Tindell lives up to promise at TGA Match Play

By Brent Maycock

THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

As soon as Brad Tindell saw the first-round pairings for this week's TGA City Match Play, he immediately sent a text to his opening foe, good friend Sam Wempe.

"I said, 'You'd better bring the thunder because I'm not going to take it easy on you this time,' " Tindell said.

He only was joking, of course. Last year, Wempe claimed a 1-up victory against Tindell in the second round en route to a runner-up finish.

In Thursday's first round of the 2008 Match Play at Shawnee Country Club, Tindell followed his text to the, well, text. He didn't take it easy on Wempe at all.

Tindell won the first three holes, was up six through eight holes and ran away with a 7&6 victory against Wempe.

"He definitely struggled, but I played well," said Tindell, the No. 20 seed, who was 3-under par when the match ended after No. 12. "On one of Sam's better days, we probably take that one to 18. I had it in the back of my mind that Sam made it to the finals last year and if I could beat him, I can do well in this."

Tindell was one of only a handful of lower seeds to claim victories Thursday. The top eight seeds all advanced to today's second round with No. 9 Craig Colboch the highest seed to lose, falling 3&2 to No. 24 Eric Kolean.

That isn't to say all of them advanced easily, though some did.

Defending champion and No. 1 seed Mark Elliott cruised to a 7&6 win against Chuck Norris, while 2006 champion and sixth seed Chris McGown powered to a 6&5 win against Alex McDonald.

They avoided the drama that No. 3 seed Jayson Duncan had to endure in his match with No. 30 Kurt Walker.

"I feel really fortunate," Duncan said after beating Walker on the 20th hole of their match. "He was tough and made me nervous because he was getting up and down from everywhere."

Walker's scrambling ability and Duncan's balky putter helped close the 2-up lead Duncan had through 11 holes. On No. 12, Walker scrambled for a par after hitting it into the trees right and Duncan missed a short par putt and then followed with another bogey to go back to even.

After re-taking the lead with a birdie on No. 14, Duncan missed an opportunity to stay there, missing a three-footer on No. 16. He got back the lead on 17 when Walker bogeyed, but saw Walker send the match to extra holes when he stuffed his approach to six feet and drained the birdie after Duncan's birdie putt from the fringe trickled inches right of the cup.

Both had chances to win on the first playoff hole, but Walker missed a five-footer for par before making a testy comebacker to halve the hole. On the second playoff hole, Walker pulled a three- footer, allowing Duncan to tap in for the win.

"I missed those short putts all day and he made all of them," Duncan said. "It was kind of ironic winning on something that had been my weak spot for the day."

Tindell showed no weakness in routing Wempe, who started slowly with bogeys on four of his first six holes.

But the killer came when he made his first birdie. After Tindell had hit his second shot on the par-5 No. 8 to eight feet, Wempe ran in a long birdie putt only to see Tindell sink his eagle putt and go 6-up.

"I didn't have a bogey all day and that's somewhat unusual for me -- usually it's more than just a bogey, a triple," said Tindell, who is playing in the Match Play for just the second time and will meet No. 4 seed Brandon Falley in today's second round. "I was relaxed and I put some good swings together. I didn't make many horrible swings."

While Kurt Walker fell short, his older brother Brian, the No. 2 seed, earned a 2&1 win against former champion Garth Wellshear. Thad Wellshear, meanwhile, advanced with a 4&2 victory against Alan Boyer in one of the top matchups of the first round.

"He is tough and I knew coming in he wasn't going to make many mistakes," Thad Wellshear said of Boyer. "I knew I couldn't give him anything because he'd take advantage if I did."

Wellshear closed out the match with two straight birdies, chipping in from the fringe on No. 15 and then rolling in an eight- foot putt on No. 16. He'll take on Ben Moser, who tied for second in the City Stroke Play and beat Ronnie McHenry 5&4.

TGA City Match Play

At Shawnee CC

First round results

Championship flight

(1) Mark Elliott def. (32) Chuck Norris, 7&6

(17) Josh Beam def. (16) Steve Gomez, 1-up

(8) Bill Kell def. (25) Drew Judd, 2-up

(24) Eric Kolean def. (9) Craig Colboch, 3&2

(4) Brandon Falley def. (29) Doug Hamilton, 2-up

(20) Brad Tindell def. (13) Sam Wempe, 7&6

(5) Ben Moser def. (28) Ronnie McHenry, 5&4

(12) Thad Wellshear def. (21) Alan Boyer, 4&2

(2) Brian Walker def. (31) Garth Wellshear, 2&1

(18) Fran Matthias def. (15) Russell Valentine, 3&2

(7) Todd Zimlich def. (26) Mick McDonald, 4&3

(23) Mac McFarland def. (10) Chris Grause, 1-up

(3) Jayson Duncan def. (30) Kurt Walker, 20 holes

(19) Chuck VanHoutan def. (14) Matt Powell, 1-up

(6) Chris McGown def. (27) Alex McDonald, 6&5