Written by Beaux Yenchik, Manager of Media and Communications
BOISE, Idaho—What…A…Week…Not entirely sure there is a better way to describe what went down at the 2022 Match Play Championship than that. A journey through the figurative peaks and valleys of The River Club presented each golfer a chance to reach the summit or stumble by the wayside. Some caught lucky breaks that gave them new life; others were not as fortunate.
Five golfers separated themselves from their respected divisions to hoist their new, shiny hardware. In the Women’s Division, Kelli Ann Strand defeated Kris Fenwick, 5 and 3. In the Super-Senior Men’s Division, Mike Rawls defeated Fran Matthias, 2 and 1. In the Senior Men’s Division, Scott Vermeer defeated Bruce Robinett, 19 holes. In the Men’s Master-40 Division, Gilbert Livas defeated Garrett Stephenson, 2 and 1. In the Men’s Division, Seth Jones defeated Kyle Delorey, 1 up.
MAKING A NAME FOR HERSELF
It was Tuesday afternoon on the 18th green. Strand was faced with a 10-foot putt that was ever so slightly downhill. After lining up her putt, and keeping her playing partners and caddie waiting in anticipation, Strand struck her putt and watched as her ball fell in the hole. Those present erupted in applause as each had just watched history take place.
Strand had just broken the course record at The River Club for women, carding a phenomenal 64 (-7) with her back-nine score equalling a 28 (-7)—a score that left many of us having to pick up our chins off the floor. Rightfully taking the No. 1 seed heading into the match-play portion of the event, Strand clearly made a name for herself and established the fact that she was the one to beat.
She explained: “So, I played OK on the front nine. I had two birdies, and then I had a double, so that was kind of disappointing…The back nine came around and just started playing good and [didn’t] care about my score that much…I know I was playing good but wasn’t sure exactly where I was at. I just kept making as many birdies as I could.”
To say she was in the zone would be the understatement of the century.
Kelli Ann Strand hits tee shot during the Final Match against opponent, Kris Fenwick.
When asked about what her greatest weapon was in regards to her golf game, Strand was quick to identify that her ability to hit the long bomb was a huge advantage—finding herself with more scoring opportunities than her opponents. With how the course caught her eye, Strand put the pedal to the metal each time she made the turn. Besides the 18 holes played during the stroke-play seeding round, Strand didn’t see holes 16-18 during any of her four matches.
"Honestly, I don’t really know how much different it was from the front nine like as far as my drives,” she said. “I think maybe a few of the holes were more gettable and I could get closer to the green on my drives. I don’t know, something was set up right for me there. I don’t know why I played better on the back nine, but maybe a few of the holes were more gettable.”
Despite being the youngest lady in the field, Strand got to truly test her game against the women who have both elevated and carried women’s golf in the state of Idaho for many years. From past champions like Karen Darrington and Sheryl Scott—both who watched Strand post her record-breaking round—to one of her mentors, Fenwick, who she ousted in the final match of the event. Having made a name for herself, if she hadn’t already, Strand looks ready to take the mantle in an effort to further women’s golf in Idaho.
When asked about her experience, she said: “Oh, it was super cool. It’s my first time playing match play, so it was a really cool experience. Even playing with older women who [are] super good…and have amazing short games.
Here are the matches that Strand won:
ROUND OF 16
(1) Kelli Ann Strand (BYE)
ROUND OF 8
(1) Kelli Ann Strand def. (8) Peggy Hicks, 6 and 5
ROUND OF 4
(1) Kelli Ann Strand def. (5) Abby Black, 5 and 3
FINALS
(1) Kelli Ann Strand def. (2) Kris Fenwick, 5 and 3
A BATTLE FROM ALL ANGLES
Finding himself two strokes over par after his first four holes of the event, Rawls knew things needed to change and needed to change fast. With seeding on the line and a chance to better control his destiny within the tournament, Rawls dug his heels in deep. Carding a final score of 73 (+2), the ship leveled out for the No. 1 seed in the Super-Senior Men’s Division. He used his trusty TaylorMade Spider to roll in three birdies during the remainder of the round to counter his bogey and double bogey.
Mike Rawls (right) shakes hands with Fran Matthias (left) after ending the match on 17.
It was then smooth sailing from there for the Super-Senior victor. Playing on his home course, Rawls used his local knowledge and a red hot putter to win his next three matches. Getting to play this course multiple times a week provided him with the advantage of knowing “where to hit the ball and miss it on the greens.”
