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Match Play Final

Brad Whitaker (Columbia CC) battled through rain delays, darkness delays, and a playoff just to get to match play. When he finally made it to the championship match he had to face off against back-to-back defending champion and fellow Columbia member, Billy Peel. It was a battle of the mentor and the mentee in the Championship Match of the 100th Maryland State Amateur at Rolling Road Golf Club with Whitaker coming out victorious. Whitaker was able to outlast and outplay Peel to capture the title 4&3.

Capitalizing on some of Peel’s early mistakes, Whitaker got off to a fast start that included a chip in birdie on No. 2 and then going 4-up through the first 11 holes. The defending champion battled back and Peel was able to win four out of the next five holes to tie up the match on the uphill No. 16, par 4. After making par on the par 3, No. 17, Whitaker was able to close out the first 18 holes 1-up going into the afternoon.

After a one hour break, both returned to the first tee to start the afternoon match. Whitaker won the 19th hole and was able to get off to a great start in the afternoon. Peel was able to get the match back to tied on the 26th hole. After the match went back to tied, Peel never was able to win another hole.

Whitaker, a rising Senior at Georgetown University, was 3-up heading to the 30th hole (No. 12).  After splitting the fairway, he was left with 260 yards. With a 3-wood in hand, he was able to reach the green in two leaving himself 25 feet for eagle. Facing a downhill tester, Whitaker sank the putt to go 4-up and all but seal his victory. Both players made par on the 31st and 32nd hole. On the 33rd hole (#15) both made par, giving Whitaker the 4&3 victory.

Brad Whitaker joins Billy Peel, Martin West, Michael Mitchell and Richard Latimer as men who have won an amateur championship from Columbia Country Club. This was the club’s 15th Maryland State Golf Association Amateur Championship title.

In getting to the final, Whitaker (qualified with a 72 and advancing in a playoff) eliminated #7 Brandon Berry, #23 Matthew Barnes, #18 Oliver Whatley, and #27 Charlie Bundy, while Peel (exempt) put out #32 Mike O’Neil, #17 Brandon Cigna, #8 Zack Miller, and #28 Will Halamandaris.

The 2022 championship will be played at the Argyle Country Club in Silver Spring, Maryland.


Runner-up Billy Peel, IV. and MSGA President/Officer-in-Charge Moose Brown.

Match Play Quarterfinals & Semifinals

Will Halamandaris (MSGA eClub) had the most dominate performance in the quarterfinals by defeating Charlie Winegardner 4&3. Halamandaris was able to win holes 13-15 to be able to advance to the semifinals. He made a great birdie putt on the par 3 15th that secured his spot for the semifinals. Peel was able to win his match against Zack Miller (Baltimore CC) 3&2. This was the furthest a match had gone for the two-time defending champion in the 100th Men’s Amateur Championship. Peel faced Halamandaris in the afternoon semifinals matches. Halamandaris will try to beat the two-time defending champion Peel to be able to crown a new amateur champion for the first time since 2019.

Brad Whitaker (Columbia CC) played against Oliver Whatley (Argyle CC) in the morning quarterfinal match. Whitaker never went down in the match. Through 14 holes, Whitaker was 4-up. After losing two consecutive holes, Whitaker and Whatley both made par on the 17th hole and Whitaker was able to win the watch 2&1. This was the second match of the championship that Whitaker won on the par 3, No. 17. Jeff Perkins was the lone Rolling Road player to make it to the quarterfinals. He faced Charlie Bundy (YOC MSGA) who was the youngest player to make it to the quarterfinals at the age of 18. Bundy never went down in the match and was able to knock Perkins out of match play. Bundy won the match 2&1. Bundy will face Whitaker in the afternoon semifinals matches.

Peel and Halamandaris faced off in the first match of the afternoon semifinal session. Through the first three holes the match was all square. Halamandaris made par on the fourth hole to take the first lead in the match. Peel then went on to win No. 5. Then on Nos. 6 & 7 each player won a hole to make the match all square going into the eighth hole. The match stayed all square through No. 16. On No. 17 Peel was able to save par to go 1 up heading to No. 18. Both players made par hole giving Peel the victory and a chance to defend his title in the Championship 36-hole match.

In the second match of the semifinals, Brad Whitaker (Columbia CC) took on Charlie Bundy (YOC MSGA). Between holes two through five, both players traded holes and after the fifth hole the match was all square. Whitaker was able to win the seventh hole by making birdie and made the turn 1 up in the match. On No. 11 Whitaker was able save par and go 2-up with seven holes to play. Bundy was able to make par’s on No. 14 and No. 16 to get the match back to all square. On No. 17 Bundy saved par and went 1 up heading to No. 18. On No. 18 Whitaker was able to make a birdie and win the hole to force extra holes. Both players were able to make par on the first three holes of the playoff. On the 22nd hole (No. 4), Whitaker was able to make a birdie putt to win the match and advance to the 36- hole final match.

An all Columbia Country Club final was set for the 100th Men’s Amateur Championship at Rolling Road Golf Club on Monday June 14th, after heavy rain on Thursday and Friday pushed the final to Monday.

Match Play Round 1 & 2

There was some well played matches in the first round of  the 100th Men’s Amateur Championship at Rolling Road Golf Club. While the first round of match play was delayed by a day, nine of the matches went to the 17th or 18th green and two matches took extra holes to decided a winner.

