Four of top 5 seeds ousted at state match play golf

The Daily Inter Lake

MISSOULA - Shawn Tucker, the top seed for the Montana State Amateur Match Play Championship at the Missoula Country Club, survived a close call during the first-round Friday morning, besting Nate Boshart of Big Timber, but then fell in the second session to Adam Hober of Missoula, 1-up.

Boshart, the No. 32 seed, sank a 15-foot put on the 18th hole to force a first playoff hole. Tucker then tapped in a short birdie putt on the 19th hole to win and advance in the championship flight.

Three of the top five seeds - Joe Johnston of Missoula, Cory Slocum of Missoula and Logan Ward of Missoula - did fall in the first round.

William Foust of Ronan defeated Johnston, the No. 2 seed, 3-and-2. Foust then lost in an afternoon match.

Josh Gold of Kalispell, seeded No. 3, defeated Sam Krause of Whitefish, 2-and-1, and Craig Hurlbert of Hamilton, 2-and-1. He's the highest seed left in the championship flight.

Logan Lindholm of Kalispell, who tied with the sixth best score on Thursday with a round of 71 in qualifier play, won twice on Friday. He dropped Jacob Richards of Deer Lodge, 3-and-2, and Geoff Easton of Missoula, 1-up.

Play continues today and winds up Sunday.

Friday's Results Morning Matches

Championship Flight

Shawn Tucker, Whitefish, def. Nate Boshart, Big Timber, 19 holes; Adam Hober, Missoula, def. Chris McConnell, Billings, 7-and-6; Joe Zieske, Billings, def. Ross Bartell, Great Falls, 3-and-2; Ryan Santa, Kalispell, def. Earl Rife, Great Falls, 3-up; Geoff Oliphant, Billings, def. Logan Ward, Missoula, 4-and-3; Chris Goldan, Manhattan, def. Gary Koprovica, Missoula, 2-up; Josh Gold, Kalispell, def. Sam Krause, Whitefish, 2-and-1; Craig Hurlbert, Hamilton, def. Bennett MacIntyre, Helena, 2-up; William Foust, Ronan, def. Joe Johnston, Missoula, 3-and-2; Kevin Oden, Billings, def. Troy Peissig, Missoula, 4-and-3; Bob Gray, Missoula, def. Tom Heiman, Great Falls, 1-up; Chris Haas, Billings, def. Jason Johnstone, Havre, 4-and-3; Jeff Allen, Billings, def. Cory Slocum, Missoula, 1-up; Spencer Williams, Great Falls, def. Patrick O'Rourke, Butte, 4-and-3; Logan Lindholm, Kalispell, def. Jacob Richards, Deer Lodge, 3-and-2; Geoff Easton, Missoula, def. Colin Gunstream, Missoula, 6-and-5

First Flight

John Velk, Missoula, bye; Jim Bryngelson, Billings, def. Rex Tanberg, Great Falls, 4-and-3; David Mutch, Billings, def. Steve O'Neill, Bozeman, 2-up; Travis Gates, Billings, def. Chris Vidulich (withdrew); Nick Storti, Bozeman, bye; Jake Amerman, Butte, def. Leonard Ward, Billings, 2-up; Doug Bennyhoff, Great Falls, def. Harrison Taylor, Whitefish, 2-up; Daniel Lande, Missoula, def. Roy Stanley, Lakeside, 6-and-5

Afternoon matches

Championship flight

Hober def. Tucker, 1 up; Zieske def. Santa, 4 and 3; Goldan def. Oliphant, 2 up; Gold def. Hurlbert, 2 and 1; Oden def. Foust, 3 and 2; Haas def. Gray, 20 holes; Williams def. Allen, 5 and 3; Lindholm def. Easton, 1 up.

President's flight

Johnston def. Boshart, 3 and 2; McConnell def. Peissig, 4 and 3; Bartell def. Heiman, 6 and 4; Johnstone def. Rife, 7 and 6; Krause def. Slocum, 5 and 4; Koprivica def. O'Rourke, 5 and 4; Ward def. Richards, 3 and 2; Gunstream def. MacIntyre, 1 up.

First flight

Velk def. Bryngelson, 1 up; Gates def. Mutch, 19 holes; Amerman def. Storti, 1 up; Bennyhoff def. Lande, 2 up.

Second flight

Roy Stanley, bye; Rex Tanberg, bye; Leonard Ward, bye; Taylor def. O'Neill 2 and 1.