Kern & Coughlan Set to Face Off in Final Match of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship, Smith Claims Senior Title
NTPGA • October 10, 2017
ODESSA, Texas –
The morning Quarter Final Matches of the Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship featured three of the top four seeded professionals advancing to the afternoon Semi-Final Matches.
During the opening match of the morning, #8 seed Gabe Reynolds, PGA director of instruction at Top Golf Dallas, bested #16 seed Joe Brown, PGA teaching professional at The Courses at Watters Creek, 3&2. The second match of the morning took extra holes, but #4 seed Danny Coughlan, PGA head professional at Abilene Country Club, was able to defeat #21 seed Ben Cuzen, PGA assistant professional at Preston Trail Golf Club, in 23 holes. #2 seed Ben Kern, PGA head professional at Diamondback Golf Club, topped #7 seed Lee Rhind, PGA director of instruction at Midland Country Club, 7&5, and the final match of the morning resulted in the #14 seed Adam Headley, PGA head professional at Hillcrest Country Club, besting #11 seed Vince Jewell, PGA teaching professional at Woodbridge Golf Club, 5&4.
The afternoon Semi-Final matches featured Gabe Reynolds versus Danny Coughlan and Ben Kern versus Adam Headley.
In the first Semi-Final match, Headley took the lead on hole #7 going 1UP, but a birdie by Kern on #10 brought the match back to all square. Kern was 2UP after 13 holes when Headley birdied #15 to bring the match back to 1UP with three to play. Kern then managed one more birdie on #17 for a 2&1 victory over Headley.
Reynolds and Coughlan faced off in the other afternoon match. For the second straight match it took Coughlan extra holes to best his opponent, but after some back and forth, Coughlan was able to make par on the 20th hole to beat Reynolds for the win.
Kern and Coughlan will face off in the 18-hole Championship Match on Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. Both will be vying for their first Match Play title. The champion will take home a crystal trophy as well as $5,500 of the $36,800 Open Division purse.
The Championship included a Senior Division that included eight of the top professionals from the 2017 OMEGA Senior Points Challenge competing for their own $9,200 purse. In the Championship match, #1 seed Bruce Smith, PGA director of instruction at Black Belt Golf Academy, squared off against #7 seed Henry Cagigal, PGA assistant professional at Rockwood Golf Course. Smith started strong going 3UP after six holes where he stayed through 10. But a couple of bogeys on the backside by Smith made the final match interesting down the stretch. He was finally able to best Cagigal 2&1 on #17. Smith took home a crystal trophy and a check for $2,800.
The Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Match Play Championship is being contested October 9-11 at Odessa Country Club’s Old Course in Odessa, Texas, a 7,069-yard, par 72 layout. The Championship is presented by Adventures In Golf and AT&T Byron Nelson. The top 32 players on the final 2017 Yamaha Golf-Car Company / Lajitas Golf Resort Player of the Year Points Challenge were invited to compete in the season-ending major championship.
OPEN DIVISON CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2017
9:00 a.m. #1 Tee
#2. Ben Kern, Diamondback Golf Club vs. #4. Danny Coughlan, Abilene Country Club
PGA of America Golf Professional Wins $50,000 in Closest-to-the-Hole Shootout
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Golding and Walden win Senior Division
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