The exceptions were two-time defending champion Billy Peel (Columbia CC) who won his first match 7&6 against Mike O’Neil (Baltimore CC). Zack Miller (Baltimore CC) defeated Peter Barros (Congressional CC) 6&5 by making four consecutive birdies starting on No. 10. Austin Barbin (Chesapeake Bay GC) was able to beat Tom Winegardner (Cannon Club) on No. 14 hole by making par and winning his match 5&4.

There were two all Rolling Road matches in the first round of Match play. Rolling Road President, Rick Sovero, went head-to-head against fellow member Sean Boyle. After the first nine holes Boyle was 2-up. Through holes 10-13, Sovero was able to win two of the four holes to only give Boyle a 1-up lead going into the 14th hole. On the 14th hole, Boyle was able to to save par to get his 2-up lead back. Down two with two holes to play, Sovero was able to par the 17th hole, giving Boyle only a 1-up lead with one hole left. Boyle and Sovero both ended up making par on the 18th hole to give Boyle the victory. MSGA President and Rolling Road member, Moose Brown went head-to-head against fellow member Jeff Perkins. Going into No. 18 Perkins was 1-up, but Brown was able to save par on the 18th hole forcing extra holes. On the 19th hole (No. 1) Perkins was able to save par and beat Brown.

In the other match that took extra holes, Will Halamandaris (MSGA eClub) was 2-up on Billy Wingerd (Hillendale CC) going into the 16th. Wingerd was able to make par on the 16th and 17th hole which made the match all-square going to the 18th hole. Both players made par on the 18th and needed extra holes to decided a winner. On the 20th hole Halamandaris was able to save par and advanced to the next round. Chris Baloga (Hillendale CC) was able to beat medalist, Kevin Grady (Rolling Road GC), 2&1 by making par on the 17th hole.

In the second round of Match play Brad Whitaker (Columbia CC) and Jeff Perkins (Rolling Road GC) had the most dominate performances, both winning their matches 5&4. Whitaker made the turn 3-up against Matt Barnes and was able to take to make par on Nos. 12 and 13 hole to go 5-up. With Barnes needing to win the next five holes, him and Whitaker both made bogey on the 14th hole allowing Whitaker to advance to the quarterfinal. Perkins beat Austin Barbin (Chesapeake Bay GC) birdied the first hole and never looked back. He made the turn 4-up and made birdie on the par 4 uphill No.

Peel was able to win his match 4&3 against Brandon Cigna (Manor CC). Two matches went to the 18th hole. Zack Miller (Baltimore CC) was able to birdie the 18th hole to win 1 up against Sean Boyle (Rolling Road GC). Charlie Bundy (YOC MSGA) played his second match against Chris Lennon (C.C. at Woodmore). Bundy was 2 up on the 12th hole. After the 12th hole Lennon won the 13th and 14th hole to make the match all square. Both players made par on the 18th to force extra holes. Bundy was able to make par on the 19th hole to win the match to advance to the quarterfinals.

Charlie Winegardner (Cannon Club) defeated Marshall Meisel (Chevy Chase Club) 3&2, Will Halamandaris (MSGA eClub) defeated Lou Baker (Baltimore CC) 2&1, and Oliver Whatley (Argyle CC) defeated Chris Baloga (Hillendale CC) 3&2.

Sunday morning’s play will have Peel against Miller; Winegardner vs. Halamandaris ; Whatley vs. Whitaker, and Perkins against Bundy. Winners advance to afternoon semifinals, with a 36-hole final scheduled for Monday.

Stroke Play Qualifying

Kevin Grady (Rolling Road) set the scoring tone in the on-site qualifying round for the Maryland State Golf Association’s 100th annual Men’s Amateur championship when he posted the day’s first score, a 4-under-par 66, at Rolling Road Golf Club. It  was followed by a 67, a 68, and three 69’s.

Overall, the 119 starters were reduced to 31 for the match-play draw (Billy Peel was exempt), and the cutoff  fell at 72, with eight players in a playoff fighting for seven spots. The well-groomed  course was played at 6,161 yards to a par of 35-35–70.

Individually, Grady was able to shoot 66 beating out Austin Barbin who shot 67, Marshall Meisel who shot 68, and the three people who shot 69, Billy Wingerd, Brandon Berry, and Jake Griffin.

Rolling Road’s own Rick Sovero, Moose Brown, Sean Boyle, Jeff Perkins, and Bart DeLuca were able to join Grady to make the cut and advance to match play at their home course.

Grady, playing at his home club, highlighted his 32-34 tour with an eagle-3 at the 475 yard seventh hole. He made four birdies and only two bogeys to win Medalist for on-site stroke play qualifying.

Barbin was able to make seven birdies in his round but with two bogeys and a double bogey on the difficult 16th hole, he finished his round on one shot back of Grady. Mesiel was able to shoot 2-under, 68 to finish in solo third place in stroke play qualifying. Eight players tied for 7th place by finishing the round at even par.

There was an eight-man playoff for seven spots after stroke play. Baloga, Bundy, Halamandaris, McCarthy, O’Neil, Whitaker, and Winegardner were all able to advance to match play after the playoff.

The first round stretched over a two day span due to weather delays.

 Official-in-Charge Mike Hinkey, Kevin Grady, and MSGA President Moose Brown