Andrew Price
(CDGA Photo)
HOMEWOOD, IL (June 29, 2016) -- Andrew Price won
the 97th Chicago District Golf Association Amateur
Championship at Calumet Country Club Thursday,
defeating Todd Mitchell 4 and 3 in the 36-hole
championship match. The Lake Bluff native and Conway
Farms Golf Club member is the first mid-amateur to win
the event since Steve Sawtell in 2009.
The difference in the match proved to be the final
two holes of the opening 18. Price was just 1 up
through 16 holes but he won the 17th with a par and
then the 18th with a birdie to gain the momentum and a
3 up lead with 18-holes remaining.
“I definitely played my best today,” Price, the 2014
Illinois State Mid-Amateur winner, said. “I played well
on Monday too, but definitely played really well today.
The short game was really good. Any time I missed a
shot I was able to get up and down. My lag putting was
really good. Overall, really happy.”
On the final 18 the advantage for Price was always
at least 3 up and once the players halved No. 15 the
match was in hand.
SEMIFINALS RECAP
For the first time
since 2009, a mid-amateur will be crowned CDGA
Amateur champion, as Bloomington's Todd Mitchell and
Lake Bluff's Andrew Price won semifinal matches
Wednesday morning. They will play the 36-hole
championship match Thursday morning at 8 a.m.
Mitchell, a two-time Illinois State Amateur winner,
advanced to his first CDGA Am final with a 2-and-1
victory over SIUE golfer Kyle Slattery. Mitchell struggled
with his putter throughout the match, particularly early
on when he found himself 2 down through 10. However,
bogeys from Slattery on 11, 13, 15 and 17 opened the
door for Mitchell to earn the victory.
Similar to Mitchell, Price overcame some early
shakiness to win his semifinal against Steve Sawtell, 2
up. After bogeys on 6 and 8, Price found himself 2 down
before righting the ship by winning 9 and 10. The match
was deadlocked before the par-3 17th, which Price won
with par before birdieing 18 to move on.
Sawtell is the only mid-amateur to win the event in
the last 12 years, claiming the title in 2004 and 2009.
(13) Todd Mitchell def. (9) Kyle Slattery, 2 and 1
(3) Andrew Price def. (10) Steve Sawtell, 2 up
QUARTERFINALS RECAP
The four quarterfinal
winners utilized very different paths to victory. Two
matches went to extra holes, while two other victors
never trailed.
Kyle Slattery outlasted Kyle Nathan in a seesaw
affair to earn a semifinal spot. The match was all square
through 18 holes and remained that way until the 22nd
hole of the match, when Slattery parred the par-4
fourth to earn the victory.
Similarly, the match between Steve Sawtell and
Robert Renner, Jr., was tight throughout. Renner, Jr.
won the par-5 18th to send the match to extra holes,
but Sawtell proceeded to end the tilt with a par at the
second playoff hole.
Conversely, Todd Mitchell and Andrew Price never
trailed in their quarterfinal matches. Mitchell seized
control early against Paul Schlimm, building a 5-up lead
at the turn before winning 4-and-3. Price went 1-up at
the first hole and never looked back, knocking off Tim
Hoss, Jr., 3 and 2.
(9) Kyle Slattery def. (16) Kyle Nathan, 22 holes
(13) Todd Mitchell def. (5) Paul Schlimm, 4 and 3
(10) Steve Sawtell def. (15) Robert Renner, Jr., 20
holes
(3) Andrew Price def. (6) Tim Hoss, Jr., 3 and 2
ROUND OF 16 RECAP
Both co-medalists were eliminated in the first round
of match play, as five lower seeds won matches and
advanced to the quarterfinals. Top-seeded Graham
O'Connor-Brooks was eliminated by 2016 CDGA Mid-
Amateur winner Kyle Nathan, 6 and 4, while Ricky
Palonis lost to Robert Renner, Jr., 2 and 1. Two-time
CDGA Amateur champion Steve Sawtell continued his
quest for a third title by knocking off Derek Meinhart 1
up. Only one match went longer than regulation, as Kyle
Slattery outlasted Jordan Wetsch in 20 holes.
(16) Kyle Nathan def. (1) Graham O'Connor-Brooks, 6
and 4
(9) Kyle Slattery def. (8) Jordan Wetsch, 20 holes
(5) Paul Schlimm def. (12) Chadd Slutzky, 4 and
3
(13) Todd Mitchell def. (4) Charlie Netzel, 5 and 4
(15) Robert Renner, Jr. def. (2) Ricky Palonis, 2 and
1
(10) Steve Sawtell def. (7) Derek Meinhart, 1 up
(6) Tim Hoss, Jr. def. (11) Jonathan Hudson, 3 and
2
(3) Andrew Price def. (14) Brian Hickey, 3 and 2
QUALIFYING RECAP
Graham O'Connor Brooks and Ricky Palonis earned
CDGA Amateur co-medalist honors Monday at Calumet
Country Club. Both played 36 holes at even-par 140,
clearing a trio at 141 by one shot.
O'Connor-Brooks posted a 3-under 67 in the
morning round, the second-best of that session, before
firing 73 in the afternoon. Palonis was steady
throughout the windy day, carding two even-par 70s.
Chadd Slutzky carded the best round of the day,
rebounding from a 78 in Round 1 with a 5-under 65 in
Round 2. Slutzky, starting on 10, played the back-nine
in 29, including an ace on 17. Michael Fastert's 66 was
the best score from the morning session, but an
afternoon 81 eliminated him from match play.
A 4-for-3 playoff was contested between Brian
Hickey, Matthew Murlick, Kyle Nathan and Robert
Renner, Jr. to determine the final three match play
participants. Murlick couldn't recover from a wayward
drive on the first playoff hole, allowing the other three
to advance.
View results for Chicago District Amateur