What are the pairings for the EDGA Match Play Championship first round?
NORTH EAST — There could be an all-Gannon University final for the 51st annual Erie District Golf Association Marquette Savings Bank Match Play Championship should form hold.
Ryan Ferry set up that possibility Monday.
Ferry, who recently completed his junior season for the Golden Knights, finished first for the tournament’s qualifying round. It was one rain-delayed and rain-soaked.
A 9 a.m. shotgun start was scheduled for the field of 48. However, all competition was delayed more than four hours because of a cold rain that never let up throughout the morning.
Although the weather remained overcast and wet throughout the afternoon, it let up enough for play to begin.
Ferry, a Country Club of Meadville member, was the only qualifier who finished with a red number. The Meadville graduate shot a 1-under par 71.
Barto spared rain, qualifying
Ferry will be seeded second when the Match Play’s first round, which was supposed to occur Monday, takes place Friday. He wasn’t seeded first because that berth traditionally goes to the tournament’s defending champion.
That player is Matt Barto, the assistant for the Gannon men's golf program. The same program Ferry represented last season.
Barto, who was exempt from qualifying Monday, beat Alex Weir 2-and-1 in their 2022 Match Play final at Downing Golf Course in Harborcreek Township.
More: Gannon assistant golf coach Matt Barto seeks second straight EDGA Match Play championship
Barto will open defense of his title against Brett Folga, the tournament’s 32nd seed. Folga made the cut with Monday’s round of 84.
Ferry drew No. 31 Anthony Tupek as his initial opponent.
Ron Coleman, whose five EDGA titles are tied for the tournament record, plus three-time victors Ed Podufal and Drew Deimel also qualified.
Coleman won his initial championship in 2003, and then strung together the remaining four from 2007-10. He'll be seeded 15th this weekend.
Podufal, a 2022 EDGA Hall of Fame enshrinee, is seeded 21st. He was a back-to-back victor in 1984-85 and again in 1997.
Deimel, the No. 6 seed, won in 2012 and 2018-19.
Rob Nicotra (2006), Ted Grassi III (2013), Sean Sculley (2017) and Jon Merriott (2021) are other former Match Play titlists who will tee off Friday back at Lake View.
Match Play qualifier
Results for the Erie District Golf Association Marquette Savings Bank Match Play Championship qualifier at North East’s Lake View Country Club. Monday’s first round of bracket play was postponed until Friday because of inclement weather:
Par 72
Ryan Ferry 71
Abe Holmes 73
Tyler Cozad 73
Isaiah Swan 74
Drew Deimel 75
Dave Spitzer 75
Mike Wolfe 76
Zach Henry 76
Breckin Taylor 77
Maclain Deitrick 77
Mike Newcomer 77
T.J. Mitchell 77
Dustin Coleman 77
Alex Weir 78
Ron Coleman 78
Mike Capotis 79
Dave Martin 79
Mark Majewski 79
Jimmy Callaghan 80
Ed Podufal 80
Jon Merriott 81
Dan Haller 81
Kennedy Neely 81
Sean Sculley 82
Ted Grassi III 82
Tim Weyand 82
Zac Bihler 82
Rob Nicotra 83
Anthony Tupek 83
Andrew Klein 83
Brett Folga 84
Missed the cut
Sal Vella 85
Joe Fugagli 85
Jesse Watkins 85
Nathan Feltmeyer 85
Nick Petrarca 85
Phil Pedano 86
Kyle Westfall 86
Patrick Arrigo 87
Ron Richardson 87
Ray Romanski 87
Michael Stoddart 87
Mike Sabolcik 87
Dean Rainville 88
Trey Thompson 88
Logan Sauer 88
Jeff Westfall 90
Larry Lahnan DNF
Note: Defending champion Matt Barto was exempt from qualifying.
First-round pairings
Pairings for Friday’s first round of the Erie District Golf Association Marquette Savings Bank Match Play Championship at North East’s Lake View Country Club:
No. 1
8 a.m: No. 1 Matt Barto vs. No. 32 Brett Folga
8:09: No. 16 Alex Weir vs. No. 17 Mike Capotis
8:18: No. 8 Zach Henry vs. No. 25 Zac Bihler
8:27: No. 9 Mike Wolfe vs. No. 24 Kennedy Neely
8:36: No. 4 Abe Holmes vs. No. 29 Andrew Klein
8:45: No. 13 Mike Newcomer vs. No. 20 Jimmy Callaghan
8:54: No. 5 Isaiah Swan vs. No. 28 Tim Weyand
9:03: No. 12 T.J. Mitchell vs. No. 21 Ed Podufal
No. 10
8 a.m: No. 2 Ryan Ferry vs. No. 31 Anthony Tupek
8:09: No. 15 Ron Coleman vs. No. 18 Mark Majewski
8:18: No. 7 Dave Spitzer vs. No. 26 Ted Grassi III
8:27: No. 10 Dustin Coleman vs. No. 23 Jon Merriott
8:36: No. 3 Tyler Cozad vs. No. 30 Rob Nicotra
8:45: No. 14 Breckin Taylor vs. No. 19 Dave Martin
8:54: No. 6 Drew Deimel vs. No. 27 Sean Sculley
9:03: No. 11 Maclain Deitrick vs. No. 22 Dan Haller
Contact Mike Copper at mcopper@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNcopper.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Ryan Ferry wins EDGA Match Play Championship's rain-plagued qualifier
