The playoff has come to an end after four holes and 87 minutes of golf. Dave Bates of Newburgh, Ind., survived with a 3 at the par-3 13th hole after Gary Kirwan of McKinney, Texas, made a bogey. Bates will match up against medalist Pat Tallent in the first round.
The playoff will continue to the par-3 13th hole after Dave Bates and Gary Kirwan each made 4s at the par-4 12th hole.
Two more players have punched tickets into the match-play draw. Jon Groveman of Larchmont, N.Y., and Curt Knorr of Atlanta each bogeyed the par-4 eighth. Meanwhile, Dave Bates and Gary Kirwan each made 7s and are moving to the par-4 12th hole to decide the final match-play spot. That individual will face medalist Pat Tallent of Vienna, Va.
William T. Doughtie of Amarillo, Texas, a quarterfinalist in last year's Senior Amateur, has moved on to match play by making a 4 at the par-4 10th hole. Also making 4s were Charles Jones of Collegeville, Pa., Bill Caveness of Dallas, Texas and Thomas Nesbitt of Nashville, Tenn.
We are now down to a 4-for-3 playoff with all four golfers who made a 5 moving on. That list includes Gary Kirwan, Curt Knorr, Jon Groveman and Dave Bates. The next playoff is the par-4 eighth hole.
Three players earned a spot in the match-play draw from the second group of four players. Steven Whittaker of Becker, Minn., birdied the par-4 hole, while John Lindholm of Grand Blanc, Mich., and Christopher Veitch of Newport Beach, Calif., each registered 4s. One more group of four to come and then we'll move on to the next playoff hole.
Not a great start for the first three players involved in the 11-for-10 playoff for the final spots. Dave Bates, Jon Groveman and Curt Knorr all made bogey-5s. With so many available spots, all three players won't be eliminated, but anyone making a 4 or better among the next wave of eight will automatically get into the match-play draw.