WPGA MATCH PLAY
EVENT PARTNERS
Event Recap Courtesy of Rick Pledl and Wisconsin.Golf
Young golf pro Davis Jensen has lived in Wisconsin for only a few years, but he surely knew of Mick Smith and Jim Schuman and their numerous tournament victories here when he arrived at Hidden Glen GC on Wednesday.
The Wisconsin PGA Match Play Championship title was on the line, and Jensen knew he’d have to take down both Smith and Schuman to claim it.
This time, youth prevailed.
Jensen, a 30-year-old New York native, won both of his matches Wednesday to grab his first big tournament victory in Wisconsin. And the fact that it came at the expense of Smith and Schuman made it even sweeter – and unexpected. The two senior players have won this tournament eight times between them (seven by Schuman and one by Smith).
“They’re two great players who have been in the (Wisconsin Section) for a while,” Jensen said Wednesday afternoon. “Hats off to both of them. But, yes, there was an experience gap with me and the guys I played against today.”
However, Jensen said the other side of that coin was also in play because his youth turned into an advantage. Jensen admitted he had a bit more length than his match opponents Wednesday, and that helped in his 1-up win over Schuman in the morning and his 5-and-3 victory over Smith in the afternoon title match.
“In match play, I think it is a big advantage to be hitting second (on approach shots),” Jensen said. “Not only do you get to see how the hole is playing out with your opponent, but you’ve also got a shorter club.”
The championship match was all-square through the first five holes, but then Jensen won four holes in a row to grab what turned out to be a decisive 4-up lead heading to the back nine against Smith.
The first of those hole wins came thanks to a bogey by Smith on No. 6, but Jensen reeled off three birdies on Nos. 7-9. On the final of those, he rolled in an 8-footer for birdie.
“I hit it great all day, but I just wasn’t putting very well,” said Jensen, who added that he missed makeable putts on the first two holes of his match against Smith. “Then I feel like I found something after the second hole which allowed me to putt better the rest of the day. After that, I putted fantastic.”
Smith got one back with a birdie on No. 11, but he ran out of holes fast after that. Smith bogeyed the 12th hole, and the next two holes were halved, including the par-5 14th with birdies.
Jensen sat dormie-4 on the 15th tee. He hit a good tee shot on the short par-4 and what he thought was a nice approach to the blind green. Turned out, he was right, as he found his ball sitting about 5 feet from the hole. Moments later, Smith conceded the hole and the match.
Jensen, the director of instruction at North Shore CC, is in his fourth season working in Wisconsin, so this statement victory in a major Wisconsin Section event is a big win for him.
“It feels great,” he said. “I’m definitely blessed that I had this opportunity, and I’ve been playing well this summer. It’s my first bigger win in the Wisconsin Section.”
And Jensen pointed out that he’s got a few more important events coming up, including the State Open later this month.
In the semifinal matches Wednesday morning, Jensen defeated Schuman, of Blue Mound G&CC, in the first match of the morning, 1-up. In the other semifinal, Smith beat Craig Czerniejewski of Washington County GC, 5 and 3.
Jensen’s tilt with Schuman was an up and down affair in which Jensen took an early lead, fell behind for the majority of the match but still prevailed. Schuman held a 2-up lead through 10 holes, but Jensen whittled it down with three birdies on the back nine.
The match stood all-square a final time heading to the par-5 18th hole, but it ended when Schuman suffered a painful three-putt bogey, sending Jensen to the title match with Smith.
“I don’t like when a match finishes that way, but that’s the game that we’re playing.” Jensen said of the Schuman match. “I don’t think either of us played our best in that match.”
The WPGA Match Play Championship utilizes a unique format requiring players to stay sharp all season long. It began way back on May 12 at Ridgeway CC in Neenah, when an 18-hole qualifying round was held to establish the 64-player match-play bracket. The players were seeded, and first-round matches were held that afternoon.
The next day, second- and third-round matches were held at Ridgeway.
But the quarterfinal matches were contested at courses and times negotiated by the players themselves with a June 30 deadline, leading to the semifinal and championship matches held Wednesday at Hidden Glen.
Jansen said he felt right at home at Ridgeway back in the middle of May, an old-school course where accuracy off the tee is key.
“I was playing so well at Ridgeway,” Jansen said. “I was like, ‘Man, I wish we could just keep going here.’”
Ultimately, the venue didn’t matter, as Jensen finished off what he started in May. He was the medalist in the qualifying round at Ridgeway, shooting a round of 67 to earn the No. 1 seed in the match-play bracket.
Smith tied for second in qualifying with Czerniejewski with a round of 68. Schuman was third with a 69. So the top four seeds all advanced to the semifinals.
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The WPGA would like to thank our event partners, StrackaLine, Ahead, and the PGA Tour, for lending some terrific support to the championship.
A big thank you also goes out to Ridgeway CC, Hidden Glen GC, and the other golf courses that were gracious enough to host this year’s Match Play Championship. We couldn’t do it without these great venues.
2025 WPGA Match Play Bracket
2025 Finals Hole-By-Hole Result