Prior to 2014 there had only been four different winners in the 10 editions of the Match Play Invitational. Last year Travois Gordón crashed the party with a resounding victory for his first ever win in a major. He defeated defending champion Doug Vargas in the quarterfinals, then failed to drop a single hole to both Gerry Vaughan (semi-Finals) and 5-time champion Armen Grigorian (Finals). It was his first win against Grigorian in 4 career matches.
COURSE: Rancho Park Par-3
10460 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, 90064
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DATE: Saturday, April 11 [7:20AM] Sunday 12th [tba]
FORMAT: Match Play
Defending Champion: Travois Gordón
Defeated Armen Grigorian 5 and 3
PAST CHAMPIONS:
2003, Jo Clemente
2004, no tournament held
2005, Jo Clemente
2006, Armen Grigorian
2007, Armen Grigorian
2008, Chris Moawad
2009, Doug Vargas
2010, Armen Grigorian
2011, Armen Grigorian
2012, Armen Grigorian
2013, Doug Vargas
MATCHES
#8 P-Jay Fidler (5-9) vs. #9 Nik Freitas (0-0), winner vs. #1 Travois Gordón (9-8)
Freitas makes his match play debut against hometown buddy Fidler. Call it the “Battle of Tulare”. Fidler had a luckluster track record in match play until he reached the Finals in 2013. Winner gets defending champion Gordón.
Versus Gordón: Fidler 0-0
#7 Clint Crump (13-11) vs. #10 Patrick Bird (7-11), winner vs. #2 Chris Moawad (13-8)
Hard to believe that these Tour charter members have never faced one another. Winner gets #2 and 2008 champion Moawad.
Versus Moawad: Crump, 1-0 (defeated Moawad in 2013 quarterfinals); Bird, 0-0
#6 Gerry Vaughan (13-8) vs. #11 John Frost (2-10), winner vs. #3 and 5-time champion Armen Grigorian (25-6)
Veterans Vaughan and Frost face one another for the first time. Vaughan unbeaten in the first round.
Versus Grigorian: Vaughan, 0-4 Frost, 0-0
#5 Doug Vargas (18-7) vs. #12 Tim Joe (3-11), winner vs. Tour Champion Martin Witt
Vargas’s first career match and win was against Joe in 2006. Vargas a 2-time champion (2009, 2013). Witt has played only 2 matches (0-2) in the last 6 years, but as Tour Champion receives the #4 seed.
Versus Witt: Vargas, 0-0 T. Joe, 1-0 (by forfeit)
