John Ramsey earned the 8th CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship title by defeating Chadd Slutzky in 19 holes.

8th CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship
May 15-17 • Merit Club (Libertyville)

Day Three: Wednesday, May 17

RAMSEY GETS BEST OF BUDDY SLUTZKY; WINS CDGA MID-AM AT MERIT
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - As the father of 12- and 9-year-old boys, John Ramsey (Glenview / Glenview Park GC) is deeply familiar with the dynamics of a sibling rivalry. The unconditional bond augmented by a profound competitiveness.

In his relationship with Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / The Grove CC), Ramsey considers himself the 9-year-old. While the duo has combined to win three CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championships and qualify for three U.S. Four-Ball Championships as a tandem, Slutzky has been the more accomplished solo player, winning the 2022 CDGA Player of the Year award and owning four CDGA-administered individual titles compared to Ramsey's one.

On Wednesday at Merit Club, however, it was the little brother who "came out swinging."

Mere hours before boarding a flight together to head to Kiawah Island for this year's U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship, Ramsey got the best of "big brother" Slutzky, winning the Championship match of the 8th CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship in 19 holes.

"We've had a few [wins] together, but he has a bunch on his own, so it felt good to go out there and get a second one myself," Ramsey, who also claimed the 2020 Illinois State Mid-Amateur Championship, said. "It's been a few years since the first one. It's nice to validate the first one with this one."

Related Links: (Full Recap) / (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery) / (All Event Photos)

MATCH PLAY RESULTS

Championship Match
(6) John Ramsey def. (1) Chadd Slutzky, 19 holes

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Day Two: Tuesday, May 16

SLUTZKY, RAMSEY SET FOR 8TH CDGA MID-AM FINALE
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. - With a trip to the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at Kiawah Island Club on the horizon, Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / The Grove CC) and John Ramsey (Glenview / Glenview Park GC), regularly seen as a tandem on the competitive golf scene, are set to face off against one another for the first time in a CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship during Wednesday’s eighth-iteration finale at Merit Club after each earned a pair of victories Tuesday.

Related Links: (Stroke Play Results) / (Match Play Tree) / (Photo Gallery)

Slutzky, the 2022 CDGA Player of the Year thanks to a third Illinois State Mid-Amateur title and third CDGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship win alongside Ramsey, began his day by completing his opening-round defeat of No. 16-seed Nicholas Feinberg (Chicago / Village Links of Glen Ellyn) with a par at the par-5 3rd. He then disposed of Eric Heinkel (Oswego / Whitetail Ridge GC), 4 and 2, in the morning Quarterfinal round.

Maintaining his solid form after the lunch break, Slutzky made quick work of his Semifinal match with a 6-and-5 win over Jeremy Schwab (Gurnee / Glen Flora CC) on the wind-filled Libertyville track. An ensemble of birdies at Nos. 2, 5, 8 and 9 provided Slutzky with a commanding 4-up lead as the two made the turn. Two more wins at Nos. 11 and 13 sealed the match and punched Slutzky’s ticket to yet another CDGA-administered Championship Final.

Ramsey, who has an Illinois State Mid-Amateur title to his own name after his triumph in 2020, faced off with No. 14 seed Adam Turner (Galesburg / Soangetaha CC) in Tuesday morning’s Quarterfinal round. Facing a 2-down deficit through six holes, Ramsey collected his first win of the morning at the par-3 7th and parlayed it with a birdie win at No. 8. Four more wins, two of which were birdies, on the back nine secured Ramsey’s 3-and-1 win.

Another battle was set to ensue during his afternoon Semifinal match with Rick Stewart (Park Ridge / Arrowhead GC), Ramsey’s birdie at No. 3 gave the eventual victor an early lead. A back-and-forth opening nine closed with a 1-up lead for Ramsey. Birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 for Stewart turned the tides before back-to-back Ramsey wins on the 16th and 17th holes. With Ramsey already in for par on the par-5 18th, a 10-foot birdie putt for Stewart found the back of the cup to extend the match. It took just one extra hole for Ramsey to secure his place against his buddy Slutzky in the Final.

The first CDGA-administered championship of the 2023 season is set to culminate with the Championship Match between Slutzky and Ramsey on Wednesday at 8 a.m. at Merit Club.

