15-year-old wins round 1 matchup at TGA Match Play
TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – Golf returned to Northeast Kansas on Thursday with the opening round of the Topeka Golf Association’s Match Play Tournament. Round 1 featured nine different matchups.
15-year-old Alex Valdivia is playing the event for the first time. Valdivia did not get to play his freshman season at Shawnee Heights because of the pandemic but scored a major win Thursday over Scott Duddy, who finished runner up in last year’s event.
“It felt great. I haven’t been able to play a lot recently because of the coronavirus but it feels good to be back out,” said Valdivia. “I definitely had some nerves. This is my first match play event, so I definitely feel like the first three holes I was nervous, and definitely at the end here a little bit I was starting to feel some nerves.”
Valdivia’s brother, Justice, also advanced out of the first round and will face off against the defending champion Mac McFarland in the round of 16.
The Match Play Tournament runs through Sunday.