2026 Kresina Match Play Championship

Welcome to the 2026 Kresina Match Play Championships!

As a reminder, when you sign up for the Match Play Championship, you are committing to completing all of your matches. If a deadline is approaching, it is up to you to determine how to complete your match. We have seen many occasions where it's been 2 vs 1 or 1 vs 1.

Out of respect for the others within your pod, please make every effort to play all of your matches by the deadlines listed. It is your responsibility to schedule your matches.

FORMAT

Teams will begin pod play within their region (CO, MV, NW) to earn points. Winners of each pod will move on to the state playoffs. Deadlines for the playoff matches will be determined once the bracket is set. Each team will be seeded according to the total points from pod play. 

Please select your region during the registration process. Players may sign up for multiple regions with different partners as long as they follow the established rules.

RULES

1. Teams must complete matches by certain dates, or they will be "fined" points: 
   
   1 match must be played by June 1st (5 points fined if not played)
   2 matches must be completed by June 28th (5 points fined if not played)
   All pod matches must be played by July 19th (10 points fined and DQ from next year’s event). 
2. Regional matches must be finished by mid September
3. The final match as well as the 3rd/4th place match will take place on October 5th at TCC of Muirfield. Time TBA..
4. Players will receive 80% of their course handicap (C.H.) which is then calculated as “playing handicap” (P.H.) (the GHIN app makes this easy for you to calculate!)

This is an example of where to find you’re playing handicap.

1. IMPORTANT REMINDER...All players receive their strokes based on their adjusted course handicap. This means you DO NOT play your match off of the low handicap.
2. Teams MUST complete all of the matches within their pod to advance to the playoffs. No exceptions.
3. Players must be active members of the Ohio GCSA with dues paid for the year in order to participate.
4. Players must have an established handicap through the World Handicap System. If you need a handicap, you may purchase one through the OGCSA here.
   
   
5. There may only be one Affiliate member per team.
6. There will be a blind draw for teams to be placed into pods. Each team must play the other teams within their pod to earn points (See below for the point system). The team with the most points in their pod advances to the playoffs.
7. Upon completion of your round, players must post their scores on the GHIN app as TOURNAMENT scores according to the rules of the USGA. If the event committee is made aware of any player not posting their score within two days of their match,that player will play as a 0 HCP for the duration of the event- no exceptions.
8. Once you have posted your score on the GHIN mobile app, you may text your match results to Seth Rainier (614) 332-2195 or Jon Soukup (937) 765-7316 or Ryan D’Autremont (937) 672-5429.
9. Once pod play is complete, the playoffs will be played as standard Match Play
10. In the event that teams face each other with the same person on both teams, that person will play 1 ball on both cards. Meaning Player A plays his ball and could win, lose or tie each hole on either team.
11. There will be absolutely no substitute players for matches. In Pod play, you have 4 months to get 3 matches played. In the instance that a player’s partner quits the tournament for any reason, it will be brought to the board for a decision on whether a replacement player is allowed.
12. Pod winners may keep the same team for the following year. All others must play with a new partner.

POINT SYSTEM

Teams will play for points in each match, not to win the match like in typical match play. Points are earned as follows:

Win a hole = 1 point
Tie a hole = 1/2 point
Lose a hole = 0 points

Additional Format and Rules Information

1. In the case that a match cannot be completed because of weather, the remaining holes will be scored as halved. A minimum of 14 holes must already be completed for this rule to take effect. If 14 holes are not played, teams are encouraged to "pick up where they left off.
2. In the event of a tie within a pod at the end of pod play, ties will be broken based on;
   
   1. Head-to-head points
   2. Most points scored in a single match.

MATCH PLAY FINALS

Pod winners will move on to bracket play. Central Ohio will have the most pods, capping at 6 (24 teams) All other regions must have at least 1 pod, capped at 2(8 teams. This is to ensure we have the correct amount for 4-team pods. Cincinnati and Norhern chapters have shown interest in joining the event. However, to do so they have to meet these team requirements of filling 1 pod (4 teams)

The amount of teams will be determined at the draft party in April. Once pod play is completed, each team will be seeded based on the ampunt of points won in pod play.

The Committee

The event committee does its best to predict any and all scenarios, but if a scenario arises that was not accounted for, the committee will determine the best possible solution. In the case that a committee member is impacted by the decision, they will recuse themselves from the decision-making process.

Match Play Committee Members include:

Seth RainierChair

Keith Kresina

Jon Soukup

Ryan D’Autremont