MATCH PLAY RESULTS

Semifinals
(1) Chadd Slutzky vs. (13) Jeremy Schwab, 6 and 5
(6) John Ramsey def. (15) Rick Stewart, 19 holes

Quarterfinals
(1) Chadd Slutzky vs. (9) Eric Heinkel, 4 and 2
(13) Jeremy Schwab def. (5) Andrew Vitt, 2 and 1
(15) Rick Stewart def. (10) Dan Gratton, 4 and 3
(6) John Ramsey def. (14) Adam Turner, 3 and 1

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Day One: Monday, May 15

SLUTZKY EARNS MEDALIST HONORS, IN ROUND OF 16 DOGFIGHT; SEVEN OTHERS ON TO QUARTERFINALS
LIBERTYVILLE, Ill. – A lengthy offseason. A five-hour gap between shots.

None of it could cool down Chadd Slutzky (Deer Park / The Grove CC).

The 2022 CDGA Player of the Year picked up right where he left off after a dominating season, firing a 5-under 67 to earn medalist honors by three strokes on day one of the 8th CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship at Merit Club Monday morning.

Slutzky, however, is in the midst of a stiff test in his Round of 16 match against Nicholas Feinberg (Chicago / Village Links of Glen Ellyn). The match was suspended due to darkness through 20 holes and will resume at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning.

Slutzky, who had the earliest stroke-play tee time, went about five hours between signing for his 67 and teeing off in the Round of 16. Feinberg was the lone survivor of a 7-for-1 playoff that lasted 10 holes, the last eight of which featured only him and Matthew Stark (Carol Stream / Cantigny Golf). Feinberg rolled in a lengthy birdie putt on the par-4 first to secure the match-play berth.

The other seven Round of 16 matches concluded on Monday. Seed Nos. 2, 3, 4 – defending champion John Zur (Glenview / Bob O’Link GC), Brian Hickey (Burr Ridge / Edgewood Valley CC) and Michael Fastert (Wheeling / Sanctuary GC) – all were upset in the first round. John Ramsey (Glenview / Glenview Park GC) was the only past winner of a CDGA-administered championship to win on Monday, as the three-time CDGA Amateur Four-Ball winner and 2020 Illinois State Mid-Amateur champion defeated Walker Moore (St. Charles / St. Charles CC), 3 and 2.

Tuesday will feature the Quarterfinal and Semifinal rounds. Matches begin at 7:30 a.m., which is also when the Slutzky/Feinberg match will resume.

Related Links: (Stroke Play Results) / (Match Play Tree)

MATCH PLAY RESULTS

Round of 16
(1) Chadd Slutzky vs. (16) Nicholas Feinberg, 21 holes (match suspended due to darkness thru 20 holes Monday; completed Tuesday morning)
(9) Eric Heinkel def. (8) Charlie Waddell, 2 and 1
(5) Andrew Vitt def. (12) Dustin Sloat, 7 and 5
(13) Jeremy Schwab def. (4) Michael Fastert, 2 and 1
(15) Rick Stewart def. (2) John Zur, 3 and 2
(10) Dan Gratton def. (7) Zach Jecklin, 3 and 1
(6) John Ramsey def. (11) Walker Moore, 3 and 2
(14) Adam Turner def. (3) Brian Hickey, 19 holes

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Preview

The 110th season of amateur golf championships conducted by the CDGA will kick off with the 8th CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship, May 15-17 at Merit Club in Libertyville. One 18-hole round of stroke play qualifying and a 16-golfer match play bracket await a field featuring 84 of the area's best amateur golfers age 25-and-up.

Schedule

Monday, May 15
The entire field will play 18 holes of stroke play in the morning to determine the low 16 who will advance to match play. The first round will take place in the afternoon.

Tuesday, May 16
The Quarterfinal and Semifinal matches will take place.

Wednesday, May 17
The Championship match will be contested on Wednesday morning.

CLICK HERE or the image for a full preview and notes package.

Related Links: (Full Preview) / (Stroke Play Tee Times) / (Field) / (2022 Recap) / (Event History)

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Championship Information

The CDGA Mid-Amateur Championship debuted its current format in 2015. Open to CDGA members age 25 or older with a handicap index not exceeding 7.4, the CDGA Mid-Am features an 18-hole stroke play round to determine a 16-player match play bracket. Glenview's John Zur is the defending champion, notching his first CDGA Mid-Am crown in 2022 at Naperville Country Club.

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Qualifying