Local golfer Ricky Dichard is all smiles after capturing the NHGA Mid-Am Match Play title on Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of NHGA)

STRATHAM — Souhegan Woods golfer Rick Dichard is a champion.

Dichard captured the Mid-Amateur 3-and-1 over top seed Phil Moore of Canterbury Woods at the Golf Club of New England.

Dichard entered the event seeded seventh.

Dichard had to win three other matches at different courses around New Hampshire to get to the finals at GCNE, beating out higher seeds on the way.

The final match went back in forth on the front nine with each player giving and taking holes. Dichard, however, got off to a strong start and stated “I won three holes in a row, and that kind of let me take the lead. I was getting in good shots and making pars but got a bad break on the 7th hole by hitting it in the bunker, and then three putted the 8th.”

As Dichard was going up against a number one seeded player, he knew the match would be a battle until the end. “Going into the 10th hole was one of the turning points in the match for me,” stated Dichard after the match. “I had just missed a five-footer, and he missed his putt to keep me 1UP. I then birdied the next two holes. This is what got me comfortable in the match.”

Dichard kept that momentum up throughout the rest of the match, but Moore would not give up so easily. “It went to the 17th, which is a great hole. I am really happy with the way I played over all with my ball striking and I did what I needed to do. That’s what you have to do in match play,” Dichard concluded.

In the Senior division, the final match was the number one seed, Craig Steckowych of Portsmouth CC, versus the 13th seed, Bill Everett of Laconia CC. Steckocwych was able to take the match with a result of 3&1, making this his fourth straight Match Play Championship win.