A squirrel claims a tree along green No. 10 during the Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler on Friday, July 24, 2020.

Local linkster Aaron Hickman continues to play as hot as the Texas summer.

Hickman won two matches on Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 22nd Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play Championship, being held at Tyler’s Willow Brook Country Club. Temperatures for the Texas Golf Association event were in the 90s with a slight breeze as the golfers 25 and older tackled the WBCC course, which was founded in 1922.

Seven other golfers, including two-time champion Colby Harwell, will join the Tylerite in the quarterfinals, which are scheduled to begin at 8 a.m. Saturday. The four winners advance to the semifinals, set to start at 12:30 p.m. The championship match is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Sunday. All matches are scheduled for 18 holes.

The matchups in the quarterfinals have No. 1 seed Hickman, representing WBCC, vs. No. 25 Cole Wiederkehr (Waterchase Golf Club, Fort Worth), 8 a.m.; No. 29 Padden Nelson (Hearthstone Country Club, Houston) vs. No. 5 Scott Maurer (Bent Tree Country Club, Dallas), 8:09 a.m.; No. 18 Tyler Terry (Spring Creek Country Club, Crockett) vs. No. 23 Judd Pritchard (Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth), 8:18 a.m.; and No. 14 Harwell (Oak Hills Country Club, San Antonio) vs. No. 11 Paul McNamara (Medalist Golf Club).

Hickman, who won the WBCC championship last month, advanced with wins over No. 32 Elliott Thompson of Stonebriar Country Club (Frisco), 3 & 2, in the round of 32, followed by a 2 & 1 victory over No. 17 Jeff Howard (Medalist Golf Club, Houston) in the round of 16.

Harwell is the defending champion and also won in 2017. He won last year at Shadow Hawk Country Club in Houston. In 2017, the tourney was held at San Antonio Country Club.

Tylerite Clay Hodge, the No. 13 seed, won his Round of 32 match over No. 20 Marcus Sanna of Tanglewood Resort & Country Club in Pottsboro. Hodge, a former WBCC champion, won 5 & 3. In the Round of 16, Hodge fell to Nelson, 3 & 2.

No. 23 Drew Cantry of Piney Woods Country Club (Nacogdoches) won his first match, before falling in his second. Pinecrest Country Club’s Eric Joseph, the No. 31 seed, lost in the round of 32.

Texas Golf Association

Texas Mid-Amateur Match Play

Willow Brook Country Club, Tyler

Friday Results

Round of 32 — No. 1 Aaron Hickman, Willow Brook CC (Tyler) def. No. 32 Elliott Thompson, Stonebriar CC (Frisco), 3 & 2; No. 17 Jeff Howard, Medalist GC (Houston) def. No. 16 Rob Couture, Maridoe GC (Carrollton), 1 up; No. 25 Cole Wiederkehr, Waterchase GC (Fort Worth) def. No. 8 Scott Abbott, Dallas Country Club, match conceded; No. 24 Drew Canty, Piney Woods CC (Nacogdoches), def. No. 9 Ted Waldrip, Medalist GC (Houston), 1 up; No. 29 Padden Nelson, Hearthstone Country Club (Houston) def. No. 4 Todd Albert, Medalist Gulf Coast, 2 & 1; No. 13 Clay Hodge, Willow Brook CC (Tyler) def. No. 20 Marcus Sanna, Tanglewood Resort & CC (Pottsboro), 5 & 3; No. 5 Scott Maurer, Bent Tree CC (Dallas) def. No. 28 Marshall Roenigk, Medalist Gulf Coast, 1 up; No. 21 Gant Bills, Stonebriar CC (Frisco) def. No. 12 Tyler Lehmann, Medalist GC, 6 & 4; No. 2 Charles White, Traditions Club (Bryan) def. No. 31 Eric Joseph, Pinecrest CC (Longview), 2 up; No. 18 Tyler Terry, Spring Creek CC (Crockett) def. No. 15 Christopher Wheeler, Medlaist GC, 1 up; No. 7 Chris Headen, Hackberry Creek CC (Irving) def. No. 26 Ross MacKay, Golfcrest CC (Pearland), 1 up; No. 23 Judd Pritchard, Colonial Country Club (Fort Worth) def. No. 10 Boston Brittain, The GC at Champions Circle (Fort Worth), 19 holes; No. 30 Gary Ezmerlian, Ridglea CC (Fort Worth) def. No. 3 Zach Atkinson, Medalist Golf Club, 3 & 2; No. 14 Colby Harwell, Oak Hills CC (San Antonio) def. No. 19 Zach Sams, Denton CC (Argyle), 2 & 1; No. 27 Scott Kraul, Hackberry CC (Irving) def. No. 6 Zach Morrison, The Hills CC (Austin), 2 & 1; No. 11 Paul McNamara, Medalist GC, def. No. 22 Alec Spencer, Medalist Hill Country, 22 holes.

Round of 16 — No. 1 Hickman def. No. 17 Howard, 2 & 1; No. 25 Wiederkehr def. No. 24 Canty, 5 & 3; No. 29 Nelson def. No. 13 Hodge, 3 & 2; No. 5 Maurer def. No. 21 Bills, 5 & 3; No. 18 Terry def. No. 2 White, 6 & 5; No. 23 Pritchard def. No. 7 Headen, 1 up; No. 14 Harwell def. No. 30 Ezmerlian, 6 & 5; No. 11 McNamara def. No. 27 Kraul, 5 & 4.

Quarterfinals — No. 1 Hickman vs. No. 25 Wiederkehr, 8 a.m.; No. 29 Nelson vs. No. 5 Maurer, 8:09 a.m.; No. 18 Terry vs. No. 23 Pritchard, 8:18 a.m.; No. 14 Harrell vs. No. 11 McNamara, 8:27 a.m.