Amateur Brandon Matthews of Glenmaura National Golf Club defeated pro Billy Stewart of Golf Galaxy in a playoff for the 109th Open Championship.

*History
*Scorecards

Matthews defeats Stewart in playoff for 109th Open Championship

  Matthews, an 18-year-old amateur from Glenmaura National Golf Club, defeated professional Billy Stewart of Golf Galaxy (Devon, Pa.), in a four-hole aggregate score playoff, 15-17. Matthews, a rising Temple University sophomore, and Stewart finished the 36 holes of regulation at 2-under-par 140 on the year’s hottest day.

  Matthews joined R. Jay Sigel, William Hyndman, III and two-time reigning tournament champion Andrew Mason as the only players to win an Open the year after capturing the Patterson Cup. He also became a record fourth straight amateur to win the Open. (His two trophies were for the overall champion and low amateur.)

  “It means a ton, especially with Andrew winning the last two years. [We are] keeping it in the Temple [University] family,” said Matthews of Dupont, Pa. “It means a lot to win this tournament. There are professionals and amateurs in it. It’s nice to know I can compete on this level. It’s really, really a fun thing to go out here, play well and know I can do it.”

  Matthews has now won Golf Association of Philadelphia titles in each of the last three seasons. Last year he won the aforementioned Patterson Cup at Philadelphia Country Club. In 2011, Matthews secured the Junior Boys’ Championship.

  Stewart received the $7,000 low professional prize.

  The field consisted of 46 amateurs and 32 professionals.

  Mason, an amateur when he won his two titles, did not compete this year. He turned professional in April and relocated to Florida.

  Matthews drew national attention a month ago at the U.S. Open. He chipped in on the final hole of the Sectional Qualifier in Purchase, N.Y. to, at the time, secure an apparent spot at Merion Golf Club. He wound up an alternate. That alternate status secured him time on the U.S. Open practice range and his improbable chip-in regular replays on Golf Channel.

  Matthews’ dramatics continued Wednesday.

  Knowing he needed a birdie on his final hole of regulation, (No. 9, par 4, 446 yards), to tie Stewart, Matthews knocked a 58-degree wedge from 124 yards to 10 feet. He drained the tying birdie putt and added a fist pump. A clutch effort considering Matthews had lingering memories of back-to-back missed 5-foot birdie tries on Nos. 7 (par 5, 547 yards) and 8 (par 4, 373 yards).

  In the playoff, holes 6-9, Matthews gained the advantage from the start. A shaky putter suddenly turned into Mr. Reliable. Matthews one-putted each of the four-playoff greens, including three up-and-down par saves.

  Matthews opened on No. 6 (par 3, 236 yards) with such after missing the green left. Stewart’s 4-iron came up short right but his six-foot par try stayed outside the hole. Matthews led 3-4.

  The pair registered pars on No. 7 before Matthews, in essence, secured his second Major title in two years on the next hole. He lofted a pitching wedge from 134 yards to 15 feet. Stewart missed a six-footer for birdie. Matthews played his putt three cups outside left and watched it drop to the bottom of the jar.

  Matthews, 11-13.

  Both players parred the final hole. Matthews took a conservative approach off the tee, and once his second shot cleared the trees and landed 10 yards from the green, the title was all but his.

  “I just told myself to get putts to the hole,” said Matthews of his late-game putting heroics. “I hit so many good putts today that were right on line and came up a bit short. I just told myself to get a couple putts there and you can win this thing.”

  Stewart, the 2002 GAP Amateur Champion, turned professional six years ago and spent time on a pair of Florida mini-tours. He returned to the area full-time last year and said he finally found a home in the Philadelphia Section of the PGA.

  “I had lots of fun today. I love playing golf in Philadelphia,” said Stewart, 29, of Devon, Pa. “I feel like I have my best golf ahead of me. I’m excited to be in the Philadelphia Section and share my knowledge with the younger generation.”

  Pro Stu Ingraham of MGolf Driving Range led after the first round at 3 under. The 1994 Open Champion topped a crowded leaderboard that had 11 players at even-par or better after the first 18 holes.

  Next year’s Open is scheduled for Applebrook Golf Club.

