Enfield, NH – The Match Play Championships narrowed its Championship Flights to four finalists Tuesday at Montcalm Golf Club, as Ross Oberg, Austin Cassady, Dave Larrivee and Danny Arvanitis each earned victories in the Mid-Am Championship and Senior Championship flights, respectively.
The four winners will advance to the final round on September 10 at the Golf Club of New England, where Oberg will face Cassady for the Mid-Am Match Play Championship and Larrivee will meet Arvanitis for the Senior Match Play Championship.
Mid-Amateur Match Play
In the Mid-Amateur Match Play Championship Flight, Oberg defeated Jalen Rines, 2 & 1, in a match that remained competitive throughout the opening nine holes before Oberg began to create separation on the back nine.
Rines grabbed an early advantage, going 1 up after the opening hole, but Oberg quickly settled in and eventually took a 1 up lead through 10 holes. Oberg extended his advantage to 2 up after the 14th hole and maintained that margin through the 17th to close out the match.
Oberg credited a strong middle portion of his round for helping him overcome his early struggles. He said, “I got a little bit behind early. I had some trouble off the tee early in the round, but I was able to hit some irons onto the green to keep myself in it.”
His wedge play then became a key factor. Oberg stated, “In the middle of the round, I started putting my wedge shots closer to the pin, and I was able to capitalize on those. That took a lot of the pressure off of me from my early start.”
The match became increasingly difficult as the wind picked up on the back nine. He said, “It started getting really windy on the back 9, so we were both kind of limping coming in. It was a good match early that turned into a chip-off.”
Oberg will now face Cassady, who advanced with a 3 & 2 victory over Matt Moore. Cassady built an early lead in the match, going 3 up through the 3rd hole, and maintained control despite Moore narrowing the margin to tied around the turn.
Oberg knows the challenge that awaits in the championship match. He commented, “I feel good going into the final. I’ve played with Austin [Cassady] once and he hits the ball really well. I have to go in there, limit my mistakes, and hopefully put some pressure on him.”
Austin Cassady came out strong against Matt Moore, taking a 1 up lead after the opening hole and quickly extending it to 3 up through the 3rd hole. Moore responded with a birdie on the 4th hole to cut into the deficit, and the match remained competitive through the turn, with Cassady holding a 1 up advantage after 10 holes.
Cassady then regained control on the back nine, winning the 14th and 15th holes to move to 3 up. Cassady closed out the match on the 16th to secure the 3 & 2 victory.
Mid-Amateur Match Play | Bracket
Senior Match Play
The Senior Championship Flight will feature Larrivee against Arvanitis after both players recorded 2 & 1 victories in the semifinals.
Larrivee defeated Phil Pleat in a match that was tightly contested early before Larrivee established a 3 up advantage on the back nine. Pleat refused to go quietly, however, making a 15-foot par putt and following it with a birdie to make the match competitive again before Larrivee ultimately closed it out on the 17th hole.
Larrivee said he entered Tuesday looking to rebound from a difficult stretch of golf. He noted, “I’ve been playing up and down the last 3 or 4 weeks. After a tough day of golf in the club championship on Sunday, I was able to figure out what was going on. I brought that into today, and I had a good ball striking day.”
Larrivee’s ability to build a lead was tested by Pleat’s late push. He stated, “I was able to build the lead up to 3 on the back 9, but in typical Phil fashion he came right back to keep it close. He made a great 15-foot par putt, followed by a birdie.”
Larrivee will now get another opportunity to compete for the championship after falling short in his appearance at the Golf Club of New England last year. He said, “I just have to take it one match at a time and hope I play a good day of golf. I was here last year, and didn’t play my best round of golf. I’m going to try to find a way to bring my A-game this year.”
Arvanitis earned his place in the Senior Match Play Championship final with a 2 & 1 win over Steve Lane. The match was tied through the opening three holes before Arvanitis began to build momentum. He eventually took a 2 up lead after the 12th and maintained that advantage through the 17th to secure the victory.
Senior Match Play | Bracket
With Tuesday’s semifinal matches complete, the Match Play Championships two Championship Flights have reached their final stage.
Mid-Am Championship: Ross Oberg vs. Austin Cassady
Senior Championship: Dave Larrivee vs. Dan Arvanitis
Both championship matches will be contested September 10 at the Golf Club of New England, with the winners being crowned Match Play champions.
