SCOTTSDALE – After a final match that at times resembled a boxing match with both participants exchanging blows, in the end it was Michael Hopper who came out as the victor. He captured his second consecutive Southwest PGA Match Play title and third overall after defeating Marty Jertson 1-up in the final match at Desert Forest Golf Club in Carefree.
“It feels really good,” said Hopper. “I don’t know what it is about match play but the last couple years I’ve played really well so maybe there’s something to it.”
As he did in the final match last year, Hopper, 33, PGA assistant golf professional at Lookout Mountain G.C., jumped out to an early 3-up lead through five holes after Jerton made bogeys on Nos. 3 and 5. He had to take unplayable penalties on both holes after his tee shots ended up in the desert areas.
“I could tell Marty was a little off early,” said Hopper, the 6-seed in the Championship. “Once I got 3-up I figured if I don’t make any mistakes this could be another early match like the one I had earlier today (in the semi-final) against Craig (Hocknull).”
Hopper’s 3-up lead would disappear after losing Nos. 6, 7 and 8, the same exact three holes he lost in the 2016 Match Play final against Blaine Hobbs after Hobbs rattled off three straight birdies. This time it was Jertson, 36, PGA Professional and senior design engineer at PING Golf, who went par-birdie-birdie and got the match all square.
“Marty hit some great shots on those holes,” said Hopper. “I did make a couple mistakes but he really played them well and I was like ‘here we go again’ and just like that the match was all square.”
The 5-seeded Jertson hit an errant tee shot on No. 9 and had to take an unplayable penalty, resulting in a bogey. With Hopper making par, he was 1-up as both players headed to the back nine.
After Hopper made birdie on No. 10 to go 2-up, Jertson came right back and won Nos. 11 and 12 to once again get the match back to even.
“I was just a little off with my driver today and it hurt me on the 11th hole,” Hopper said. “Marty hit a great shot on No. 12 and yah, we were tied again. I was feeling the heat a little bit but it was definitely fun to play in that kind of match.”
After both players halved No. 13 with pars, Jertson hit his tee shot on the 14th hole in the desert on the left, forcing him to take another unplayable penalty. Hopper made par and won the hole to go back up in the match.
Hopper’s lead was once again short-lived as his tee shot on No. 15 found the desert on the right and an unplayable penalty to follow. His next shot stayed along the right side and in the desert and could not be found, resulting in him conceding the hole to Jertson and the match was all square.
Hopper went on to win No. 16 and go 1-up in the match after making par to Jertson’s bogey. Both players halved the par 3, 17th hole and par 4, 18th hole, giving Hopper the Championship title 1-up.
“I just made too many mistakes today,” said Jertson. “This course is really tough and I haven’t played in the Match Play Championship in 6 or 7 years so coming back and finishing as the runner-up is pretty good. I had a great time.”
The victory is Hopper’s third match play title (2011, 2016) and fourth major championship in the Southwest PGA. He won the 2014 Southwest PGA Championship, which earned him an exemption into the 2015 PGA Tour’s Waste Management Open. He also won the 2014 Southwest PGA Assistant Championship.
“The entire championship I just played really well,” said Hopper. “I didn’t make very many mistakes really. I was 2 or 3 under-par in every match. If you’re 2 or 3 under out here on this golf course, there is a good chance you’re going to be very successful.”
Hopper joins John Jackson (1976, 1978, 1988, 1993) and Tom Tatum (1982, 1985, 1992) as the only Professionals to win three or more titles in the history of the Championship. Hopper is also the first player to win back-to-back Match Play titles since Frank Boynton accomplished the feat (1979, 1980).
In the semifinal matches played earlier in the day, Hopper defeated the 2-seed Craig Hocknull, 42, PGA Director of Instruction at Outback Golf Academy, 6 & 5. In the other semifinal, Jertson defeated the 17-seed Brant Kummerfeld, 31, PGA apprentice assistant professional at Desert Forest G.C., 1-up.
