Puffenberger Bests the Boys in Match Play
Rookie Helen Puffenberger became the first female winner of the Match Play Championship since 2007 on Sunday. A late withdrawal created an opening for her off the wait list and she took full advantage. Similar to last year’s event, the winner rolled thru the field with relative ease with only one of 4 matches getting to the 18th hole. That being her semi-final match with super soph Chuck Withey. In the final against perennial match play contender and 3 time champion Greg Kline, Puffenberger shot a masterful 39 on the front nine, including going 2 under par over a 4 hole stretch, to put Kline down 3 at the turn. She kept the pressure up with a birdie on the tough par 5 12th and clinched with a par on the other par 5 #14 to end the match. Helen becomes the 14th player in Tour history to make a Major event her first victory! She is the first female winner of the Match Play Championship since DeVonne Mowry 9 years ago. It was a record 6th final for Kline.
Opening Round Highlights:
Rookie Helen Puffenberger shot a 79 thru 18 holes to tie Mike Prieskorn then took out the #1 seed in 20 holes. Brian ‘Pin’ Lardin fell to Jim Vickey 2-up. Tim Markel topped Chris Cooley after 19 holes. Chuck ‘The Closer’ Withey had to walk on water to close out Mike Nicholas 4&3. Well sort of. See photo below. Hope you don’t get a rash Chuck. Tom Hoelzle pestered Greg Kline all day before falling to the Match Play legend 2&1. After both put their tee shots in the water on 17, Kline played the better approach shot to seal the win. Jeff Pasz won a see-saw match over Bill Gordon 2-up that saw Pasz 3-up on the front 9, only to fall 1 down on the 14th hole after a Gordon birdie. Pasz made a swing adjustment and played solid over the last 4 holes for the win. Perch said ‘Nein’ to Willi Hesse with a 3&2 win. And Old Tom Litzler beat the heat and Seth Erskine in 20 holes. 3 first round matches going to overtime is a Match Play first.
Saturday Match Play Re-Cap:
With the temperature topping out at 95 degrees, it appeared no one wanted to spend much time on the course. After 3 matches went OT on day 1, no match on day two made it past the par 3 15th hole. Helen Puffenberger made news by becoming the first female to make the semis since Devonne Mowry in 2009, taking Jim Vickey 5&3. Chuck Withey won 4&3 for the second day in a row over Tim Markel who was probably wore out from going extra holes the day before. Greg Kline dispatched first time Match Play contestant Jeff Pasz 4&3. And in a battle of hardened Match Play veterans, perennial semi-finalist Old Tom Litzler topped Rick ‘Perch’ 6&5 to take a 2-1 career lead. The two previously met in the first round in 2012 and in 2004, splitting those matches.
Sunday Match Play Re-Cap:
In the marqee match, Greg Kline opened with 3 pars to put Old Tom Litzler down before he could dry off his grips. Litzler fought hard thru the morning but Kline prevailed on the Par 5 14th for a 5&4 win. In the other semi-final Helen Puffenberger had Chuck Withey down in the match all day until he got to all-square on the short par 4 16th. They halved 17 at bogey and then Puffenberger parred the 18th for the 1-up victory.
In the consolation match Withey opened par-birdie-par to put Old Tom in a hole again. He was again able to keep the match alive until the 14th hole where the match ended 5&4.
