Even though Breckin Taylor only needed to win four matches to claim the 54th EDGA Match Play Championship due to receiving a first round bye, his performance was no less impressive. After three consecutive 4&3 match wins Taylor found himself on the first tee of the finals with the same opponent he faced a year ago, Mike Wolfe. It was the first time the Match Play Championship, first instituted in 1973, featured a rematch in consecutive years.

Taylor found himself a bit off his game, after losing an early one up lead with bogies on holes 3, 4, and 6 allowing Wolfe to gain a 2 hole advantage. Taylor clawed a hole back on hole 7 after following his perfectly placed 3 iron tee shot with a majestic 6 iron to 2 feet for a tap in eagle. After both players overshot the 8th green and failed to save their pars, Taylor birdied the 9th to pull back to even at the turn.

Wolfe went back on top on 10 even though his birdie putt lipped the cup because Taylor’s aggressive birdie try left him a return putt that he did not convert. However, the short miss seemed to light a fire in his game. He birdied the next three holes and with Wolfe matching his birdie on 12, the match was again in Taylor’s favor, matching the one up lead he held after the first hole.

Both players were in similar positions on the 14th, just off the front of the green, where Wolfe again tied the match as he chipped in for birdie after Taylor putted up just short. Both players birdied the par 5 15th and it appeared that the outcome on the 16th was going to be the same. Taylor chipped up to the front pin and his birdie putt was conceded. It was his 6th birdie in 8 holes. Wolfe had also chipped up from beyond the green but left himself with a tricky 3 footer that he was unable to convert. Taylor was back to one up with just two holes to play.

Taylor hit is tee shot into the left fairway bunker and Wolfe, likely trying to push his tee shot down the fairway, hit it left and into the penalty area. After dropping, he then missed the green left and when Taylor hit his bunker shot to the front fringe, he only needed two putts to claim the title, which he did. Taylor is the 6th player to win back-to-back titles with Ron Coleman holding the record of 4 consecutive and Chris Kupniewski capturing 3 straight.

The was the 5th match play final and third consecutive for Wolfe who now shows a 1-4 record with his lone title coming in 2024 at Kahkwa.

Due to forecasted bad weather on Sunday, the finals were moved up to Saturday afternoon meaning that Wolfe had the grind of playing 36 holes on 3 consecutive days and that followed the 54 holes he played in the WPGA Amateur Championship on Monday and Tuesday where he finished 4th in the presigious stroke play event. In the semi-finals played Saturday morning, Taylor defeated Chase Recio and Wolfe defeated Tim Weyand, both by 4&3 margins.

The next event on the EDGA schedule is the J.C. Martin Senior stroke play which is being contested at the Downing Golf Club on Friday July 17th followed by the Team Championships the following Tuesday at Lake Shore. Visit the EDGA website (www.edga.org) to enter.