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Anita Wicks wins Oregon Women's Senior Amateur, Quarterfinals Set in Men's
Anita Wicks <br>(OGA Photo)
Anita Wicks
(OGA Photo)

GLENEDEN BEACH, OR (September 27, 2016) -- Match play commenced on a beautiful coastal autumn Tuesday at the 33rd Oregon Senior Amateur Championship, held at Salishan Golf Links in Gleneden Beach, Ore.There was a mix of close matches and blowouts on a day in which the Senior Men’s Championship field was whittled to eight and the Senior Women’s Champion was crowned in dramatic fashion.

In the Senior Women’s Division, two-seed and defending champion Leilani Norman (Eugene, Ore.), and three-seed Marcia Fisher (Canby, Ore.), squared off in a semifinal match, while medalist Anita Wicks (Roseburg, Ore.) received a first-round bye. Norman defeated Fisher 2 and 1 in a close match to earn a spot in the afternoon championship match against Wicks.

Norman, attempting to win her second straight and third overall Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur, struggled early and found herself 3-down to Wicks after ten holes. Wicks, who won three straight Oregon Senior Women’s Stroke Play titles from 2013-15 but never the Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur Championship, had played steady golf to this point, making it tough for Norman to make up ground, but then the tides turned.

Norman proceeded to win four straight holes to claim a 1-up lead going into the final four holes. Wicks battled back to square the match and so extra holes were required. Wicks and Norman tied five straight playoff holes before Wicks won with a birdie on the 24th hole to claim her first Oregon Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

“I did not let my emotions get way high or way low,” said Wicks of her composure during the 24-hole duel. “It feels wonderful. I’ve been dreaming of winning an OGA Amateur Championship since my first time at Riverside Country Club when I was thirteen years old playing in the OGA Juniors.”

The Senior Men’s Division round of 32 saw a relatively straight forward morning, in which medalist Mike Gleason (Camas, Wash.) defeated 32-seed Greg Johnson (Gresham, Ore.) 7 and 6 and two-seed and defending champion Pat O’Donnell (Happy Valley, Ore.) defeated 31-seed Wes St. Clair (Springfield, Ore.) 5 and 4. The only major upset came when 27-seed Rocky Eddy (Eugene, Ore.) knocked off six-seed Mark Bowler, 2-up.

The afternoon round of 16 matches got a little more interesting as 16-seed Charley Griswold (Bend, Ore.) dominated Gleason 8 and 6 to upset the medalist. O’Donnell advanced again, but with a little more drama this time as he defeated 18-seed Peter Jennings (Lake Oswego, Ore.), 1-up. Three-seed Randy Mahar (Portland, Oregon) also escaped with a victory in his match, defeating 19-seed Bill Winter (Portland, Ore.), 2 and 1.

The Senior Men’s Matches continue Wednesday, with the quarterfinals in the morning and the semifinals in the afternoon. The first group tees off at 8:00 a.m. and spectators are welcome to attend.

View results for Oregon Senior Amateur

ABOUT THE Oregon Senior Amateur

Entries are open to male and female amateur golfers 50 years of age or older with USGA Handicap Indexes of 18.1 or less and who are members in good standing of an OGA member club. The field will be limited to the lowest 96 qualified men. The defending champion and 31 finishers from the 18-hole stroke play qualifier will advance to the single elimination Championship flight match play portion of the competition, with the remaining entrants placed in single elimination match play flights according to score. There will be NO age bracket flights.

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