Alex McMahon captures Arizona Amateur title
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (August 16, 2014) — After securing the No. 1 overall seed on Tuesday, University of Arizona senior Alex McMahon of Oro Valley, Ariz. ran through the match play bracket, ending the tournament on the highest of notes Saturday afternoon with a 3-and-2 victory over home-course favorite Michael Martin at the Arizona Amateur.
Martin, a former professional golfer, calls the site of the 2014 event Desert Highlands Golf Club his home course, but that advantage couldn't fend off McMahon, who had made four birdies and an eagle through 12 holes.
McMahon and Martin wowed spectators with their accurate iron play and touch around the green. McMahon took and early lead on the front side, but it was his chip in for eagle on the ninth that set the tone for the second half of the match.
On the 240-yard 16th, Martin put his tee shot on the front center of the green, while McMahon sent his hole high and left. Like he had done all week, McMahon's solid short game left him with a short putt and a victory.
McMahon had close calls in his quarterfinal and semifinal matches, including a one-up win over collegiate rival Blake Cannon of Arizona State University in the quarters. McMahon also went the full 18 in the semis against Adam Walicki, another former professional who has since regained his amateur status.
In McMahon's junior year as a Wildcat, he shot the program's lowest 18-hole score — a 62 — at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational, in which he eventually finished second by eight shots to ASU standout star Jon Rahm of Spain.
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ABOUT THE Arizona Amateur
The event will play host to a maximum field size of 156
players for qualifying rounds, with the field cut to the
top 64 players for the match play championship, all
competing in one division. The event will consist of a
36-hole qualifier, followed by a 64-player match play
championship.
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