By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Four golfers had success despite soggy conditions during the final round of match play in the Northern Kentucky Men’s Amateur on Wednesday at Highland Country Club.
The winners of the rain-soaked matches in the championship flight were Paul Huber, Mike Kessling, Tyler Lippert and Matt Bowlin. They’ll return on Thursday and play 36 holes of medal play to decide this year’s champion. Tee-off time for the first 18-hole round is set for 8 a.m. The final round will begin in the early afternoon.
Huber, the tournament’s defending champion, defeated Mark Smith, 2-and-1, in Wednesday’s match play to earn a shot at another title. The only match that lasted 18 holes was Bowling’s 1-up victory over Jacob Poore.
Lippert, the medalist in Monday’s qualifying round, won his match against Ross Sharp, 4-and-3. Kessling defeated Mike Schuh, 7-and-6, in a match between two Highland Country Club members.
The finalists come from four different counties. Lippert is a senior at Mason County High School and Huber is a recent Covington Catholic High School graduate who lives in Kenton County. Kessling is a Campbell County resident and Bowlin is from Boone County.
This is the first time that Lippert has played in the Men’s Amateur, but high school students won the tournament the last two years and he hopes to continue that streak. If Huber comes out on top, he’ll become one of 13 repeat winners in the history of the event that began in 1940.
The five finalists in the first flight final that will go off at 8:10 a.m. Thursday morning are Owen Downard, Zach Day, James Costin, Derron Roberts and Chandler Clark.