Andri Hausamman, 19, left, congratulates Paolo Quirici on his Swiss Match Play win.
July 6, 2020 – Aetingen, Switzerland
by Rick Adams
Former European PGA Tour player Paolo Quirici, who won the World Hickory Open championship in 2013, added the inaugural Swiss Hickory Golf Match Play championship to his trophy case at Quirici Golf School in Lugano, but it was not easy. He had to hold off the event’s youngest player, 19-year-old Andri Hausamman. Attempting to force a playoff in the finale, Hausamman lipped a birdie putt, which was stymied by Quirici’s ball.
Hausamman had edged his teacher, Richard Adby of the Adby & Hagert Golf Academy at Wylihof GC in Lauterbach, in the semi-finals while Quirici dispatched Andreas Ahlm.
The event was staged at Limpachtal Golf Club, which straddles the cantons of Bern and Solothurn. Though basically flat, the course presents a stout challenge, a Slope rating of 132 from the 5,762-metre (6,300 yards) yellow tees.
A strong field of 15 hickory players from throughout Switzerland competed at stroke play the first 18 holes, to determine match play rankings. Quirici was medalist with 76. The next day was a 36-hole marathon: four successive 9-hole elimination matches. Those ousted in the morning rounds played an 18-hole Stableford, won by Joe Lauber, owner of JBL Hickory Golf.