PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — With only 16 players advancing to the weekend at the 33rd Amateur Match Play Championship, competitors battled it out in their final match of pool play on Friday. With many head-to-head matches deciding who would move on, the energy at The Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach was at an all-time high.
What Happened
Ryan Nicoll put together a dominant performance against Ty Capps, winning the match 7 & 6. Nicoll carded five birdies and zero bogeys in a stellar round, ending the match with a birdie on the picturesque 3rd hole. Lance Lacombe capped off an undefeated pool play round by winning his final match over Matthew Paradis. Lacombe tallied four birdies on the back nine to take a commanding 5-up lead. From there, he calmly closed the match with a par on the 6th hole.
Fifteen-year-old Christian Koehn continued his strong play, securing his third win with a 4 & 3 victory over Jose Vargas. Koehn played his last eight holes bogey-free, shooting 3-under during that stretch. 2024 Florida Amateur Champion Jimmy Ellis went the distance with Ethan Tak. On the 15th hole, Ellis made birdie while Tak made bogey, giving Ellis a 1-up lead. From there, the two players traded pars on the next three holes, giving Ellis the 1-up victory.
Finally, in a back-and-forth match, Rhett Pooley defeated Chad Ibbotson 3 & 1 to advance to the round of 16. Despite being four down through eight holes, Ibbotson clawed his way back to tie the match on the 13th. However, clutch putting by Pooley and a birdie on the 17th sealed the win.
What’s Next
The round of 16 will tee off tomorrow starting at 8:00 a.m. The winners will then advance to the quarterfinals, which will be played tomorrow afternoon.
Notable
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A total of five players made 13 birdies over the course of pool play, the most of any competitors.
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The 18th hole has yielded 10 eagles throughout the tournament — more than any other par-5, each of which has given up one eagle or fewer.
Quotable
“I think out here, driving is at a premium. If you are able to hit it well, it bodes well for match play. You just have to keep yourself in every hole, and keep trying to plug away at your opponent.”
— Richard Donegan on his keys to victory
