Top seed Fryer among those to advance in SCGA Match Play

MURRIETA, Calif. (Aug. 6, 2018) – A year ago, Jeff Wilson became the oldest winner of the SCGA Match Play Championship. This year, however, he’s not on the bracket, which leaves room for a new champion to be crowned at Bear Creek Golf Club.

That player, however, has plenty of work ahead of him.

Top seed Joe Fryer, who plays for Long Beach State, led the way to the Round of 16 with his 4-and-3 defeat of Jimmy Bonham at the top of the bracket. Fryer, of Long Beach, Calif., threw out two unanswered birdies at the end of the match to move on. Last month, Fryer won the SCGA Amateur, wire-to-wire style.

It was not the longest match of the day, however. That honor went to Zihau Jin of San Diego, who defeated Joey Herrera, 7 and 6. Jin went bogey free in the 12 holes he played, and Herrera couldn’t keep the big numbers of his card. Jin is a sophomore at San Diego State.

A day removed from winning his second Los Angeles City Match Play title – and his ninth overall city title – Tim Hogarth squeaked through his match with Jacob Montes, 1 up. Hogarth was down most of the match thanks to two Montes birdies in the first three holes. Hogarth birdied Nos. 9 and 10 to get back in it, then strung together seven pars and let Montes lose holes with bogey.

Tyler Moore, brother of University of Arizona standout Haley Moore, moved on with a 4-and-2 victory over Stephen Bemis. Corby Segal, who won his second Kelly Cup earlier this year, took a 5-and-4 victory over Chris Casey thanks to a bogey-free round. Stanford’s Ashwin Arasu also moved on, defeating Christopher Adnams, 4 and 3, to punch his ticket.