That first-round bye Tony Kearns earned in the senior division is looming large in the rain-delayed City of Augusta Match Play Championship.
By virtue of being medalist with 3-under-par 69 in Friday's stroke-play qualifier, Kearns drew a bye for Saturday morning's first round, which was followed by the quarterfinals in the afternoon.
That meant he had to play just one match on Saturday - he beat Jim Brisson 4 and 3 in the quarterfinals.
Because of a 3-hour, 5-minute rain delay, the rest of the senior division finished their first round matches, but none of them had even started the back nine of the quarterfinals when darkness fell.
They will return this morning at 8 to finish that match. The winners will then face a possibility of two more matches today - the semifinals and final.
As for Kearns, he'll wait for the semifinals today, where he'll take on the winner of the Mike Kelley vs. Phil Chalker quarterfinal. Kelley leads 3-up through nine holes.
Kearns wanted to be the medalist, but not because he thought it would give him an advantage over the field. It was because he knew he wouldn't have to play a match Saturday morning.
"My 2-year-old grandson was spending the night, and I wanted to spend time with him in the morning," Kearns said. "That's the truth."
In his quarterfinal match, Kearns jumped on Brisson early. With birdies on the first two holes and pars on the next two, Kearns was 4-up after four.
Brisson, who beat Lance Jones 2 and 1 in the first round, cut it to 3-up after six holes, but Kearns went to 4-up for good with a birdie on No. 12.
Kearns, 55, has finished as a runner-up four times in Regions Cup tournaments. It would be appropriate for his first win to come at Augusta Municipal Golf Course, which he first played in 1960 and where he has been a member for the past 15 years.
"This is where I play golf all the time," said Kearns, whose low round at "The Patch" is 62.
"I wouldn't feel I had an advantage at somebody's else's course, but I know this course. I'm getting tired of (the runner-up finishes). I'm ready to win one of these."
- There is a still a possibility of a McCormick brothers final in the championship flight, but defending champion Brendan O'Connell could have something to say about that.
Medalist John McCormick won his first round match and is 3-up through 10 holes of his quarterfinals against Patrick Gantt. Older brother Phillip McCormick's quarterfinal match with Carter Newman is all square after 10 holes.
O'Connell played his final hole of the quarterfinals - No. 15 - in the near-dark before turning back Tate Elliott 4 and 3. In the semfinals, O'Connell will take the winner of the John McCormick vs. Gantt match.
O'Connell had eight birdies in the 15 holes he played.
Reach David Westin at (706) 724-0851 or david.westin@augustachronicle.com.
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