HOLLY SPRINGS — In testing his chops against a new and soon-to-be familiar level of competition, Nick Mathews walked off the course at The Club at 12 Oaks in Holly Springs with a savory taste of the championship stage.

Mathews, the recent Eastern Alamance graduate, claimed the North Carolina Amateur Match Play Championship earlier this month by defeating East Carolina golfer Tim Bunten, closing the show on the 17th hole and in turn opening the door on the next steps of his career with confidence.