THE 49TH SOUTHWEST PGA MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - June 21, 2024 - The Section’s second major of the 2024 season, the 49th Southwest PGA Match Play Championship, takes place June 24-26 at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix. The top four seeds for the 49th edition of the Championship are: (1) Jesse Mueller, (2) Marty Jertson, (3) Michael Hopper and (4) Chris Dompier.

Last season Mueller, PGA General Manager at Grand Canyon University Golf Course in Phoenix, won his first Southwest PGA Match Play title after defeating Desert Mountain's Riley Hayfield, 5 & 3 in the final match at Desert Forest Golf Club.

In 2023 Mueller captured his fourth consecutive Southwest PGA Player of the Year honor, fourth best in Section history behind Don Yrene (6), Bob Phillips (6) and Hopper (5). Mueller leads the 2024 Player of the Year race by margin of 27.17 over Jertson, who is second in the standings with 553.83 points.

This past February, Mueller made history becoming the first Southwest PGA Professional since 2005 to make the 36-hole cut in the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. He recently competed in the 2024 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.

The 2-seed Jertson, PGA Vice President of Fitting & Performance for PING, is coming off a runner-up finish in the Southwest PGA Spring Masters Championship - the first major of the season. Last year Jertson won two Player Series events and finished T4 in the 66th Southwest PGA Championship/PPC at We-Ko-Pa Golf Club.

Hopper, PGA Head Golf Professional at Lookout Mountain Golf Club in Phoenix, enters the Championship as the 3-seed and attempts to win his sixth Southwest PGA Match Play title, (2011, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021), to break the tie with John Jackson with the most wins in the history of the event.

Dompier, the 4-seed, PGA Head Golf Professional at Skyline Country Club in Tucson., looks to capture his second Southwest PGA Match Play title after winning the Championship in 2010. He earned the Southern Arizona Chapter PGA Player of the Year last season. His quest begins in the opening round at 8:04 a.m off the first tee against the 61-seed Ryan Sweeney, PGA Associate Golf Professional at Paradise Valley Country Club.

The 64-player field includes six past champions: Tommi Avant (2022), Dompier (2010), Hopper, D.K. Kim (2015), Mueller (2023) and Dean Vomacka (2003).

Seedings are based on the final 2023 Open Player of the Year points, final 2023 Senior Player of the Year points and 2023 Assistant Championship results, in that order. All other participants who register for the Championship are seeded randomly beginning with the categories that are not full.

The Championship gets underway with the opening round matches on Monday, June 24 at 7:00 a.m. followed by second round matches at 12:00 p.m. The round of 16 and quarterfinal matches are scheduled for Tuesday, June 25 at 7:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., respectively. The semi-final matches and final match are slated for Wednesday, June 26 at 7:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., respectively.

Jackson, PGA Head Golf Professional at Palo Verde Golf Course in Phoenix, holds many of the records in the Southwest PGA Match Play Championship, including now tied with Hopper for the most victories in the history of the Championship with five (1976, 1978, 1980, 1988, 1993). Hopper, Jackson and PGA Life Member Tom Tatum (1982, 1985, 1992) are the only Southwest PGA Professionals to win three or more Match Play titles.