Lakeville, Mass. – The 2024 NEPGA, Johnnie-O Pro-Pro Match Play Championship kicked off on Monday, May 20th at LeBaron Hills Country Club. A total of 30 two-man teams teed off the 1st and 10th holes this morning with eight match play spots on the line. The four Match Play winners will compete in the Johnnie-O Pro-Pro Match Play Finals on Thursday, May 30th back at LeBaron Hills.
The best ball stroke play qualifying round was headlined by the three teams who shot 7-under, 65s to tie for the top seed. Shawn Warren, PGA (Old Marsh CC) and Matt Arvanitis, PGA (SNHU), Ed Kirby, PGA (The Aquidneck Club) and Robert Tramonti, PGA (Triggs Memorial GC), and Eric Barlow, PGA (Winchester CC) and Jeff Martin, PGA (Wollaston GC) rounded out the top three qualifying spots.
Warren and Arvanitis, the reigning Johnnie-O Pro-Pro Match Play Champions carded an impressive 7 birdies, 2 on the front nine and 5 on the back nine.
Kirby and Tramonti carded 8 birdies on the day including five through their opening nine holes.
Martin and Barlow carded eight total birdies through the qualifying 18-hole round. They put up five birdies on the front nine and three on the back. A bogey on 18 ultimately put them at T1 with Warren/Arvanitis and Kirby/Tramonti.
Thomas Rooney, PGA (Lebaron Hills) teamed up with Robert Bradley, PGA (Brockton CC) to shoot 6-under, 66 for solo fourth place and a spot in the Match Play quarterfinals. The duo had the last tee time of the day off the 10th hole and went on to card six birdies through the qualifying round. They birdied 13, 15, and 17 to make the turn at 3-under before posting three more birdies on the front nine for the final fourth place spot.
The teams of Bob Bruso, PGA (Worcester CC) and Pat Beahn, PGA (Blackstone National GC), Ben Egan, PGA (Bay Club at Mattapoisett) and Todd Anzlovar, PGA (The Foundation), and Chris Hulme, PGA (Newport National) and Scott Hickey, PGA (Cyprian Keyes) all tied for fifth place in the qualifying round, shooting 5-under, 67 to round out the top 7 spots qualifying for the Match Play Quarterfinal round.
Bruso and Beahn teed off on the 10th tee and posted birdies on the 13th and 15th holes and added three more birdies on the front nine to advance. Egan and Anzolvar made three birdies on the front nine, on holes 3, 5, and 9 and added birdies on the par-3 11th hole and a final birdie on par-4 18th hole to finish tied for 5th place. Hulme and Hickey teed off on the 10th hole and posted two birdies through their opening nine holes. Three more birdies on the front nine gave them the 5-under finish.
Brendon Ray, PGA (Point Judith CC) and Jacob Leech, PGA (Walpole CC) claimed solo 8th place and the final qualifying spot for the Match Play Quarterfinal. The duo started the round with a bogey on the 2nd hole, but went on to card 5 birdies, 4 on the front and 1 on the back to clinch the final spot.
The afternoon shootout, an alternate shot winner-take-all event for the non-qualifying teams, saw James Damiano, PGA (The Club at New Seabury) and Jim Clay, PGA (The Club at New Seabury) take the crystal.
Bruso and Beahn move to May 30th Semifinal match with a 7 & 6 victory in the quarterfinal match with Rooney and Bradley.
Martin and Barlow defeated Egan and Anzlovar 4 & 3 to advance to the Semifinal match.
Ray and Leech also move on to the Semifinals as they battled to a 1Up victory over Kirby and Tramonti.
Hickey and Hulme were also in a tight match. They will move on to the semifinals on Thursday, May 30th with their 1Up victory over Warren and Arvanitis.
Hulme and Hickey will take on Barlow and Martin in the semifinals while Bruso and Beahn are matched up with Ray and Leech.
Thank you to LeBaron Hills Country Club staff for hosting the NEPGA, Johnnie-O Pro-Pro Match Play Championship. The NEPGA would also like to thank its Pro-Pro Match Play Championship Presenting Partner, Johnnie-O and Supporting Partners: R.J. Shepherd, Prize Possessions, Lagshot, and PGA Tour.