FRIEDENSBURG - A field of 40 amateur golfers has been assembled for this weekend's 2014 Schuylkill County Amateur Golf Match-Play Championship.
This year's field is unique in at least one way - the 2013 match-play champion will not be on hand to defend his title, leaving a wide-open opportunity for any golfer in the championship flight to step up and seize the crown.
The two-day event, open to any Schuylkill County resident, will be contested Saturday and Sunday at Hidden Valley Golf Course.
According to tournament officials, defending champion (and also current county medal-play champion) Randy Kurzinsky of Barnesville is in Florida and is not competing in this tournament.
And while the match-play field has a decidedly youthful flavor - featuring several 20-somethings, collegiate players, high school team members and former county junior league golfers - it is not without former tournament royalty seeking to regain the match-play crown.
For example, the lowest qualifying round, a sizzling 7-under-par 65, and the No. 1 seed in the 16-member championship flight goes to four-time match-play and five-time medal-play
champ Jim Rattigan of Deer Lake. Now somewhat of an elder statesman at age 36, Rattigan surprised even himself with his qualifying round.
"I had a really good day on the golf course. My qualifying round ties my best score ever there," Rattigan said. "That translates into a positive and I feel pretty good about my chances, but there are so many other good players in this tournament. Any one of a number could win it."
Among that number are 2012 champion Ryan Laudeman of Orwigsburg, who is a senior member of the Elizabethtown College golf team and 2006 match-play winner and 2008 medal-play champion Sean Misstishin of Ashland.
Laudeman is the third seed with a qualifying score of 69, while Misstishin is seeded second after shooting a qualifying round of 68.
Other championship flight qualifiers shooting under-par rounds are fourth seed James Bromwell of Schuylkill Haven (69), fifth seed and former Wilkes College player Bob Hillibush of Mahanoy City (70), sixth seed Kevin Richards of Schuylkill Haven (71) and seventh seed Steve Rice of Orwigsburg (71), who went to the match-play finals last year before being defeated 1-up by Kurzinsky.
Laudeman says he is playing "real well" and excited to be back in the tournament.
"The course is in good shape and it should be a very interesting weekend," Laudeman said. "You gotta make putts. One of the keys to winning the match-play is to make pars. You can be hard to beat if you're making a lot of pars."
Rice said another key is to "play steady."
"Play one hole at a time," Rice said. "Don't get too far ahead of yourself."
All agreed that a good short game was essential, and Rattigan noted the unique aspect of match-play competition.
"Because it's match-play, the unexpected nearly always happens," he said. "You can play really well and lose, and play not so well and still win. It just depends on the match. Those are the cool things about match-play.
"Plus, there are a lot of young guns in this event who get better every year and can just pour on the birdies. It should be a great event."
There are 16 golfers in A Flight and eight contestants in B Flight.
Play will get under way at 8:48 a.m. Saturday and continue throughout the day. The Championship Flight quarterfinals go off at 2:48 p.m. Saturday.
Sunday's semifinals begin at 7:12 a.m. with B Flight, followed by A Flight and then the Championship Flight. The championship match tees off at 12:24 p.m. Sunday.