NORTH EAST – Alex Weir’s 1-up defeat of returning champion Matt Barto was Friday’s most notable result of the Erie District Golf Association Marquette Savings Bank Match Play Championship.
Until it wasn’t.
Ed Podufal was the reason for Weir’s bump in status.
Weir was gone from North East’s Lake View Country Club when Podufal, 62, returned to its pro shop.
It was there that last year’s EDGA Hall of Fame inductee, who won the first of his three tournament titles nearly 40 years ago, informed the official scorer of his 3 and 2 second round victory over No. 5 Isaiah Swan.
That followed Podufal’s 4 and 3 win against No. 12 T.J. Mitchell during Friday morning’s opening round.
Podufal was equally joyous and perplexed about those outcomes, particularly the one vs. Swan. Not only was the 2021 North East graduate more than 40 years younger, but a former PIAA and PSAC gold medalist.
“I’m getting old,” Podufal said. “(Isaiah) hits it so good and so far. I’m like 50 to 80 yards behind him (on tee shots and fairway drives). But I got up and down well and I putted well.”
Podufal, who’s seeded 21st, claimed his first two Match Play crowns in consecutive years. He finished first for its 1984 tournament at Lake Shore Country Club and the 1985 event at the former Gospel Hill Golf & Country Club.
It was 1997, 12 years later back at Lake Shore, when Podufal defeated current EDGA president Dave Hewett for his third Match Play title.
Podufal must contend with another 20-something come Saturday morning’s quarterfinals. His opponent will be fourth seed Abe Holmes, an Ontario native who just concluded his college golf career at Gannon University.
Podufal said there’s one plus in his favor for however long he’s listed in this weekend’s brackets. The adrenaline rush that comes from playing competitive golf remains vibrant.
“I still have trouble sleeping the night before these (tournaments),” Podufal said. “I don’t know if that’s a good thing or not. I mean, I’m 62 years old. Why should I care at this point?”
“But they’re still fun.”
Weir wins rematch
Weir still has three rounds remaining before he can call himself a Match Play winner. The first of those three for the tournament’s 16th seed will be with No. 9 Mike Wolfe in the opener of Saturday’s quarterfinal matches.
However, Friday’s result went beyond Weir avenging his loss to Barto in their 2022 Match Play final at Downing Golf Course.
“He also beat me here (at Lake View) a couple years ago,” Weir said. “I knew he was going to be tough and winning (Friday) was going to be a grind more than anything. It felt good because I want to get back to the final and finally close it out.”
Weir, a Kahkwa Club member, has lost the Match Play’s last two finals. Jon Merriott also beat him 2-up for the 2021 title at Lawrence Park Golf Club.
Barto and Weir comprised Friday’s lone round-of-16 match that went the distance. They were all-square as they approached the tee box for Lake View’s par-4, 399-yard 18th hole.
Each golfer saw their second shots land with uphill lies in the rough to the left of the green. Although Barto had more room to work with, his downhill chip still drifted past the cup and onto the first cut below the hole.
Weir had less green to work with, even though his chip was shorter. However, the ball stopped close enough to the hole that Barto conceded Weir’s par putt.
“I felt OK about (the chip) because I had a good lie,” Weir said. “When I saw (Barto’s chip) go long, I knew I just had to keep mine on the green. (The ball) funneled down and fortunately, I didn’t have to hit a par putt under those circumstances.”
The match concluded when Barto’s putt, which would have forced a playoff had it dropped, lipped out of the cup.
Past champs in contention
There are three former Match Play victors in the tournament’s final eight despite Barto’s elimination. Podufal is listed in the bracket’s top half, while Drew Deimel (sixth seed) and Ted Grassi III (26th) are in the bottom.
Deimel won the last of his three titles in 2019. The former Cathedral Prep and Gannon golfer eliminated 2017 winner Sean Sculley 1-up and then Mercyhurst University golfer Maclain Deitrick 5 and 4 during Friday’s competition.
Deimel drew No. 3 Tyler Cozad, a two-time EDGA Amateur winner, in the quarters.
Grassi beat Rick Carlotti for first place in the 2013 Match Play, which also was held at Lake View. Friday’s wins against 2017 finalist Dave Spitzer and then Merriott set up his quarterfinal vs. second seed Ryan Ferry, who shot a 1-under par 71 and finished first for Monday’s qualifying round.
Ferry, a Meadville graduate, recorded comfortable victories vs. Anthony Tupek and Mark Majewski.
Saturday’s ensuing semifinals have tee times of 1 and 1:08 p.m. The start time for Sunday’s final hasn’t been determined.
Contact Mike Copper at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
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Friday’s results for the 51st annual Erie District Golf Association Marquette Savings Bank Match Play Championship at North East’s Lake View Country Club:
First round
No. 1 Matt Barto def. No. 32 Brett Folga 3 and 1
No. 16 Alex Weir def. No. 17 Mike Capotis 3 and 1
No. 8 Zach Henry def. No. 25 Zac Bihler 3 and 1
No. 9 Mike Wolfe def. No. 24 Kennedy Neely 5 and 4
No. 4 Abe Holmes def. No. 29 Andrew Klein 7 and 6
No. 20 Jimmy Callaghan def. No. 13 Mike Newcomer 2 and 1
No. 5 Isaiah Swan def. No. 28 Tim Weyand 5 and 4
No. 21 Ed Podufal def. No. 12 T.J. Mitchell 4 and 3
No. 2 Ryan Ferry def. No. 31 Anthony Tupek 4 and 3
No. 18 Mark Majewski def. No. 15 Ron Coleman 5 and 4
No. 26 Ted Grassi III def. No. 7 Dave Spitzer 3 and 2
No. 23 Jon Merriott def. No. 10 Dustin Coleman 3 and 2
No. 3 Tyler Cozad def. No. 30 Rob Nicotra 6 and 5
No. 19 Dave Martin def. No. 14 Breckin Taylor 2-up
No. 6 Drew Deimel def. No. 27 Sean Sculley 1-up
No. 11 Maclain Deitrick def. No. 22 Dan Haller 2-up
Second round
No. 16 Alex Weir def. No. 1 Matt Barto 1-up
No. 9 Mike Wolfe def. No. 8 Zach Henry 3 and 1
No. 4 Abe Holmes def. No. 20 Jimmy Callaghan 2 and 1
No. 21 Ed Podufal def. No. 5 Isaiah Swan 3 and 2
No. 2 Ryan Ferry def. No. 18 Mark Majewski 7 and 5
No. 26 Ted Grassi III def. No. 23 Jon Merriott 3 and 2
No. 3 Tyler Cozad def. No. 19 Dave Martin 2 and 1
No. 6 Drew Deimel def. No. 11 Maclain Deitrick 5 and 4
Saturday’s tee times for the 51st annual Erie District Golf Association Marquette Savings Bank Championship at North East’s Lake View Country Club:
Quarterfinals
8:18 a.m: No. 16 Alex Weir vs. No. 9 Mike Wolfe
8:26: No. 4 Abe Holmes vs. No. 21 Ed Podufal
8:34: No. 2 Ryan Ferry vs. No. 26 Ted Grassi III
8:42: No. 3 Tyler Cozad vs. No. 6 Drew Deimel
Note: The semifinal matches will follow at 1 and 1:08 p.m.