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Phil Caravia has been a competitor in MAGA championships, and a formidable one at that, for over 20 years.  He has qualified and competed in countless match play championships, going back to the Taylor Cup days at Boone Valley GC.  On Sunday, at Old Warson CC, Caravia put a stamp on a lifelong goal…his name on a MAGA trophy!

Caravia grabbed a lead early in the final match, a gimme birdie at the 2nd hole gave him a 1up lead.  However, that lead would vanguish on the next hole when Alex Cusumano, his opponent would make the first of 2 successive birdies to erase that lead and take one of his own.    Cusumano’s lead would go to 2up at the 12th hole with a par.  Caravia would trim that back to 1dn with a birdie at 13.

Playing the long par 5 16th, Caravia left himself plenty far back for his 3rd shot, while Cusumano was down at the bottom of the landing area for his.  Caravia knocked his shot to within 10 feet, leaving himself an uphill birdie putt.  Cusumano pulled his layup just a bit right onto the collar of the green.  A solid chip by Cusumano came up short, leaving Caravia a chance to square the match with his birdie putt…which he calmly rolled in.

The pair would each par the 17th and 18th holes to send the final match to extra holes.  Playing the 1st hole, Caravia found the fairway while Cusumano was just in the right rough.  Playing first, Cusumano would hit his layup long onto the back collar and Caravia was about 20 feet left of the hole.  A two-putt par by Caravia sealed the victory.

This victory puts Caravia in an early lead of the Player of the Year Points Standings and almost ensures his place in the 2015 Old Warson Cup.

For the full match results from the entire weekend, please visit the Plaza Motors Scoreboard: 2014 Old Warson Cup

Semifinal Matches

Cusumano had to get by five-time match play champion Skip Berkmeyer to reach the afternoon final.  In a very close match, Cusumano grabbed his first lead at the par 3 13th and never looked back. He closed Berkmeyer out to a 2&1 victory.

Caravia, the #3 seed coming in to the weekend, was going against Kansas State University junior and two-time defending MAGA Amatuer champion Kyle Weldon.  He would grab the lead at the first hole and never relinquish that lead.  Weldon had a birdie putt on the 18th hole to extend the match, but his putt would just miss the hole and Caravia would win 1up.

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