Middleton, Mass. – The 2026 NEPGA Pro-Pro Match Play Championship kicked off on Monday, May 11th at Ferncroft Country Club. A total of 15 two-man teams teed off this morning with eight match play spots on the line. The four Match Play winners compete in the 2026 NEPGA Pro-Pro Match Play Semfinals on Tuesday, May 12th back at Ferncroft CC.
The best ball stroke play qualifying round was headlined by the team of Jeff Martin, PGA (Wollaston GC) & Eric Barlow, PGA (Winchester CC) who shot 9-under, 63 to claim the top seed.
Jake Leech, PGA (Walpole CC) and Brendon Ray, PGA (Point Judith CC) tied with the duo of Pete Weatherby, PGA (Brown University) and Jason Calhoun, PGA (Brown University) at 5-under for a share of second place in the qualifying round.
The reigning champions, Shawn Warren, PGA (Bates College) and Matt Arvanitis, PGA (SNHU) shot 4-under, 68, to claim 4th place and a spot in the Quarterfinal round.
Nate Myers, PGA and David Dionne, PGA along with the team of Robert Tramonti, PGA (Triggs Memorial GC) and Ed Kirby, PGA (The Aquidneck Club) tied for 5th place at 3-under. John Fields, PGA (Belmont CC) and Matt Zdon, PGA (Belmont CC) claimed solo 7th place.
There was a three-way tie for the 8th qualifying spot between the teams of Bob Bruso, PGA (Worcester CC) and Pat Beahn, PGA (Blackstone National), Kolten Bauer, PGA (Sankaty Head GC) and Leif Peterson, PGA (The Country Club), and Frank Dully, PGA (Kernwood CC) and Todd Scarafoni, PGA (Bass Rocks GC). The three teams teed off the 10th hole and it was Dully and Scarafoni who clinched the spot.
The afternoon shootout, an alternate shot winner-take-all event for the non-qualifying teams, saw the team of Todd Anzlovar, PGA (The Foundation) and Ben Egan, PGA (The Bay Club) take the crystal.
The Quarterfinal Matches kicked off following a lunch break with the following seeds competing against each other:
- Martin/Barlow vs. 8. Dully/Scarafoni
- Ray/Leech vs. 7. Zdon/Fields
- Weatherby/Calhoun vs. 6. Tramonti/Kirby
- Arvanitis/Warren vs. 5. Myers/Dionne
Arvanitis and Warren move to the May 12th Semifinal Match defeating Myers/Dionne 4&2.
Leech and Ray defeated Zdon and Fields 4&2 to advance to the Semifinal match.
Kirby and Tramonti were in a tight match and will move on to the semifinals on Tuesday, May 12th with their 3&2 victory over Weatherby and Calhoun.
The last group to finish was Martin/Barlow and Dully/Scarafoni. Despite a 4-stroke victory in the qualifying round for Martin and Barlow, Dully and Scarafoni were able to lock in for the 3&2 victory and a spot in Tuesday’s Semifinals.
Tee times for the Semifinal matches will start at 8:00 a.m.
Thank you to Ferncroft Country Club staff for hosting the NEPGA Pro-Pro Match Play Championship. The NEPGA would also like to thank its Pro-Pro Match Play Championship partners: Five Star Golf Cars, Prize Possessions, Oakley, and PGA Tour.