A week after winning the Metropolitan Amateur, Matt Mattare has doubled his pleasure, claiming the Northern Virginia Amateur title.
Mattare, 24, a McLean resident, made a birdie on the first playoff hole at Creighton Farms to defeat Jimmy Delp, and win his second trophy in eight days. The previous Sunday at Westwood, Mattare handled Colin St. Maxens, 5 and 4, to win the D.C. title.
Since the Northern Virginia championship was established in 1974, the only player to win both titles in the same year was Brian Quackenbush (2001). The Metropolitan Amateur was established in 1914.
Mattare (70-72-76 – 218) survived a brutal test this weekend at Creighton Farms. The Jack Nicklaus design exacted revenge on first-round leader Michael Keating (Laurel Hill), who followed his 68 on Friday with rounds of 81 and 80, and still finished fifth. After posting a 72 in the first round, defending Northern Virginia Amateur champion Jason Pool (River Bend) shot 89-84.
Most of the way, Mattare withstood the hazard-filled layout and fast, undulating greens of the Aldie private course. He led by five strokes with six holes left and was the only player in the field under par. But four bogeys on the next four holes, gave Delp (70-73-75 – 218) and Scott Shingler (71-76-72 – 219) hope.
When they reached No. 18, Delp, the defending Virginia Public Links champion, and Shingler, the reigning Virginia Golf Association Player of the Year, were tied with Mattare.
On the 498-yard par 5 hole, Delp reached the green in two and two-putted from 35 feet, while Shingler and Mattare missed the green and failed to get up and down. In fact, Mattare needed to sink a downhill 3-footer to make par and send the match to extra holes.
Delp and Mattare returned to the 18th tee for the playoff. This time, while Mattare ripped his drive down the middle and reached the green in two, Delp lost his drive right and hit his approach into a greenside bunker. After Delp exploded to the green, above the hole, Mattare putted to within inches for a tap-in birdie. When Delp missed his downhill putt, Mattare was a winner for the second time in eight days.
Mattare, the son of Matthew Mattare, General Manager at Saucon Valley, Pa., is a Notre Dame graduate who didn’t play college golf. He tried walking on, but after shooting the best score in a tryout, was told there was no room left on the team for non-scholarship players.
After graduation, Mattare moved to Northern Virginia to work for Pitney Bowes. He also writes for a college sports blog, We Never Graduate, which focuses primarily on Notre Dame sports.