"There are times, obviously, for all of us golfers that we go out and not have our best stuff in a certain portion of our games,” Rawls said. “So, you have to make up for that in other areas. For me, yesterday in the afternoon, I started struggling hitting the ball a little bit. [I was] getting a little tired, but I started putting better. I started making some putts and that sustained me…”
The common golf cliché “Drive for show and putt for dough” would be the perfect slogan for Rawls’ campaign trail through the Match Play Championship. There didn’t seem to be a putt that he would miss. At one moment during his finals match on Thursday morning, he was seen shrugging his shoulders as he walked off the green in complete amazement in response to the putts he was making.
Rawls said: “Putting is very important. Obviously, you got to get there at some point to have that opportunity to make a putt, but ya, it is very important.”
Here are the matches that Rawls won:
ROUND OF 8
(1) Mike Rawls def. (8) Mark Broz, 6 and 5
ROUND OF 4
(1) Mike Rawls def. (4) Bob Ianson, 2 and 1
FINALS
(1) Mike Rawls def. (2) Fran Matthias, 2 and 1
STAY TRUE TO YOU
Vermeer’s golf game in every facet could be described with a single word: “consistent.” Not only does the word consistent apply to his ability to find fairway after fairway, or to have a short game like the late Seve Ballesteros, but it applies to his demeanor or friendly nature with any person with whom he comes into contact, especially those he plays with during tournaments. And, that didn’t stop during the Match Play Championship.
I couldn’t help but notice it each time I interacted with him or simply observed Vermeer from a distance as I watched his matches. The most profound example that I saw came shortly after Robinett missed a crucial putt on the 19th hole of the Senior Men’s final match. Robinett’s putt scraped the side of the cup in an attempt to extend the match another hole. In what could have been a moment of total elation for Vermeer, he stayed consistent with who he is as he patted his playing competitor on the back and said something that brought a slight smile to Robinett’s face, which was then followed up by a small chuckle. Being kind and thoughtful toward others, Vermeer showed respect to his playing competitor.
Another example of Vermeer’s consistency came from an additional moment during his final match. Making the turn, I said hello to Vermeer and asked how his match was going by giving him a thumbs up and thumbs down. With a smile on his face, he gave me a thumbs down. He said it wasn’t going as well as he had hoped for. He quickly followed up his original statement, as he walked to the 10th tee, by saying the match wasn’t over. Even in a moment where he could have easily thrown in the towel and allowed for self-doubt to creep into his game, he stayed consistent in understanding every golfer has bad moments and that he belongs in this event and deserves to be there.
Scott Vermeer makes birdie putt on 19th hole to win the Men’s Senior Division.
“Overall, I thought I played really well,” Vermeer said. “I had three or four holes in a row that just kind of just fell apart on the last round. [I] brought it back together with some good thoughts. Instead of thinking bad things, it was ‘Just get in. You’ve been hitting the ball for a long time. Just put a good swing on it.’ {And], it paid off on the last hole.”
The last example of how Vermeer stayed true to this defining word was his play throughout the entire week, especially his short game. Despite the “slick greens” as he called them, Vermeer made the putts he was supposed to.
With smaller greens than most courses, golfers had to have the perfect touch when it came to their pitching and chipping. Vermeer’s chip from ten yards off the front of the green on the first playoff hole demonstrated this skill perfectly. Expecting for the ball to release once it landed on the green, he played a beautiful chip to a back hole location where he had stopped the ball about two feet from the hole—then hearing the ever-popular phrase “you’re good” from his playing partner.
With a slight grin on his face, Vermeer told me after his round: “Arnold Palmer said something…the more you practice, the luckier you get. I’ve been practicing quite a bit [and] taking a lot of time out at different courses.”
Maybe it would be safe to say in his case, “The more consistent you are, the luckier you get.”
Here are the matches that Vermeer won:
ROUND OF 16
(1) Scott Vermeer def. (16) Mike Pulsipher, 7 and 5
ROUND OF 8
(1) Scott Vermeer def. (8) Bret Rupert, 5 and 4
ROUND OF 4
(1) Scott Vermeer def. (5) Bo Davies, 3 and 1
FINALS
(1) Scott Vermeer def. (2) Bruce Robinett, 19 holes
CATCHING FIRE AT THE RIGHT TIME
Livas had hardly touched his sticks in the last month or so leading up to this week’s tournament. While others looked to be mid-stride when entering the event, Livas, for some reason or another, claimed to be a little rusty—using the qualifying stroke-play round as his way to shake off whatever rust there may have been. (Heck, if that is what rusty looks like, I’ll take it!)
