Schmitz, Larson Both Strong down the Stretch on Way to Mid-Players' Title Match

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MORTON -- Sammy Schmitz has probably heard rumors about Dacotah Ridge being an 18-hole golf course, but he has no first-hand knowledge of the 17th and 18th holes from the first two days of the MGA Mid-Players' Championship.

In four matches, Schmitz has never had to go past the 16th green, and he has only one match remaining. He will face Jesse Larson on Wednesday morning in the final. 

As a matter of fact, no match in the Mid-Players' quarterfinals or semis on Tuesday made it all the way to the 18th hole. But both of the semifinal matches were closer than the scores would seem to suggest. 

Schmitz, who dismissed his first two opponents on Monday by 8&6 and 5&3, hadn't seen that much of the back nine, but his unfamiliarity with the inward half didn't seem to cause any problems Tuesday morning, as he won the 13th, 14th and 15th holes in anoher 5&3 victory, this time over Jesse Bull. He capped it off with a birdie at 15. Earlier in the match, he had won four consecutive holes on the front nine -- No. 2 through No. 5 -- and the 2011 MGA Player of the Year ended up being even par for the 15 holes he was required to play. 

In the semis, he faced Geoff Klein, who had dispatched Jonathan Hanner, the reigning State Publinx champ, 5&4 in the quarters.

Schmitz and Klein were all square through 12 holes, and both players were even par up to that point. Schmitz birdied the par-5 13th to get his nose in front, and he won the 14th and 16th with pars to end the match, 3&2. So the 31-year-old reinstated amateur (Schmitz played for a year as a mini-tour pro after graduating from St. John's) was a cumulative 1 under; Klein was 2 over. 

Larson ended both of this matches on the 17th hole. He won the first one 2&1 over Dave Steingart, and the second 3&1 over Andy Jacobson, last year's runner-up in this tournament. 

In the semis, Jacobson was even with Larson through 14 holes. All it took was a slight lapse from Jacobson, in the form of a bogey at the 15th, to send Larson sprinting to the finish line, as he parred the 15th to take the lead and then birdied the 16th and the 17th to conclude his victory.

Like Schmitz, Larson was 1 under for the afternoon. 

6th MGA Mid-Players' Championship 

At Dacotah Ridge Golf Club

Par 72, 6,642 yards

Morton

First-round results 

Sammy Schmitz def. Mark Caprio 8&6

Christopher Kowzlczyk def. Steve Tax 1 up

Jesse Bull def. Phillip Mahal 7&6

Greg Melhus def. J.T. Johnson 2&1

Geoff Klein def. Blake Onkka 3&2

Joe Burgess def. Kane Bauer 1 up

Jonathan Hanner def. Brent Grossman 5&4

Tim Andersen def. Tom Heidrick 2&1

Troy Johnson def. Peter Sax 6&5

Andy Jacobson def. Kennedy Cherulyot 2&1

James Lehman def. Anthony Daffer 20 holes

Mitch Thronell def. Gary Lawson 4&2

Jesse Larson def. Tony Gabriel 2&1

Shane Johnson def. Jeff Gallagher 6&5

Joel B. Johnson def. Michael Coffey 4&3

David Steingart def. John Holmes 2 up

Round of 16

Schmitz def. Kowalczyk 5&3

Bull def. Melhus 3&1

Klein def. Burgess 3&2

Hanner def. Andersen 4&3

Jacobson def. Troy Johnson 3&1

Lehman def. Thornell 3&2

Larson def. Shane Johnson 2 up

Steingart def. Joel B. Johnson 4&3

Quarterfinals

Schmitz def. Bull 5&3

Klein def. Hanner 5&4

Jacobson def. Lehman 4&3

Larson def. Steingart 2&1

Semifinals 

Schmitz def. Klein 3&2

Larson def. Jacobson 3&1