Kerper Raises Trophy at Senior Match Play
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. – Richard Kerper defeated Rick Woulfe, 6 and 4, on Wednesday at Cypress Run Golf Club to capture the Senior Amateur Match Play Championship. This is the second FSGA championship win of Kerper’s career and his first since the 1992 Four-Ball Championship.
Stroke Play Seeding Rounds
Matthew Avril set the pace in the first round of stroke-play seeding, posting a 2-under 70 on Sunday. Gregg Shires and David Anthony added the only other under-par rounds of the day, with a 1-under 71.
Don Whittemore carded a 2-under 70 in the second round to earn co-medalist honors with Pete Williams and Anthony, at even-par 144. Doug Snoap carded an ace in Monday’s second round on the par-3 eighth hole, earning the 25th seed with a 77-73–150.
Twenty-nine players finished at 8-over or better to earn a spot in match play, while eight players headed to a playoff for the final three spots in the Round of 32. Rokki Rogan birdied the first playoff hole to take No. 30 seed, while Owen Joyner and Frank Babusik earned No. 31 and 32 seeds, respectively, with pars on the third playoff hole.
Round of 32
Taking the momentum from the playoff, Babusik upset Anthony, the No. 1 seed, in the Round of 32 on Monday afternoon. Babusik won the final hole to secure the 1-up victory and a spot in the Round of 16. Rick Woulfe and Jimmy Jones both captured big wins to advance to the Round of 16. No. 28 seed, Woulfe defeated Shires, 5 and 3, while Jones won 5 and 4 against Joe Shaktman.
It took extra holes to decide a winner for Doug Jones and Paul Royak. Jones was 4 down through 14 holes, but won the next four holes to tie the match up. Royak made a 40-foot putt for birdie on the 19th hole to secure the victory.
In a rematch of the 2018 Senior Match Play Final, Joyner drew Williams in the first round of match play. Joyner took the lead on the fourth hole and didn’t look back, winning the match, 3 and 2. Co-Medalist, Whittemore was down early in the match against Rokki, before winning three three-straight hole to take a 2-up lead and earning the win.
Round of 16
Woulfe and Babusik both needed extra holes to punch their ticket into the Quarterfinals. Woulfe defeated Royak in 19 holes on Tuesday, while Babusik took the win in 19 holes against Brian Keenan. Allen Peake defeated 2019 Senior Match Play champion, Owen Joyner, 2 up, while Kerper won, 1 up, against the 2019 Senior Amateur champion, Kelly Gosse.
Jones secured a spot in the quarterfinals, with a divisive 6-and-5 win over Jeffery Parsons. Whittemore also picked up a big win in the Round of 16, winning five-straight holes to defeat Robert Parker, 5 and 3.
Quarterfinals
Snoap took a quick lead against Babusik in their Quarterfinal match on Tuesday afternoon, making the turn with a 5-up lead. Snoap secured his spot in the Semifinals with a 4 and 3 win. Woulfe won three of four holes against Michael Mercier to head to the back nine in a tie, before Mercier took the lead back on the 12th hole. Woulfe won back-to-back holes to take a 1-up lead on the 16th hole and advanced to the semifinals with a 1-up win.
After being down for most of the front nine, Jones won the ninth hole with a birdie to take a 1-up lead over Whittemore. Jones help his lead used a 1-up victory to advance to the semifinals. Peake took a fast lead over Kerper, heading to the back nine with a 1-up lead. Kerper won the 17th and 18th with a par and birdie, respectively, to come from behind and capture the 1-up win.
Semifinals
With a birdie on the second hole, Woulfe took the lead against Snoap on Wednesday morning and never looked back. The Fort Lauderdale native increased his lead to 4 up on the 11th hole, but Snoap won three of the next five hole to cut the lead to 1 up. Woulfe carded a par on the 17th to clinch a spot in the Finals, 13 years after winning the championship in 2007.
Like Woulfe, Kerper took a quick lead over Jones with a birdie on the third hole. Kerper won back-to-back hole to extend his lead to 3 up at the turn, but Jones took the 10th and 11th to cut the lead to 1 up. Kerper used a birdie on the 12th to bring his lead back to 2 up. The Oldsmar native used the 3-and-2 win to advance to the Finals.
Finals
In Wednesday afternoon's Final round, Woulfe jumped out to a quick lead with a birdie on the first hole. After a back-and-forth front nine, the match headed to the back nine with Kerper leading 1 up. Kerper won five-straight holes to capture the 6-and-4 victory and the championship.
