After earning the number one seed with a stroke play round of three under-par, 69, Christopher Carlin advanced through each round of match play to hoist the trophy on Sunday!
The Round of 64 was completed Friday morning and four of the five stroke play co-medalists advanced to the Round of 32 on Friday afternoon. Number one seed, Christopher Carlin, seemed to be on cruise control as he earned a six and four win in his first match and a five and three win against Timothy Colanta (33) in the Round of 32. Kits Patel, number three seed, is the second remaining stroke play co-medalist to advance to the Round of 16. Patel won his first match, three and two, and won one up in his second match. The only former Champion remaining in match play is Joe Alfieri, who won in 2001. Alfieri (39) won after 20 holes in his first match and advanced to the Round of 16 after a one up victory over Miles McConnnell (7).
Saturday morning the Round of 16 matches began where Carlin defeated Kyle Shealy (17), of Saint Petersburg, two-up. In his afternoon Quarterfinal match, Carlin faced Jake Kevorkian (8), of Saint Petersburg, and advanced to the Semifinals with a one-up win. Jeremy Perna (61), of Sarasota, continued his winning streak by advancing to the Quarterfinals, but was then defeated by Christian Bosso (37), of Pensacola, one-up. Bosso would go head to head against Carlin in the Semifinals. The only remaining past Champion, Joe Alfieri lost to Andrew Arft (15), of Casselberry, in the Quarterfinals. Arft would face Eric Grimes (38), of Naples, in the Semifinals.
The Semifinal match between Carlin and Bosso lasted 14 holes, ending in a five and four win for Carlin. Carlin took the lead early in the match with birdies on holes two through six giving him a five up lead that he never lost. The match between Andrew Arft and Eric Grimes was not determined until the back nine. Grimes made the turn at one-up and after going back and forth teed off number 17 at one-up. After a birdie on the 17th hole and a two and one win, Grimes would move on to face Carlin in the Final match.
An uneventful front nine was played by each Carlin and Grimes in the final match. Carlin birdied the ninth hole to turn to the back nine at one-up. A birdie on the 10th hole moved Carlin to two-up but Grimes fired back with a birdie on number 11. Carlin did not let his lead slip for long and birdied the 12th hole keeping the match at two-up through the 15th hole. The match ended on the 16th hole where Carlin birdied for a final three and two victory. This marks Carlin’s second Championship win of the year, after being crowned Four-Ball Champion, before he begins the fall as the new head coach of Nova Southeastern University!
