WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Eric Cole of Delray Beach and Orlando, FL, has become the first two-time winner in the nine years of the Minor League Golf Tour’s Match Play Championship. Cole never trailed Wednesday afternoon in a 2 and 1 victory over Blake Morris of Waterbury, CT, on the Estate course at PGA National.
In 2016, Cole beat Piri Borja of Coral Springs by the same 2 and 1 margin in the finals at Martin Downs Country Club in Palm City. Borja was the qualifying medalist here earlier this week with a six under par 65 but lost to Morris 1-up in the semifinals Wednesday morning. In the other semifinal, Cole beat Eric Beringer of Philadelphia 2-up.
In the championship match, Cole and Morris exchanged winning holes with birdies before the former broke away by winning the eighth, ninth and 10th holes for a 3-up lead. Morris lost the 12th with bogey, then won the next three holes with birdies, cutting his deficit to one but then lost the par-4 16th. Both birdied the par-4 17th, Cole first from 10 feet to clinch the victory. The duo made a combined 14 birdies in the final match. Cole was -7 through 17 holes, Morris -5.
It was Cole’s 49th MLGT title since August, 2009. He earned $2,500, Morris $1,800, from the $15,300 purse. Cole, 31, is the son of former tour pros Bobby Cole and Laura Baugh Cole.
A big thank you to PGA National Golf Club and it's membership for hosting and Joey D Golf for sponsoring the event.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Number one seed Piri Borja needed 19 holes to outlast sixteen seed Josh Goldenberg. He would then go on to beat Justin Bryant 2&1 to earn a berth in the semifinals. Blake Morris, Eric Beringer and Eric Cole would also advance to the semifinals on Wednesday morning. The two winners will face off in the 18 hole finale Wednesday afternoon on the Estate course at PGA National.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Fifty players teed it up Monday morning in search of a birth into the sixteen player match play bracket. Piri Borja from Coral Springs, FL grabbed the #1 seed with a 6-under par 65. Thirteen players made it clean with rounds of 68 or better which left a six for three playoff at 69 for the final three spots. Josh Goldenberg and Jamie Sindelar advanced with birdies at the first playoff hole followed by Eric Dietrich with a birdie at the second.
The round of sixteen matches are set for Tuesday morning followed by the quarterfinals Tuesday afternoon. The semifinal will take place Wednesday morning and the final Wednseday afternoon. The winner will take home the $2,500 first place prize. Everyone who made match play is guaranteed at least $500.
Score | Player | Amount | Hometown | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Final* | Eric Cole | 1 | $2,500.00 | Orlando, FL |
Final* | Blake Morris | 2 | $1,800.00 | Waterbury, CT |
Semifinal* | Eric Beringer | T3 | $1,500.00 | Philadelphia, PA |
Semifinal* | Piri Borja | T3 | $1,500.00 | Kingwood, TX |
Quarterfinal* | Brad Adamonis | T5 | $1,000.00 | Cumberland, RI |
Quarterfinal* | David Sanders | T5 | $1,000.00 | Mt. Laurel, NJ |
Quarterfinal* | Justin Bryant | T5 | $1,000.00 | St. Louis, MO |
Quarterfinal* | Michael Graboyes | T5 | $1,000.00 | Watchung, NJ |
Round of 16* | Patrick Langdon | T9 | $500.00 | Charlotte, NC |
Round of 16* | Josh Goldenberg | T9 | $500.00 | Scarsdale, NY |
Round of 16* | Jamie Sindelar | T9 | $500.00 | Horseheads, NY |
Round of 16* | Phillip Yribarren | T9 | $500.00 | Miami, FL |
Round of 16* | Jacob Eggers | T9 | $500.00 | Boone, NC |
Round of 16* | Justin Peters | T9 | $500.00 | Stuart, FL |
Round of 16* | Chris Wiatr | T9 | $500.00 | Woodbury, CT |
Round of 16* | Eric Dietrich | T9 | $500.00 | Cheshire, CT |
69 | JD Carrabino | $0.00 | New Canaan, CT | |
69 | Kenny Hess | $0.00 | Parkersburg, WV | |
69 | Etienne Brault | $0.00 | Mercier, Quebec | |
70 | Mackenzie Nelson | $0.00 | Sudbury, MA | |
70 | Zach Weaver | $0.00 | Virginia Beach, VA | |
71 | Luke Graboyes | $0.00 | Watchung, NJ | |
71 | Ben Cook | $0.00 | Caledonia, MI | |
71 | Dan McCarthy | $0.00 | Syracuse, NY | |
71 | Nick Sorkin | $0.00 | Rockville, MD | |
71 | Matthew Naumec | $0.00 | Wilbraham, MA | |
72 | Jeff Swegle | $0.00 | West Des Moines, IA | |
72 | Jake Daly | $0.00 | Cincinnati, OH | |
72 | Marc Mazza | $0.00 | Elmira, NY | |
72 | Mike Miller | $0.00 | Brewster, NY | |
73 | Evan Thornton | $0.00 | Wyomissing, PA | |
73 | Matthew Hirsh | $0.00 | Hewlett, NY | |
73 | James Driscoll | $0.00 | Brookline, MA | |
73 | Hugo Bernard | $0.00 | Mont-Sainf-Hilaire, Canada | |
73 | Brant Peaper | $0.00 | Tequesta, FL | |
73 | Kris Wilcoxon | $0.00 | Easton, MD | |
73 | Jesus Rivas Garcia | $0.00 | Bogota, Colombia | |
74 | Alex Andrews | $0.00 | Kirtland, OH | |
74 | Peter French | $0.00 | Franklin, MA | |
74 | Zach Zaback | $0.00 | Farmington, CT | |
76 | Ryan Celano | $0.00 | Naples, FL | |
76 | Collin Neeman | $0.00 | Columbia, IL | |
77 | Jay Jay Howard | $0.00 | Concord, NC | |
78 | Paul Park | $0.00 | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | |
78 | Matt Lashinger (a) | $0.00 | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | |
78 | Mitchell Ellis | $0.00 | Greensboro, NC | |
79 | Jalen Ledger | $0.00 | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | |
79 | Jake Weilheimer (a) | $0.00 | Newton, MA | |
82 | Nathan Bull | $0.00 | Candler, NC | |
NC* | Aaron Wilson | $0.00 | Shakopee, MN |