2026 Sigel Match Play Day 2 Recap

CLARKS SUMMIT, Pa. - Only four competitors remain in the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s (PAGA) 23^rd R. Jay Sigel Amateur Match Play Championship after a busy day of matches at the Country Club of Scranton. One half of Wednesday’s semifinals will feature No. 1 seed Timothy Peters (Toftrees Golf Resort) taking on former Sigel champion Joshua Ryan (The 1912 Club), who won the tournament back in 2020. The other half of the bracket will be No. 2 seed Ben Cooley (Huntingdon Valley CC) versus No. 11 David Mecca (Country Club of Scranton). 

Peters advanced past Brock Kovach (LedgeRock GC) on Tuesday morning, 3 & 2, and repeated that same result over Nathan Piatt (Oakmont CC) in the quarterfinals, who had played 19 holes in his first match against Andrew Forjan (Royal Manchester Golf Links.)

 No. 4 seed Ryan also played 19 holes in the first match of the day, defeating No. 13 seed Marco Nieto (Glenmaura National Golf Club), and then bested No. 12 Logan Wagner (Bent Creek CC), 2 & 1, to book his spot in the semifinals.

 “I was just playing super solid,” said Ryan. “I hit a lot of greens and gave myself great looks. I wasn’t getting into bad positions and made a bunch of pars and birdies when I could. Tomorrow I’ll try to hit more fairways. I was struggling off the tee but it didn’t hurt my game at all – on this course you can play a lot of angles. You just have to try to leave yourself the right angle to each pin. You could be in the left rough but it can be an easy shot, you just have to plot your way along. You don’t have to play fantastic but just have to hit the ball pretty solid."

 Ryan’s previous victory in The Sigel came back in 2020 at the Country Club of York. Only three other golfers (Nathan Smith, David Brown, and Arnold Cutrell) can claim multiple Sigel championships, and Ryan has a chance to join them tomorrow.

 “It’d feel great to win twice,” said Ryan. “I haven’t been able to play PA Golf for a little bit so it’s nice to be back and hopefully get through tomorrow and have a chance to win it.”

 Ben Cooley qualified for the other semifinal matchup after a day that included victories over No. 15 Austin Malley (Chartiers CC), 3 & 2, and then No. 10 Sam Pancoast, which took 19 holes. Cooley was two down after hole No. 12 but rallied and survived to the final day.

 “It was a long day,” said Cooley. “It was raining when we started this morning and I put the whole rain suit on, but a couple holes later the sun was out. Got off to a good start in both matches and won the first hole in both of them and it’s nice to get off to a good start. I felt like I was battling all day in the second match. Tomorrow it’ll should be more of the same, so I’ll rest up, come back, and hopefully keep playing well."

 Semifinalist David Mecca, playing on his home course, opened Tuesday with a 2 & 1 win over No. 6 seed John Keba (Steel Club), and went on to best Hunter Stetson (Aronimink GC), 2 & 1 in the quarterfinals.

 “I got off to a slow start in the second match,” said Mecca. “But I made a lot of birdies on the back nine that I needed to make. I love this course. It’s been an awesome home and I’ve been here two years now. The course is playing a little softer now and it’s crazy – we’re playing a totally opposite wind on a soft golf course which we just haven’t played all year. So it’s a different course for me but knowing where to hit and knowing what type of tee shots I need to hit has been extremely helpful.”

 Complete results from this week’s Championship can be found here: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/12181842767793663686

The Pennsylvania Golf Association would like to thank the staff and membership of the Country Club of Scranton for the hospitality shown during today's rounds. Additional thanks go to DICK’S Sporting Goods for sponsorship of the event as the title sponsor of the PAGA.