UNMATCHED
Vargas Wins An Unforgettable Edition Of Match Play
It had been 12 years since Doug Vargas last won the Match Play Invitational. Sunday, the 20-year Tour veteran defeated Chris Moawad to win his 3rd title. The pair reminded us why we love sport as they traded leads (no holes were halved!) and produced a remarkable ending. Vargas persevered through the final match with an ailing back and made a dramatic comeback, 1-down with 2 to play. On the ropes, needing a miracle, he nearly lost the match on 8 when, just off the green, the ball left his club hot, speeding to the other side. Instead, it hit the pin and dropped down for an ensuing tap-in. With the match squared he and Moawad headed to the final hole with the title on the line. Vargas landed just short of the green, while Moawad found the water hazard sealing their fate.
Chip Shots
Hat Trick: Vargas’s win was his 3rd Match Play title (2009, 2013, 2025), 2nd most in tournament history… All-Square: heading into the Final Vargas was a career 2-3 against Moawad. The two had never met in the Finals until Sunday… The Numbers… 7: Vargas recorded his 7th career victory in a major (3rd on the all-time list) 8: The Tour last visited “Little” DeBell 8 years ago in 2017, and what was a sorry state of affairs then was incredibly worse in 2025. 9: Moawad made his record-extending 9th finals appearance and 6th straight… It’s a date!: Vargas’s win guarantees him a trip to Terranea in December where he is defending champion.
Another One For The Ages
The MGM Tour has famously played during a massive raging wildfire, and a frigid, torrential rainstorm. It can now add a new one: Playing a tournament in a virtually abandoned golf course. Unforeseen circumstances forced a quick pivot, moving the tournament from Los Feliz to “Little” DeBell. With the greens jokingly referred to as “browns” or “dirts” the conditions made this year’s Match Play Invitational something resembling equal parts Match Play, Survivor, and the mini-golf portion of the Charly Classic.
