palm Coast, who is having a tremendous year in his own right and in contention for the Player of the Year race. A slow start, Hassell found himself down 1 through 5 holes, but he went on to win 5 straight holes to take a 4up lead through 10. He would go on to match Capps hole for hole other than a Capps Birdie at the 14th, eventually closing the deal with a par on the 16th to win 3&2.
Hassell will carry in impressive summer back to the University of South Florida in hopes of continuing it through the college season.
Round of 16 & Quarterfinal Recap:
Andres Barraza defeated Christian Figueredo 3&2 in the morning match where he led wire-to-wire. After winning the first hole, he'd win three more holes on the front to make the turn 4 up. He held on for the back 9 to eventually end the match on hole 16. In the afternoon he'd face Nick Solimene where his great play did not slow down. After dropping an early hole at the second, he'd go on to make 5 birdies en route to a 5&3 victory.
James Hassell got through a battle in the morning with Joseph Latowski, a match that went all the way to the 18th hole where Hassell eventually won 2 up. The match was back and forth throughout, remaining tied for a majority of the middle part of the match. Hassell won the difficult 17th hole with a par and then made a birdie on the 18th to close the match. He faced Jay Halverson in the afternoon in a highly competitive match, but Hassell's 6 birdies in 16 holes were too much and he would go on to win 4&2.
Ty Capps took down Justin Ross in the morning 3&2 to claim a spot in the quarterfinals. The two made the turn after multiple suspensions in the morning all square with 9 to play. After trading pars through the first four holes of the back 9, Capps would win 14, 15, & 16 to win the match 3&2. In the afternoon he faced a fellow Mid-Am in Jordan Elsen where he would jump out to an early lead with wins at the second and fourth. Trading holes near the end of the nine, Capps turned with a 2 up lead. He closed the match out strong with a par at the tough 15th and a long birdie putt at 16 to win 4&2.
Clay Jacobs reached the semifinals after a marathon day. In his morning match he faced TJ Thompson where the two would go 19 holes. Thompson fought hard until the end, winning the final three holes of regulation to push it to extras. Jacobs would stuff it at the first playoff hole and roll in his birdie putt to win a highly competitive match. In the afternoon he faced Danny Erickson where he played an opposite role to his first match. Finding himself down 2 through 14, he'd win the 15th & 16th holes to bring the match to all square. Needing to make 4 footer on 18 for birdie after an Erickson birdie, he rolled it in and the two headed to extras. A similar approach shot to his morning match, Jacobs stuffed it in tight where his birdie putt was eventually conceded.
Pool Play Recap:
Defending Champion & #1 Seed Andrew Morris went 3-0, extending his match play streak to 10 straight, and will face Nick Solimene who won this morning to advance at (2-0-1).
Chase Carroll defeated Lorenzo Rodriguez this morning 2&1 to advance and will face Jordan Elsen who finished pool play (3-0).
TJ Thompson, 2023 Jr Match Play Champion, went (3-0) and will face Clay Jacobs who advanced out of his pool through a playoff.
Jay Halverson, 2023 Mid-Amateur Champion, moves on after defeating Matthew Giovannelli this morning in a must win match. He will face Talan Wilkes who finished his pool play (3-0) after his 2&1 win over Carson Brewer this morning.
Joseph Latowski, 2022 Player of the Year, won all three matches of pool play to move to the weekend. He will face James Hassell who advanced through a three-way sudden death playoff.
Anthony Amoroso won his match this morning that went the distance to advance and he will face Danny Erickson who finished pool play (3-0).
Justin Ross advanced to the weekend after winning all three matches and will face Ty Capps who also advanced after three match wins.
Andres Barraza & Christian Figueredo both advance out of their pools at (2-0-1) and will face each other tomorrow morning in the Round of 16.
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