News

Portsmouth, NH – With near perfect spring weather in the forecast, the Match Play Championships got underway at Pease Golf Course with 18 holes of stroke play qualifying to determine flights and seeds for match play, set to begin later this month.  The morning began with 60-degree temperatures and next to no wind but as the afternoon started, so did the breeze, making for a more challenging back nine.  Jalen Rines grabbed the top seed for match play in the Mid-Amateur division with a three-under par, 68, including an eagle on the opening hole.  Five-time Senior Match Play champion, Craig Steckowych displayed his dominance with a 67 (-4) to take the top seed once again.  Cindy Perkins was able to grab the first seed for match play in the Women’s division by two shots with an 81 (+10).  Match play rounds begin later this month at Beaver Meadow Golf Course.
 
Mid-Amateur Match Play
Starting his round with an eagle, Jalen Rines got off to a strong start in his qualifying round, chasing down the top seed.  Despite one bogey on Pease’s 4^th hole, he bounced back with a birdie on the 5^th and was able to make the turn at two-under par.  He went birdie-birdie to start the back nine and carded just one bogey to finish the back nine at one-under par for a 68 (-3).
 
Ross Oberg ended up with the second seed for match play after a 69 (-2) qualifying score.  Despite stumbling a couple times on the front nine with two bogeys, he made one birdie before making the turn by rolling in his birdie putt on the par-3, 9^th hole.  Making the turn at one-over par, he made three birdies in a stretch of four holes to turn things around.  With one bogey and adding another birdie on the 18^th hole, he finished strong for a 69.
 
Mid-Amateur Match Play  |  Leaderboard
 
Senior Match Play
Craig Steckowych showed why he has won this tournament five times before by shooting a stroke play qualifying score of 67 (-4).  Steckowych had a near-perfect front nine until he made his lone bogey of the round on the 8^th hole.  He followed it up with a birdie on the 9^th hole.  From there, he went on to make two more birdies to make it three-straight.  Avoiding any more bogeys, he birdied the final two holes for a four-under par back nine and a 67 total.
 
Peter Keilty, a fellow Portsmouth CC member with Steckowych, grabbed the 2 seed for match play with a 69 (-2).  He had no trouble with the first hole, making birdie to start off strong.  With one bogey on the front, he birdied the 8^th and 9^th holes to make the turn at two-under par.  One the back nine, he made one bogey and one birdie to finish up the round with a 69, good enough for the second seed.
 
Senior Match Play  |  Leaderboard
 
 
Women’s Match Play
Starting out the round, Cindy Perkins was steady and consistent with four consecutive pars before running into some bogey trouble.  Despite the bogeys, her highlight of the front nine was a birdie on the par-4, 8^th hole at Pease.  Perkins made the turn at three over par, just one shot ahead of the next competitor.  Battling the winds picking up in the afternoon, the back nine played more challenging.  While Perkins would have loved to see more pars and maybe even a birdie on her card, she was able to hold on to take the top seed.
 
Following up with the second seed is Joan Cyr who seemed to find more trouble on the front nine than Perkins, but with six pars on the back nine, she held her own for an 83 (+12) and one of the top seeds heading into the match play rounds.
 
Women’s Match Play  |  Leaderboard
 
Match play will begin on Wednesday, May 29^th at Beaver Meadow Golf Course.