Schultz Wins WSGA Match Play Championship

University of Michigan men's golfer Jack Schultz used a birdie on the 19th hole in the final round to win the WSGA Match Play Championship Thursday at the Links at Grand Geneva. The victory was the first WSGA championship for Schultz.

After five straight match wins, Schultz, of Whitefish Bay, squared off against Ricky Hearden in the championship match. Schultz found himself 2-down entering the final two holes. Needing to win both to extend the match, Schultz drained a 30-foot birdie putt on 17 and made par from a fairway bunker on 18 to win both holes and extend the match. On the first extra hole, the 19th hole of the match, Schultz hit a perfect drive in the fairway and hit his approach shot to five feet. Hearden converted an up-and-down par, but Schultz sank his birdie putt to prevail.

Schultz, who earned the 24th seed by virtue of shooting a 75 in stroke-play qualifying, opened match play with a 2-up victory over No. 41 seed Ryan Siegler. Winning the fourth hole and going 2-up after taking the seventh hole, Schultz did not surrender the lead for the remainder of the match. Siegler made moves by taking holes 8, 13 and 16, but Schultz won the next hole each time to close out the match 2-up.

In the second round, Schultz fell 2-down early to No. 9 seed Jim Walkley but squared it over the next two holes. Schultz built a 2-up lead, and after winning holes 13, 14 and 15, closed out Walkley, 5-and-3, to advance.

Schultz and No. 57 seed Mike McDonald exchanged the first three holes in the third round, before Schultz built a 3-up lead at the turn. Reaching as high as 5-up on the back nine, Schultz closed out McDonald on the 15th, winning 4-and-3 to move on to the quarterfinal.

Schultz's quarterfinal match against No. 33 seed Steve Johnson remained all square through eight holes. Three times on the back nine, Johnson took a lead, only to have Schultz counter to keep the match square going into the final hole. Schultz closed with a par, before Johnson missed his putt to bogey, giving Schultz the 1-up win and a spot in the semifinal.

Facing Paul Jacobsen in the semifinal, the pairing played even through the first five holes. Schultz struck first, winning the par-five sixth hole, and never trailed again, going on to win, 3-up, and advance to the championship match.

Schultz will compete in the WSGA State Amateur Championship, to be held Monday through Thursday, July 18-21, at Maple Bluff Country Club in Madison