NORTH PLAINS, ORE. (June 24, 2005) –- University of Oregon Sophomore Kimberly McCready, 20, of Placerville, Calif. and Alex Stamey, 41, of Mill Creek, Wash. both earned the title of champion at the 96th Oregon Amateur on Witch Hollow at Pumpkin Ridge in North Plains, Ore.
McCready, a soon to be junior and most likely the number one player on the Oregon Duck golf squad defeated Kristen Svicarovich, 20, of Hillsboro, Ore. (Quail Valley GC) 3 & 1. Today’s match was considerably different than yesterday’s semifinals when she took on fellow Duck teammate Johnna Nealy. In the semifinal, it was too good friends just having a great time, rooting for each other easing the stress of the competition.
Today’s morning round for McCready was much of the same. In fact, she credits her lower scoring average in NCAA play this year (77.6 her freshman year to 75.4 this past season) to her newfound attitude of not taking the game so seriously and just having fun.
“I was not nervous at all in the morning round,” commented McCready. It showed in her game as she carded four straight birdies on holes 6 thru 9 to go 4-up, a lead she maintain until the end of the round.
It was a different story after the break. “I was really nervous at the start of the second 18 because now I new that what I did from there would determine whether or not I could win,” she noted. After carding a round of 34-39—73, she started the second round with three straight bogeys remaining 1up and having the momentum change significantly. She regained her composure by the fourth hole matching Svicarovich’s birdie and from then on she felt she had regained her composure.
In the Men’s finals, Alex Stamey, 41, of Mill Creek, Wash. beat Eric Fiskum, 28, of Salem, Ore. (Illahe Hills) 2 &1.
Stamey, a regional sales manager with Continental Mills in Kent, WA has been very competitive the past few years winning the Washington State Amateur in 2000 and the PNGA Mid-Amateur in 2001. His mid-amateur crown also occurred at Pumpkin Ridge and despite the Washington State Amateur also being held this week; he was not going to pass up this opportunity to play one of his favorite courses.
The match was all-square through the first thirteen holes, but an eagle and two birdies on the last five holes had Stamey leading 4-up at the break.
After a change in his clothes and an attempt for a fresh start, Fiskum did begin his afternoon round with a birdie to bring the match back to 3-up. Fiskum returned to more steady play hitting fairways consistently, while Stamey missed kept playing in and out of fairway bunkers.
By the 14th hole, Fiskum was only down 1 and still had a chance to record a victory. Even including his less than stellar back-nine in the morning round, he had been 6-under par on the back nine holes he played in the match play portion of the competition.
On the next hole, the175-yard par-3 15th, he hit a tree and had his ball fall well short of the green, but was able get up and down for a par matching Stamey. He then bogeyed the next hole, leaving Stamey dorme 2 (2-up with 2 holes left to play). Matching pars on the 17th gave the match to Stamey.
For complete match play ladder results, click on the tournament link above (amateurgolf.com membership required).
ABOUT THE Oregon Amateur
Entries are open to male amateur
golfers with USGA Handicap indexes of 5.0 or
less for men, and 15.0 or less for women, who are
members in good standing of an OGA
member
club. For men, the low 64 finishers from the first two
rounds of
stroke play will advance to
single elimination match play. For women, the low
32
finishers from the first two rounds of
stroke play will advance to
single elimination match play.
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