Another double round was completed today at Lake View, today being the quarter- and semi-finals. Of the 8 that began the two just two emerged, Abe Holmes and Ryan Ferry, who will face off in tomorrow’s finale. They will tee off tomorrow at 1:30.

The opening match of the day pitted two 2-time runners up, Alex Weir and Mike Wolfe. The match went the distance and was close throughout with neither player holding more than a 1up lead. Weir took his first lead with a par on the par-3 twelfth but Wolfe came right back with a birdie on 13. Weir clawed back on top with a par on 15 and, again, Wolfe evened the match with a birdie on 16. The two would make pars on the final to holes, sending their match to sudden death where Wolfe would win the match on the first extra hole.

Abe Holmes made quick work of 3-time Match Play champion Ed Podufal, closing the match out on 12 with a 7&6. Entering the match Podufal featured 46 match play wins overall (tied for 4th most overall) while Holmes has just 5, but the recent Gannon grad’s youth was too much for now senior, Podufal. Holmes went on to then defeat Wolfe in another match that went the distance. A poor front side allowed Holmes to gather a 4up lead. Wolfe got one back on 10 with a birdie but then bogied 11 to return to 4 down. I nice par save on 12 gained one back and Wolfe go another on 13 where Holmes had tree troubles. Both players missed the green on the par-3 14 and Wolfe was left with about a 5 footer to get to within one hole. His putt circled the hole and came back toward him leaving a great opportunity lost. Both players parred the next two holes. On 17 Holmes hit an errand drive that resulted in a lost ball taking the match to 18 with Holmes one up. Wolfe could not capitalize on the opportunity, missing the green to the right while Holmes hit a qualify shot to about 8 feet. When Wolfe failed to chip in the putt was conceded and the match ended with Holmes a winner, 2up.

Ryan Ferry, the 2023 qualifying champ continued his march toward the title. He opened the day with a 3&2 victory over 2013 champion Ted Grassi, III. His afternoon match up was against Drew Deimel, a 3-time Match Play champion. This match, too, was close. After a few back and forths Ferry took a 1up lead with a birdie on the par-4 ninth. Both players then proceeded to par the next 7 holes. On the par-5 17th Deimel had a birdie opportunity from 15 feet that he missed just short and right leaving Ferry with an opportunity to end the match with a 6 footer for birdie. End the match he did, indeed and now has a spot in the finals against former Gannon teammate, Abe Holmes.

This is the 6th consecutive Match Play with a Gannon player in the finals. Their success has been pretty good with Deimel winning in 2017-18, Jon Merriott in 2021, and Matt Barto in 2022. This year will add another Gannon match play champion as both finalists are Gannon players.

The finals tee off at Lake View Country Club at 1:33 on Sunday afternoon for the 18-hole final.