Semifinal matches set for Kentucky Match Play Championships.

LEXINGTON, KY (May 18, 2022) – Eight golfers’ hopes of winning the State Match Play are alive and well entering the final day of the multi-day competition at Griffin Gate Golf Club. Four players in both the Open Division and the Senior Division remain in the quest for one of the KGA’s crown jewels, which will be awarded tomorrow after the conduction of the semifinal and championship matches.

Wednesday’s play began with the Round of 16 matches for both divisions which featured one match needing extra holes, that being Aaron Yarmuth (30) against Matt Epperson (14). After Yarmuth pulled off the upset against Eric King (3) the previous day, he was able to upend the bracket once more as a birdie on the 19^th hole allowed his journey to continue.

In the quarterfinals, the Open Division once again had a match that needed bonus time to establish a winner and Yarmuth found himself in the middle of it once more. On this occasion, he was battling Blake Evans (6) and it took 21 holes to decide who would advance to the next stage. With a brief weather delay during their extra holes extending the match’s length that much more, their duel became the match of the tournament eventually culminating with Yarmuth making a birdie yet again to close the door on his opponent.

Yarmuth’s storybook run will be a key story in Thursday morning’s semifinal matches, which will be as follows in the Open Division:

Aaron Yarmuth (30) vs. Justin Tereshko (2): Tereshko has had a relatively easy go of things so far this week compared to his counterpart. Tereshko’s closest match thus far in the tournament needed 15 holes while the others wrapped up prior to that. Adding together the holes each player has played thus far since Tuesday morning, Tereshko has played 18 less holes than Yarmuth.

Denver Haddix (1) vs. Drake Stepter (4): The top-seeded Haddix is a three-time past champion of this tournament and will meet the reigning Clark’s Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Mid-Am winner. Haddix is a member at Griffin Gate and will have the home-course advantage over his counterpart from Paducah, but Stepter continues to ride one of the hottest runs of play Kentucky golf has seen over the past twelve months.

In the Senior Division, each of the top-four seeded players have all been knocked out prior to the last day of competition. The four remaining competitors each seek to win the Senior State Match Play title for the first time in their careers.

Jim Murphy (8) vs. Stefan Robbins (5): Murphy, a competitor in last year’s U.S. Senior Amateur in Detroit, Michigan, will take on Robbins, a Lexington product competing on his home turf. One stroke separated each of them in the stroke play seeding round and they could be in store for a close battle on Thursday morning.

Tom Campbell (7) vs. Christopher Chee (22): Campbell is the recipient of each of the KGA’s last two Tom Musselman Player of the Year Awards, recognizing the best amateur player between the ages of 50-59. Victory in this tournament would help him get off to a good start in making it three in a row this year, but Chee will be a tough opposition having already completed three “upsets” in the previous matches.

Golf House Kentucky will have full coverage of the final day of the competition on its Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Spectators are permitted at the venue and are welcome free of charge.

Click here to view the Open Division bracket

Click here to view the Senior Division bracket

Click here to view Thursday’s tee times

Click here to view the tournament photo gallery

About the Kentucky Golf Association:
The Kentucky Golf Association (KGA) is one of the three organizations encompassed under Golf House Kentucky, in addition to the Kentucky Golf Foundation (KGF) and Kentucky PGA Section (KPGA). The Kentucky Golf Association represents the amateur body of Kentucky’s golfers working in assistance with the United States Golf Association (USGA). The KGA provides a wide range of services, including handicapping, USGA course and slope ratings, and tournament management software to its Member Clubs. The KGA also operates the state’s premier amateur tournaments along with USGA National Championship qualifiers. Alongside the KGF and KPGA, the KGA strives to promote the benefits and enjoyment of golf while continuing to grow the sport across the Commonwealth.

Media Contact:
Ethan Fisher, PGA | Golf House Kentucky | efisher@kygolf.org | (502) 792-9703