Groft, Arvanitis & Cyr Crowned 2024 Match Play Champions
Stratham, NH – The season-long Match Play Championship, which started at the beginning of New Hampshire’s golf season, has concluded as the final matches in each division took on the challenging Golf Club of New England to determine this year’s champions. Harvin Groft (Mid-Amateur), Danny Arvanitis (Senior) and Joan Cyr (Women) have been crowned champions in their respective divisions after working their way through their brackets to advance to the finals.
Mid-Amateur Match Play
Harvin Groft and Matt Moore, the 5 and 3 seeds in the Mid-Amateur division, worked their way to the final match at Golf Club of New England by taking down the top two seeds in the Semifinal round. Moore knew he had a tough battle ahead of him as Groft is a past champion, having won this event in 2019.
The match started steadily for each player, making routine pars and up and downs where they needed them. Groft won the 3rd hole of the match as Moore hit his tee shot into the right trees that put him in a tough position on the par-5 hole. From there, Groft won three consecutive holes that put him to 4up after seven holes. While Moore tried to work his way back, winning the 9th and 10th holes of the match, Groft went on to win the next two to get back to 4up over Moore with six holes to play. Moore was forced to play the challenging 15th hole aggressively which unfortunately did not pay off for him as he put his second shot into the water. Groft won the hole and closed out the match, claiming his second Mid-Amateur Match Play title, winning 5&3.
Mid-Amateur Match Play | Bracket
Senior Match Play
With Phil Pleat and Danny Arvanitis in the finals, two of the top senior competitors in New Hampshire, it was sure to be a close one. Pleat had defeated top-seeded Craig Steckowych in his previous match, while Arvanitis played consistent golf to beat Peter Keilty in the Semifinals to earn his spot into the final match.
The match between Pleat and Arvanitis was back and forth right from the beginning. When Arvanitis would win a hole, Pleat would win the next, which happened for the entire front nine of the match. They made the turn tied but Arvanitis won the 10th hole with a birdie on the uphill par 5. Arvanitis began to make a run, extending his lead in the match by winning the 12th and 13th holes at Golf Club of New England to get to 3up over Pleat. However, Pleat was not going to let him get too far ahead as he won the next two holes, cutting Arvanitis’s lead to 1up after 15 holes. They tied the next holes, forcing the match to the 18th hole where Pleat needed to win the hole to continue. As he watched Arvanitis put his bunker shot to a foot from the hole for par, he had a long birdie putt he needed to make. Fortunately for Arvanitis, Pleat missed the putt, giving Arvanitis the Senior Match Play title, 1up.
Senior Match Play Bracket | Bracket
Women’s Match Play
Joan Cyr and Diane Bova, fellow Rochester Country Club members and friends, earned their way into the final match of the Women’s division. Cyr, the 2 seed in the bracket, worked her way to the finals after two challenging matches against Yuhui Svendsen and Rowena Wilks. Bova, the underdog in the match, was able to take down the 1 seed, Cindy Perkins, in the Semifinal round to land in the final match at Golf Club of New England.
Cyr displayed true dominance in the match right from the beginning and never let up. She won four-straight holes early on to get herself to 4up after five holes and continued to extend that lead in the match as the two made the turn with Cyr 7up over Bova. Without letting Bova win a hole, Cyr closed out the match by winning the 11th hole at Golf Club of New England to earn the Women’s Match Play Championship title, 9&7.
Women’s Match Play Bracket | Bracket
The NHGA would like to thank all the courses that hosted a round of this season-long championship, including Golf Club of New England who hosted the three final matches.
Mid-Amateur Match Play
Harvin Groft and Matt Moore, the 5 and 3 seeds in the Mid-Amateur division, worked their way to the final match at Golf Club of New England by taking down the top two seeds in the Semifinal round. Moore knew he had a tough battle ahead of him as Groft is a past champion, having won this event in 2019.
The match started steadily for each player, making routine pars and up and downs where they needed them. Groft won the 3rd hole of the match as Moore hit his tee shot into the right trees that put him in a tough position on the par-5 hole. From there, Groft won three consecutive holes that put him to 4up after seven holes. While Moore tried to work his way back, winning the 9th and 10th holes of the match, Groft went on to win the next two to get back to 4up over Moore with six holes to play. Moore was forced to play the challenging 15th hole aggressively which unfortunately did not pay off for him as he put his second shot into the water. Groft won the hole and closed out the match, claiming his second Mid-Amateur Match Play title, winning 5&3.
Mid-Amateur Match Play | Bracket
Senior Match Play
With Phil Pleat and Danny Arvanitis in the finals, two of the top senior competitors in New Hampshire, it was sure to be a close one. Pleat had defeated top-seeded Craig Steckowych in his previous match, while Arvanitis played consistent golf to beat Peter Keilty in the Semifinals to earn his spot into the final match.
The match between Pleat and Arvanitis was back and forth right from the beginning. When Arvanitis would win a hole, Pleat would win the next, which happened for the entire front nine of the match. They made the turn tied but Arvanitis won the 10th hole with a birdie on the uphill par 5. Arvanitis began to make a run, extending his lead in the match by winning the 12th and 13th holes at Golf Club of New England to get to 3up over Pleat. However, Pleat was not going to let him get too far ahead as he won the next two holes, cutting Arvanitis’s lead to 1up after 15 holes. They tied the next holes, forcing the match to the 18th hole where Pleat needed to win the hole to continue. As he watched Arvanitis put his bunker shot to a foot from the hole for par, he had a long birdie putt he needed to make. Fortunately for Arvanitis, Pleat missed the putt, giving Arvanitis the Senior Match Play title, 1up.
Senior Match Play Bracket | Bracket
Women’s Match Play
Joan Cyr and Diane Bova, fellow Rochester Country Club members and friends, earned their way into the final match of the Women’s division. Cyr, the 2 seed in the bracket, worked her way to the finals after two challenging matches against Yuhui Svendsen and Rowena Wilks. Bova, the underdog in the match, was able to take down the 1 seed, Cindy Perkins, in the Semifinal round to land in the final match at Golf Club of New England.
Cyr displayed true dominance in the match right from the beginning and never let up. She won four-straight holes early on to get herself to 4up after five holes and continued to extend that lead in the match as the two made the turn with Cyr 7up over Bova. Without letting Bova win a hole, Cyr closed out the match by winning the 11th hole at Golf Club of New England to earn the Women’s Match Play Championship title, 9&7.
Women’s Match Play Bracket | Bracket
The NHGA would like to thank all the courses that hosted a round of this season-long championship, including Golf Club of New England who hosted the three final matches.