Local golf: Match-Play championships slated for this weekend at Hidden Valley

Hidden Valley Golf Course (Photo by Leroy Boyer).
FRIEDENSBURG — A field of 47 golfers will look to maneuver their way through their respective brackets when the 34th annual Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Match-Play Championships are held Saturday and Sunday at Hidden Valley Golf Course.
This year’s tournament is split into four brackets, with the top 16 qualifiers in the Championship Flight, the next 15 in the 1st Flight and the next eight in the 2nd Flight. The Senior Division for golfers age 60 and over consists of eight golfers.
Seeding for the tournament was done through qualifying rounds held over a two-week span at Hidden Valley.
Jim Dietz Jr. is the defending overall champion and is seeded No. 1 in the Championship Flight based on last year’s win. Bailey Sophy was the top qualifier with a 5-under-par 67 and is the No. 2 seed. No. 3 Nick Hand (68), No. 4 Luke Morgan (69), No. 5 Jason Troutman (69) and No. 6 Albe Evans (69) also shot qualifying rounds under par.
Bryan Ott (77) is the top seed in the 1st Flight, while Ken Reynolds (88) is the top seed in the 2nd Flight. Defending champion Brian Paul heads the Senior Division, with No. 2 seed Mike Barnes (73) posting the top Senior Division qualifying score.
The first-round matches and quarterfinals will be held Saturday at Hidden Valley, with the semifinals and championship matches slated for Sunday.
Here’s a look at the brackets for this year’s Match-Play championships:
Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Match-Play Championships
Saturday-Sunday, July 19-20
At Hidden Valley Golf Course, Friedensburg
Saturday’s pairings
(Qualifying score in parentheses)
CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT
First Round
9:36 a.m. — No. 1 Jim Dietz Jr. (DC) vs. No. 16 Brent Jones (77); No. 8 Jared Palubinski (74) vs. No. 9 Austin Boyer (75)
9:44 a.m. — No. 4 Luke Morgan (69) vs. No. 13 Grant Culbert (77); No. 5 Jason Troutman (69) vs. No. 12 Eli Barton (75)
9:52 a.m. — No. 2 Bailey Sophy (67) vs. No. 15 J.D. Barton (77); No. 7 Sean Misstishin (72) vs. No. 10 Steve Rice (75)
10 a.m. — No. 3 Nick Hand (68) vs. No. 14 Gary Hess (77); No. 6 Albe Evans (69) vs. No. 11 Ray Miske (75)
Quarterfinals
2:48 p.m. — 9:36 a.m. winners; 9:44 a.m. winners
2:56 p.m. — 9:52 a.m. winners; 10 a.m. winners
1ST FLIGHT
First Round
No. 1 Bryan Ott (77), bye
9:04 a.m. — No. 8 Mike Steffe (82) vs. No. 9 Jeff Albo (82)
9:12 a.m. — No. 4 Scott Bensinger (80) vs. No. 13 Ethan Kuczynski (86); No. 5 Curtis Dunn (81) vs. No. 12 Aidan Aungst (83)
9:20 a.m. — No. 2 Matt Moll (79) vs. No. 15 Jason Greis (88); No. 7 Zig Kuczynski (81) vs. No. 10 Tyler Steigerwalt (82)
9:28 a.m. — No. 3 Josh Zelinsky (79) vs. No. 14 Jim Lord (87); No. 6 John Gower (81) vs. No. 11 Doug Morgan (83)
Quarterfinals
2:32 p.m. — No. 1 Bryan Ott vs. Steffe-Albo winner; 9:12 a.m. winners
2:40 p.m. — 9:20 a.m. winners; 9:28 a.m. winners
2ND FLIGHT
Quarterfinals
2:16 p.m. — No. 1 Ken Reynolds (88) vs. No. 8 Tom Schreppel (121); No. 4 Charlie Heffner (90) vs. No. 5 Karson Felty (90)
2:24 p.m. — No. 2 Joe Slovick (89) vs. No. 7 Trey Reynolds (108); No. 3 Jim Gouldner (90) vs. No. 6 Justin Snyder (92)
SENIOR DIVISION
2 p.m. — No. 1 Brian Paul (DC) vs. No. 8 Alan Zelinsky (91); No. 4 Mike Muncy (74) vs. No. 5 Jim Dietz Sr. (80)
2:08 p.m. — No. 2 Mike Barnes (73) vs. No. 7 Bill Kaczmarcyzk (87); No. 3 Joe Orsulak (74) vs. No. 6 Bruce Lord (84)
Sunday’s Schedule
9:04 a.m. — 2nd Flight semifinals
9:12 a.m. — 1st Flight semifinals
9:20 a.m. — Senior Division semifinals
9:28 a.m. — Championship Flight semifinals
2 p.m. — 1st Flight championship, 2nd Flight championship
2:08 p.m. — Championship Flight championship, Senior Division championship
Match-Play Champions List
2024 — Jim Dietz Jr. (overall); Brian Paul (senior)
2023 — Brian Noonan
2022 — Jason Troutman
2021 — Albe Evans
2020 — Albe Evans
2019 — Steve Rice
2018 — James Bromwell
2017 — James Bromwell
2016 — Bobby Hillibush
2015 — James Bromwell
2014 — Jim Rattigan
2013 — Randy Kurzinsky
2012 — Ryan Laudeman
2011 — Chris Schultz
2010 — Jim Rattigan
2009 — Jim Rattigan
2008 — Jeff Metza
2007 — Jeff Metza
2006 — Sean Misstishin
2005 — Jim Rattigan
2004 — Jeff Paul
2003 — Jeff Paul
2002 — Brendt Geiger
2001 — Brendt Geiger
2000 — Jim Rattigan
1999 — Mike Muncy
1998 — Brian Richards
1997 — Jim Bohrman
1996 — Jim Bohrman
1995 — Jim Bohrman
1994 — Bob Costanzo
1993 — Phil Pishock
1992 — Brian Paul
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