Higgins Clenches Match Play Victory

NAPLES, Fla. – Robbie Higgins prevailed after a back and forth battle against Jake Sherwin to win on the 19th hole with an eagle . Higgins raised the Match Play trophy at The Club at Mediterra. 

The 29th Amateur Match Play began with all 64 players, who advanced to the championship through qualifying and exempt players, playing three matches in group play on Thursday and Friday. The 16 group winners advanced to the Round of 16 on Saturday, with single elimination match play to determine the Champion. 

Tough competitors advanced to the Round of 16 including 2015 Match Play champion, TJ Shuart. In the Round of 16, Nick Solimene, of Naples, defeated Reid Bedell after 19 holes to face Jake Sherwin, of Estero, in the Quarterfinals. With a 1-up win against Solimene, Sherwin would move on in the match play bracket. Vying for his second Match Play win, Shuart, of Fort Lauderdale, advanced to the Semifinals where he would go head-to-head against Sherwin. 2021 U.S. Four-Ball champion, Kiko Francisco Coelho, faced Robbie Higgins, of Bradenton, in the Quarterfinal match. Higgins, who recently advanced to the Quarterfinals in the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, defeated Coelho, 3-and-2, to reach the Semifinals. Past FJT winner, Jude Kim, of Plantation, would face Higgins in the Semifinal match. 

Sherwin continued with his strong play by defeating Shuart, 6-and-4, in the Semifinal match on Sunday morning. Higgins prevailed against Kim, advancing to the Finals with a 4-and-3 win. Sherwin and Higgins would face off in the Final match, both playing for their first FSGA Championship victory. 

The Final match began with Sherwin taking the early lead with a birdie on the first hole. Sherwin continued to win the second and fifth hole to be 3-up. Higgins fought back with a birdie on the sixth hole followed by two pars on holes eight and nine to tie the match heading into the back-nine. Sherwin and Higgins tied the next four holes and after a three-putt on 14 Sherwin fell to 1-down. Higgins hit the green in two on the par-5 15th hole, making birdie to lead 2-up. Both Higgins and Sherwin went for the 18th green on their second shot. Higgins fell short of the green and chipped to 8 feet making par while Sherwin hit the green in two. With a birdie from Sherwin, the match was tied. On the 19th hole, Sherwin hit his approach shot in the bunker short of the green. Higgins hit the center of the green, 25 feet from the hole. Sherwin stuck his bunker shot to 8 feet. Higgins clenched the victory by sinking his eagle putt to raise the trophy. 

Results