It is safe to say that Livas got hot and found his game at the right time, especially with the flat stick. As mentioned above, the greens at The River Club were fast. They were measured at about a 12 on the stemp meter, similar to speeds that PGA Professionals play every week. Having been a former member of the club, Livas had “a sound understanding of the breaks and speeds of those greens”—giving him an advantage over his playing competitors.
Gilbert Livas hits a stinger off the tee on hole No. 13.
What impressed me when watching Livas play was the combination of length and accuracy off the tee. No, he didn’t hit every fairway but rarely was Livas too far off the short grass. When one has both distance and putting as strengths, it sure is hard to put out their flame. I even watched Gilbert send a stinger up the middle of hole 13 with his ball on an ignited string.
When your game is working as it did for Livas, any and every golf course opens up for creativity to be used throughout. Fades and draws could be used on the same shot. You could play bump and runs or the “one hop and stop” shots to show you can use spin.
Livas said: “There are some tough tee shots and so many different ways to play each hole…It really allows one to use their imagination. I pretty much utilized every type of shot I’m capable of hitting this week, and it’s that kind of playing that makes playing The River Club so enjoyable.”
Getting hot at the right time and in the right manner helped Livas make his way through one of the toughest brackets in the tournament with wins over the likes of Edward Hanson, Brian Swenson (who is always a tournament favorite) and Garrett Stephenson (another player who has been playing well and has been in contention at this year).
"I [am] ecstatic to be a participant this year and beyond elated to claim the championship trophy,” Livas stated. “I have won so many golf tournaments, but an IGA Championship has always eluded me. I’ve been close on many occasions but had just never managed to seal the deal. It certainly feels nice to finally win one!”
Here are the matches that Livas won:
ROUND OF 8
(5) Gilbert Livas def. (4) Edward Hanson, 1 up
ROUND OF 4
(5) Gilbert Livas def. (1) Brian Swenson, 3 and 2
FINALS
(5) Gilbert Livas def. (2) Garrett Stephenson, 2 and 1
WAIT…WHO?
Seth Jones walks in the winning putt on the 18th hole of the Men’s championship match.
Not much is known about this year’s Men’s Match Play champion: Seth Jones. Having come in under the radar, the hockey-first and now-turned IGA Champion has introduced himself to the IGA world. Just as the higher seeds in March Madness aren’t expected to make as much noise in the “Big Dance” as the better-seeded teams, so was the case at this year’s Match Play Championship; however, Jones pulled out the upset and made quite a bit of noise.
This soft-spoken assassin wasn’t someone who expressed his enthusiasm or confidence with the use of his vocal cords. He allowed his game to do the talking—blasting his ball off the tee close to 325 yards on average. Yet, Jones showed he had the discipline to lay back when a long-iron or hybrid was needed for better positioning into the green. Nowadays, many players deal with the consequences of a sprayed drive, as long as they have a short wedge or punch shot into the green for their second. Yet, when Jones chose to play aggressively, his chipping was on point as it helped him advance from match to match.
Jones said: “I think I hit only five greens the first day. I still shot 73. I think I chipped in twice…My putter and wedges saved me.”
In what was a battle of endurance with an extreme amount of heat bearing down on the golfers, Jones proved he could out tough and outlast the field. Having Tuesday’s round as his first look at The River Club, Jones continued to improve each match. Facing tough competition every day, Jones played the role of underdog beautifully.
Now, he can’t hide…
Here are the matches Jones won:
ROUND OF 16
(12) Seth Jones def. (5) Dustin Ianson, 2 up
ROUND OF 8
(12) Seth Jones def. (13) Colton Sisk, 2 and 1
ROUND OF 4
(12) Seth Jones def. (1) Jason Azzarito, 6 and 5
FINALS
(12) Seth Jones def. (10) Kyle Delorey, 1 up
FINAL THOUGHTS
The IGA wishes to express its gratitude to each individual who helped put on and participate in this event. The River Club was a phenomenal host, and the golf course was in great shape.
The next IGA Championship will be the State Amateur and Women’s State Amateur at Idaho Falls Country Club on July 7-9, 2022.