Jon Marriott made his father’s day extra special by capturing his first EDGA major title with a 2up victory over Alex Weir in the 2021 EDGA Match Play Championship sponsored by Marquette Savings Bank.

Merriott never trailed in the match and built as much as a 3 up lead. The match would, however, go to the 18th hole.

Both players matched pars on the first three holes before Marriott took his first lead with a 20 foot birdie putt on the fourth. He extended that lead to two when Weir’s errant tee shot led to a bogey on 5. Weir bounce right back hitting is tee shot on the par 3 sixth to 7 feet and and then converted the birdie.

Merriott hit a poor approach to the seventh and was unable to get up and down for par bringing the match back to even. Both players were close to the eighth green in two (a par 5) and this time Merriott was able to get up and down for birdie, chipping to a foot while Weir was unable to convert his birdie attempt.

Both players reached the green on the par 3 ninth. Merriott putted first, draining his 30 foot sidewinder, much to the appreciation of the crowd of fans on the veranda. Weir kept the buzz going draining his 20 footer from just off the back of the green to halve the hole.

Merriott extended his birdie run to 3 after hitting his approach on the tenth to 3 feet to move the lead to 2 up. Weir found the trees right of the fairway bunkers on 11 and then hit his approach over the green leaving the hole to Marriott’s par. His lead was 3 up at that point.

The players found the par 3 12th particularly challenging with its front far-left pin placement as Weir three putted from the right side of the green and Marriott also three-putted from just off the front of the green.

Weir was finally able to get a hole back when Marriot three-putted again on the 13th. Both players missed the par 3 14th and Marriott’s bunker shot would also not find the green. He was able to save his bogey but Weir chipped close and made par to bring Marriott’s lead back to 1.

Both players found themselves short and right of the front pin placement on the par 5 15th. Weir’s putt from 12 feet just missed leaving Marriott a change to regain his 2 up lead from 6 feet. He rolled that putt in and stood 2 up with 3 to play. The lead would hold through 16 as well as both players had reasonable birdie opportunities but neither was able to convert and the match was dormie.

With an opportunity to win the match, Marriott missed his tee shot into the trees on the right. His punch out found the front bunker and he went on to make bogey from there. Weir was down the middle and on the green making par and sending the match to the final hole.

Weir needed to put some pressure on Marriott and was unable as his tee shot found the trees on the hillside right of the fairway. Marriott found the fairway and then the front of the green leaving Weir with little hope. Weir punched out to the right of the green and left his chip about 10 feet short. Marriott left his long birdie putt short as well but when Weir was unable to convert his par saving putt the match was conceded to Marriott, 2 up.

Thanks to Scott Jenkins and Jon Patterson and the staff at Lawrence Park for helping put on this championship for the EDGA.

Alex Weir made quick work of his opponent, Ryan Ferry of Meadville, closing out the match on hole 14, 5&4. Jon Merriott will face Weir in the finals tomorrow at his home course, Lawrence Park GC. The finals are scheduled for 10:50am.

Merriott posted his 3rd consecutive 2&1 match win, this time over Abe Holmes of Gannon.

Neither Weir nor Merriott have captured an EDGA major championship. Weir’s best finishes were both semi-final losses in the match play in 2018 and 2020. Both times he lost to the eventual winner.

Merriott’s best finish was a tie for 4th in last year’s Amateur championship. He had never survived past the quarter-finals in the match play until this year.

This is Merriott’s 10th time in the match play bracket and currently has a record of 15-9 while Weir has only competed in match play 4 times with a record of 12-3.

While no matches made it to the final hole in he second round, 3 of the 4 quarter final matches went the distance, two of them needing extra holes.

Veteran Ron Coleman’s bid for a record 6th Match Play title was ended by Alex Weir. The two would need 20 holes before Weir would claim his spot in the semi-finals.

Ryan Ferry will be Weir’s opponent for their 11:50 semi-final match. Ferry defeated Dave Spitzer 1 up.

The other former champion in the quarter-finals also met his demise in sudden death as Gannon’s Abe Holmes took down 3-time champion Drew Deimel in 20 holes.

After runner up finishes in his last to Match Play’s, Matt Barto also exited the bracket in the quarterfinals at the hands of Jon Merriott. Merriott, competing on his home course defeated Barto 2&1 and will now face Holmes in the other semi-final match with tees off on Saturday at noon.

The finals are scheduled for 10:50 on Sunday morning and, with the players that remain, a new EDGA major champion will be crowned.

In the opening match T.J. Mitchell, who upended the defending champion in round one was unable to continue the magic as he was defeated by Alex Weir in the second round 2&1. 2&1 proved to be a popular score in round 2 as it was the same margin 5-time EDGA Match Play Champion Ron Coleman defeated 2-time EDGA Amateur champion Tyler Cozad  by.

Meadville’s Ryan Ferry scored a 2-up victory over Isaiah Swan while the 2017 runner-up Dave Spitzer handily defeated the 2018 runner-up Mike Wolfe 6&5.

In the lower bracket the low qualifier, Drew Deimel is seeking is 4th title and 3rd in 4 years and that quest continued with his 2&1 match win over Carter Hassenplug. Abe Holmes came out the winner in the all Gannon match, defeating Mark Majewski 5&4. Holmes now faces Deimel in another all-Gannon match.

Lawrence Park’s Jon Merriott used a 2&1 margin while the 2019 and 2020 runner-up Matt Barto used that same margin to dispatch the 2020 Amateur and 2013 Match Play Champion Ted Grassi, III.

The quarterfinals are scheduled to be completed on Friday afternoon with the semi-finals on Saturday (11:50 and 12:00) and the finals on Sunday (10:50).

Both the qualifier and the first round of match play were completed today at Lawrence Park.