OWENSBORO, Ky. — Kevin Waldie has been thinking about this since he was five years old.

Waldie won the Open Division at the 15th Clark's Pump-N-Shop Kentucky Match Play Championship on Wednesday at Owensboro Country Club, beating Robbie Keyes 2 and 1 in the championship match for his first Match Play Championship title.

"I feel like I won the U.S. Open," Waldie said. "To have my name with some of the guys that I've looked up to my whole life is an honor."

Mark Knecht won the 71st Senior Division championship, defeating Davis Boland 2UP for his first Match Play Championship title and ending the match by chipping in on the 18th hole.

Open Division

Waldie reached the final by ending Andy Roberts's bid for a second Open Division title. Waldie won the opening hole and never trailed, running the lead to 6UP after the eighth. Roberts won the ninth and the 12th, but Waldie took the 11th and 13th to close out a 6-and-5 victory.

Keyes advanced by beating Eric Fuldner 2 and 1. Keyes won the first three holes to go 3UP. Fuldner won the fifth, but Keyes answered at the sixth to go back to 3UP before Fuldner won the seventh, eighth and ninth to square the match. Keyes won the 11th to regain the lead and the 14th to move 2UP, then halved his way thru the 17th to win the match. 

Waldie won the second to go 1UP before Keyes squared the match at the fourth and took his only lead of the day at the fifth. The two were level again through the seventh, and Waldie won the eighth to go back in front for good. He moved 2UP at the 10th, and though Keyes answered at the 11th, Waldie never gave the lead back. 

"He's such a great player," Waldie said. "No lead is safe against him."

Waldie won the 15th to restore the two-hole margin, and the match ended at the 17th. Both players missed the green to the right, and neither chip finished close. Waldie two-putted for bogey, leaving Keyes a putt to win the hole and send the match to the 18th.

"I was thinking, here we go. We're going to play 18 and possibly more," Waldie said. "I can't believe he didn't make that putt. I thought he would."

Keyes missed, halving the hole and giving Waldie the championship 2 and 1.

"It's a whirlwind," Waldie said. "I never thought I'd be doing this right now. Just playing in these events is an honor. You have to earn that."

Senior Division

Knecht needed 19 holes to get past PJ McDougal in the semifinals. The two were level for most of the match, with McDougal leading after the fifth, Knecht after the eighth, and McDougal again after the 12th and 13th. Knecht won the 14th to square it, and the two halved the final four holes before Knecht won the first extra hole, hitting a bunker shot that finished inches from the hole.

Boland reached the final with a 5-and-4 win over Bryan Conway. Boland won the first hole, Conway squared it at the third, and Boland won the fourth to go back in front and never trailed again, closing with wins at the 12th, 13th and 14th.

In the championship match, Boland won the opening hole and led through the sixth. Knecht won the seventh to square the match, added the eighth and ninth to go 2UP and the 11th to move 3UP. Boland won the 13th and 14th to draw within one.

It came down to the 18th, where Knecht drove into the rough behind a tree.

"I was thinking this is not good," Knecht said. "The tree was square in front of me, and I couldn't go left or right and put the ball on the green."

Boland found the rough as well and came up short of the green with his second, which changed Knecht's thinking.

"He came up short of the green by probably 30 yards," Knecht said, "so I played a little more aggressively and played a little hook around the tree."

The shot came to rest in the rough right of the green. Knecht chipped in to win the hole and the championship.

"The lie was excellent," Knecht said. "I could hit my club on the back of the ball. Perfect speed, perfect break, and it just dripped right in."

Knecht played 37 holes on Wednesday to earn the title.

"Match play's a funny game," he said. "It's different from stroke play. Some people like it and some people don't. I embrace it. It's hard to hit really good shots when you're playing safe. I love to be in front. I don't want to be trailing."

Three days at Owensboro Country Club produced matches decided on the final hole, some that went 19, and two new champions. 

Photos from Day 2 are available here, and Day 3 photos can be found here.