21st Sigel Match Play Bracket Set
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Pennsylvania Golf Association (PAGA) R. Jay Sigel Match Play Championship always contains a few surprises and the 21st annual edition, which began with 36 holes of stroke play at Sunnehanna Country Club, was no different. Longue Vue Club’s Amani D’Ambrosio, a recent graduate of Barry University (where he was team captain of the golf team) earned medalist honors after compiling a nine-under-par 131 after both of today’s rounds. He is joined at the top of the leaderboard by a pair of golfers who were eight-under-par at 132: Rick Stimmel (Conoquenessing CC), who fired a tournament-low 62 (-8) in the morning’s first round, and Patrick Sheehan (Talamore CC), who tallied a 67 in the morning and 65 in the afternoon.
D'Ambrosio collected a total of 10 birdies in his pair of incredibly solid rounds to overtake Stimmel late on Monday afternoon.
“It was a good day,” said D’Ambrosio. “I think I stayed steady mentally and was just trying to execute each shot. I only made one bogey all day so I was just trying to get the ball on the green. Some putts fell, a few didn’t, but I was getting the ball in play and managing myself around the greens.”
Amani’s golf schedule has been busy, as he is coming off a win at last weekend’s Longue Vue Club Championship, which also included three rounds of match play.
“This is my 72nd hole in three days so I felt prepared coming in,” said D’Ambrosio. “I’m excited for match play. Something I learned from all my matches in the past couple of days was that I don’t need to do anything different from what I do in a stroke play round. What the other person does doesn’t really matter, because at the end of the day I can only hit the best shot that I can.”
For Stimmel, whose consistency and success throughout the past year and a half is well documented, the day started off with a bang.
“I kind of broke the ice with a 20-footer for birdie on number one and I was off and running,” recalls Stimmel. “Then I holed my second shot on number three from 60 yards out and by the time I added up all the scores on the front nine it was a 29. I was putting well and made my fair share, but I missed a couple too. Four of my five bogeys on the day were three putts, but I’ve played a bunch of Sunnehanna amateurs up here. I know the golf course, it’s a fun one and one of my favorites in Western PA.”
Sheehan tallied a tournament-best 12 birdies (as well as an eagle) in his rounds but was hampered by four bogeys and a double-bogey to tie him with Stimmel for second place. Nathan Piatt (Oakmont CC), the recent 2024 West Penn Amateur champion, fired a combined 134 (-6) and sits in fourth place while Williamsport CC’s Peyton Mussina’s 135 (-5) rounds out the top five golfers heading into the match play portion of the Championship.
The top 16 also includes Nathan Smith, who has six Sigel titles to his name, as well as Billy Pabst and Colin Smith, who both advanced to the match play round at last year’s Championship.
Some late-day drama included a playoff for the final spot of the match play bracket, with 8 golfers involved – including defending champion Karl Frisk, reigning PAGA Player of the Year Calen Sanderson, and 2014 Sigel champion Eric Williams. Williams was able to birdie hole No. 1 to book his spot in Tuesday’s bracket.
The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of Sunnehanna Country Club for the hospitality shown during today’s rounds, with additional thanks going to DICK’S Sporting Goods for sponsorship of the event.
Find a complete list of the 16 competitors advancing to tomorrow’s match play below.
- Amani D’Ambrosio (Longue Vue): 65-66—131 (-9)
T-2. Rick Stimmel (Conoquenessing CC): 62-70—132 (-8)
T-2. Patrick Sheehan (Talamore CC): 67-65—132 (-8)
- Nathan Piatt (Oakmont CC): 66-68-134 (-6)
- Peyton Mussina (Williamsport CC): 65-70—135 (-5)
- Chuck Tragesser (Willowbrook CC): 69-67—136 (-4)
- Nicholas Turowski (Hannastown GC): 68-69—137 (-3)
T-8. Logan Paczewski (Huntsville GC): 70-68—138 (-2)
T-8. Anthony DePietress (Carlisle CC): 69-69—138 (-2)
T-8. Derek McGlaughlin (Hershey CC): 66-72—138 (-2)
T-8. Nathan Smith (Pinecrest CC): 71-67—138 (-2)
T-12. Samuel Feeney (Applecross CC): 70-69—139 (-1)
T-12. Jimmy Meyers (Oakmont CC): 72-67—139 (-1)
T-12. Colin Smith (PAGA Individual): 68-71—139 (-1)
T-12. William Pabst (Elmhurst CC): 73-66—139 (-1)
16*. Eric Williams (Glenmaura National GC): 71-69—140 (E)
*Won 8-for-1 playoff with birdie on hole No. 1