Michael Little, PGA, Wins 2023 Philadelphia PGA Match Play Championship
Little survived seven rounds of matches against 117 of his fellow PGA Professionals in the new season-long format. Entering the sixth round at Aronimink, Little first battled reigning PGA Professional Champion Braden Shattuck in the semi-finals, winning 1-up.
“I like the new format for this event,” Little said after his final match. “I liked to see new venues that I may not have otherwise played, and was able to spend more time with my competitors.”
Describing his game plan for the final day, Little said: “How do I beat Braden? I knew he wasn’t going to miss, and if he did miss, he will have a chance to make up for it. He made a lot of putts, but I did too. It was more of a putting match than anything else.”
In the afternoon match against Rucinski, Little said he quickly realized he could not take a break or get comfortable.
“[Rucinski] was coming for me, and he wanted to win as much as I did,” Little continued. “His competitiveness helped me focus, and allowed me to buckle down and continue to be aggressive.”
Prior to his matches against Shattuck and Rucinski, Little topped Matt Hoffman, Carlisle Barracks G.C., 7 and 6; Brendon Post, University of Delaware, 5 and 4; and Dave Pagett, Whitemarsh Valley C.C., 3 and 2.
Today’s win is his second win in the event, having previously won in 2018 at Whitemarsh Valley C.C. Additionally, the points he received for the win makes him eligible for the Section’s Playing Legends honor.
“Friends of mine are already at that status, and I want to be there too,” Little said. “The last couple of years have been tough for me in competition, and I’ve been a lot closer this year. Winning this championship for the second time means everything to me. It shows that even when you make mistakes, never give up; keep pushing.”
Little went on to thank all of the PGA Professionals who competed in this year’s Match Play Championship, the courses that allowed them to compete at their facilities, our Section partners, his partners Equity Warehouse, Clubhouse 54, Little’s Ice Cream & Water Ice, Blue Bell Country Club, his PGA Coaches Braden Shattuck, Nick Biondi, and Mark Sheftic, his wife, kids, parents, Aronimink Golf Club, and the Section staff.
To view the full 2023 Philadelphia PGA Match Play Championship results, click here.
The Philadelphia PGA Match Play Championship is supported by the Rolex and the PGA Tour. The Philadelphia PGA Section and its PGA Professionals thank our partners, Berkleigh Golf Club, its membership, management, and staff, as the event would not have been possible without their support.
About the Philadelphia PGA Section
The Philadelphia PGA Section, covering eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware, is one of 41 geographical managing entities of the PGA of America. This Section manages nearly 900 PGA Members and Associates who are employed at over 590 golf facilities in our region.