Chris Finke Captures 6th Annual OMEGA Match Play Championship
October 21, 2020 (Linville, NC) – PGA Professional Chris Finke has captured the 6th annual OMEGA Carolinas PGA Match Play Championship held at the beautiful Linville Golf Club in Linville, NC. 16 of the Carolinas PGA’s top players of the 2020 season battled it out over two days in a single elimination match play event.
The semifinal matches Wednesday pitted PGA Professionals Kelly Mitchum and Jerry Haas against one another, as well as PGA Professionals Chris Finke and Tim Straub in the second match. It was no surprise to see Mitchum and Haas make it to the semifinals as they have both competed at a championship level over the years, earning multiple individual championship titles. Mitchum was the number one seed in the event, while Haas was seeded fourth. Mitchum is a long-time teaching professional at Pinehurst Resort, while Haas is the Head Men’s Golf Coach at Wake Forest University.
Finke & Straub were perhaps a little more surprising to find in the semifinals. Both were late additions to the event after a couple withdrawals of players that finished higher than them on the final Bob Boyd CPGA Player of the Year points list. Tim Straub is the Head Men’s Golf Coach at Davidson College and Chris Finke is an Assistant Professional at Linville Ridge Country Club just down the road from Linville Golf Club.
Mitchum & Haas had the matchup of the day as they went 21 holes in order to finalize the match. Haas jumped out to a big early lead and was 4 up through 6 holes. Then Mitchum birdied 3 holes in a row at 7, 8 and 9 to climb back into the match. Mitchum closed it out on the 21st hole (hole #3, par 4) with a par after Haas missed his 5-foot par putt. Chris Finke had an easier time with Tim Straub, winning 4 & 3 after making birdies on holes 13 & 14.
In the final match Wednesday afternoon, Finke jumped out to an early lead on Mitchum going 4 up through 6 holes after Mitchum hit a couple drives out of bounds on holes 1 & 3 and had a very unfortunate rub of the green on hole 4 when his second shot hit a sprinkler head and went over the green into the penalty area. Mitchum would bounce back with birdies at holes 7 & 8. Mitchum later got to just 1 down after an incredible up and down from behind the green on hole 16 while Finke three-putted from the front of the green. Finke was able to hold Mitchum off on 17 & 18, hitting a great chip from just off the 18th green to close the door on the championship.
The Carolinas PGA would like to thank Director of Golf Tom Dale, PGA and the membership and staff of Linville Golf Club for hosting this championship. The CPGA also thanks Maui Jim and Account Executive Garrett Cox for their support of this great event. Dollars from the PGA of America’s partnership with the PGA TOUR also went towards this event.