Name, club	Total
*(a) Brandon Matthews, Glenmaura National Golf Club	70-70–140
Billy Stewart, Golf Galaxy	69-71–140
(a) Chip Lutz, LedgeRock Golf Club	70-71–141
(a) Michael McDermott, Merion Golf Club	71-70–141
Mark Summerville, Philadelphia Country Club	73-69–142
Rich Steinmetz, Spring Ford Country Club	72-70–142
Robert Shuey, Unattached	70-73–143
(a) Michael Brown, Philadelphia Publinks Golf Association	71-72–143
Chris Krueger, Kings Creek Country Club	71-72–143
Alexander Knoll, Bethlehem Golf Club	75-69–144
Gregory Farrow, Deerwood Country Club	73-71–144
John Lynch, The Peninsula Golf and Country Club	73-71–144
George Forster, Radnor Valley Country Club	73-71–144
Stuart Ingraham, MGolf Driving Range	68-76–144
(a) Michael Kania, Overbrook Golf Club	74-70–144
David Quinn, Links Golf Club	70-74–144
(a) Greg Jarmas, Overbrook Golf Club	75-70–145
John Pillar, Sr., Country Club at Woodloch Springs	75-70–145
(a) Peter Barron, III, Stone Harbor Golf Club	72-73–145
(a) Conrad Von Borsig, White Manor Country Club	72-74–146
John Cooper, Jr., Green Valley Country Club	75-71–146
Barry Dear, Links Golf Club	76-70–146
Michael Little, Rolling Green Golf Club	77-70–147
Jeffrey Bonicky, Sea Oaks Golf Club	73-74–147
(a) Michael Hyland, Little Mill Country Club	74-73–147
(a) Benjamin Smith, Huntingdon Valley Country Club	72-75–147
David McNabb, Applebrook Golf Club	72-75–147
(a) Jack Wallace, Philadelphia Cricket Club	73-75–148
Terry Hatch, Hidden Valley Golf Club	75-73–148
Mark Sheftic, Merion Golf Club	72-76–148
(a) Benjamin Cooley, Huntingdon Valley Country Club	72-76–148
(a) Blayze DiPasquale, Makefield Highlands Golf Club	73-75–148
(a) Alexander Hicks, Wildwood Golf & Country Club	74-74–148
(a) Brian Gillespie, St. Davids Golf Club	71-77–148
(a) Glenn Smeraglio, Mercer Oaks Golf Course	77-72–149
(a) John Brennan, Philadelphia Cricket Club	79-70–149
Anthony Napoletano, Golftec King of Prussia	75-74–149
(a) Oliver White, Manufacturers Golf & Country Club	75-74–149
Daniel Bolstein, Riverton Country Club	75-74–149
(a) David West, Whitford Country Club	74-75–149
(a) Eric Slawter, St. Davids Golf Club	72-77–149
(a) Matthew Finger, DuPont Country Club	78-72–150
(a) Ryan Gelrod, Philadelphia Cricket Club	76-74–150
(a) Joe April, Philadelphia Cricket Club	75-75–150
(a) James Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club	75-75–150
(a) Zach Arsenault, Little Mill Country Club	72-79–151
Bill Walker, Riverton Country Club	79-72–151
(a) Dan Bernard, Aronimink Golf Club	74-77–151
(a) Zachary Falone, Rolling Green Golf Club	71-80–151
David Taraschi, Merchantville Country Club	74-77–151
(a) Grant Skyllas, LedgeRock Golf Club	80-72–152
Joseph Kogelman, Waynesborough Country Club	75-77–152
Shawn Hall, Radley Run Country Club	76-76–152
Michael Heidler, Berkshire Country Club	77-75–152
Jakob Gerney, Trump National GC - Phila.	77-75–152
(a) Tim Freeh, Back Creek Golf Club	75-77–152
(a) Jim Rattigan, Schuylkill Country Club	78-75–153
(a) Michael Carr, Plymouth Country Club	81-73–154
Eddie Perrino, Mountain Laurel Golf Club	84-70–154
(a) P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club	83-71–154
Tony Perla, Radnor Valley Country Club	77-77–154
(a) Michael Tash, Tavistock Country Club	73-81–154
(a) Mike Amole, Huntingdon Valley Country Club	79-76–155
(a) Ryan Fogel, Penn Oaks Golf Club	80-76–156
(a) Zach Allinson, Lehigh Country Club	80-76–156
William Sautter, Philadelphia Cricket Club	80-77–157
(a) Tom DiCinti, Little Mill Country Club	78-80–158
(a) Austin Smith, Huntsville Golf Club	81-77–158
(a) Cory Siegfried, Aronimink Golf Club	80-78–158
(a) James Braunsberg, Blue Bell Country Club	83-76–159
(a) Carey Bina, Radnor Valley Country Club	85-75–160
(a) Matthew Crescenzo, Philmont Country Club	80-82–162
Ryan Carfara, Golf Galaxy - Oxford Valley	82-82–164
(a) Andrew Lawson, Waynesborough Country Club	82-83–165
(a) Johan van Schalkwyk, Merchantville Country Club	82-83–165
(a) Jake Goldenring, Sea Oaks Golf Club	84-83–167
Nick Wolfe, Waynesborough Country Club	86-85–171
(a) Kavian Bina, Radnor Valley Country Club	81-WD–WD
*-determined in playoff
(a)-denotes amateur; WD-withdrawal