- hey, it's only 575 yards!
BANDON, OR, August 4 – After two days of rock-steady golf at the 39th Pacific
Coast Amateur Championship, Clay Ogden of West Point, Utah, climbed on the rollercoaster
at Pacific Dunes Golf Course, and the 21-year-old U.S. Amateur Public Links champion
polished off his up-and-down-and-up round with an eagle 3 on the final hole to
maintain a two-shot lead after three rounds at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort.
Ogden, who won the U.S. Publinks title last month, posted a 2-under-par 70
today, good for a three round total of 68-72-70 -- -210 (4 under par). He leads
Alex Prugh of Spokane, Wash., by two shots heading into tomorrow’s final
round at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort (the 72-hole event has alternated between
the Bandon Dunes and Pacific Dunes layouts at the seaside Oregon resort).
Ogden and Prugh are the only players under par for 54 holes. Andres Gonzales
of Olympia, Wash., and Drew Stoltz of Fort Collins, Colo., are tied for third
at 215, 1 over par. Gonzales’ wild round of 70 included an eagle, five
birdies, four bogies and a double bogey over the Tom Doak-designed layout, while
Stoltz had three birdies and four bogies en route to a 72 today.
James Lepp of Abbotsford, B.C., had the day’s best round, a 3-under-par
68 and moved into a tie for fifth place at 217 (3 over par), along with Jonathan
Moore of Vancouver, Wash., who slipped to a 73 today. Lepp -- -who obliterated
the field and Capilano G & CC in Vancouver by 10 shots when he won this
event two years ago -- -had six birdies and three bogies today. After bogeying
the par-4 ninth and par-three 10th holes to fall back to even par for the day,
Lepp, a 21-year-old University of Washington student, rallied with birdies on
Nos. 13, 15 and 17 to equal Ogden’s first-round number as the low individual
score of the tournament.
Lepp’s round was mild compared with Ogden’s adventure. Ogden’s
bizarre round included a four-inch missed putt (on No. 6), continued at the
par-five 12th hole when he tried to hit driver from the fairway and ended in
grass suspended over a bunker lip (“It was a stupid play and I got a bad
break, which I probably deserved,” he said later). He chopped it out but
ended up making double bogey, but rebounded with three consecutive birdies (getting
up and down twice from off the green, before making bogey 4 on the treacherous
208-yard 17th.
On the 575-yard finishing hole, Ogden laced a 3-iron shot from 280 yards out
that narrowly avoided thick gorse and curled down to within 12 feet of the hole.
“That was a great way to finish what was a strange round,” said
Ogden later. Prugh was not so fortunate on the hole. His second also narrowly
flew over the gorse but landed in an awkward lie on the hillside. He pitched
deftly to eight feet from the hole but missed the birdie putt.
Gonzales may have summed the entire field’s attitude after his 2-under-par
round. “You keep grinding and try to give yourself a chance,” said
Gonzales. “That’s all you can ask.” The other prevailing sentiment
came from Nick Becker, Ogden’s teammate, who is tied for seventh after
a 74 today. “If the wind keeps blowing hard tomorrow,” he said with
a chuckle, “we’ve all got a chance.”
Pacific Coast Golf Association, 39th Pacific Coast Amateur Championship
- at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort; Bandon , Oregon and Pacific Dunes Golf Course;
6,503 yards; par 71
54-hole results:
210 -- Clay Ogden, West Point, Uta, 68-72-70.
212 -- Alex Prugh, Spokane, Wash., 72-70-70.
215 -- Andres D. Gonzales, Olympia, Wash., 74-71-70; Drew Stoltz, Fort Collins,
C, 71-72-72.
217 -- James Lepp, Abbotsford, BC, 72-77-68; Jonathan Moore, Vancouver, Wash,
69-75-73.
218 -- Kevin Chappell, Fresno, Calif., 69-77-72; Nick Becker, Provo, Utah, 71-73-74;
Kris Wasylowich, Lethbridge, AB, 71-73-74; Louie Bishop, Murrieta, Calif, 69-73-76.
219 -- Brian Edick, Valencia, Calif, 75-75-69; Ryan Keeney, Redmond, Wash.,
70-78-71; Erik Flores, Grass Valley, C, 75-72-72; Joe Panzeri, Boise, Idaho,
72-75-72; Robert P. Grube, Hinsdale, Ill., 75-70-74; Madalitso Muthiya, Lusaka,
Zambia, 71-72-76.
220 -- Elliott Wainwright, Hillsborough, C, 73-74-73; Shane Prante, Tumwater,
Wash., 70-75-75.
221 -- Gregg LaVoie, Pasco, Wash., 75-73-73; David Schultz, Calgary, AB, 73-74-74;
Brady Exber, Las Vegas, Nev., 71-76-74; HoChul (KeKim , Jamul, Calif., 74-71-76.
222 -- Erik Olson, Renton, Wash., 74-76-72; Daniel Lim , Cupertino, Cali, 75-75-72;
Craig Doell, Victoria, BC, 71-78-73; Chad Fosburg, Las Vegas, Nev., 72-75-75;
Scott Hardy, Pleasant Hill,, 72-73-77.
223 -- Edward McGlasson, Orange, Calif., 73-77-73; Liam Kendregan, Gresham,
Ore., 75-74-74; Michael Wilson, Pacific Grove,, 77-72-74; Joe Lanza, Bainbridge
Isla, 73-73-77.
224 -- Michael Putnam, Tacoma, Wash., 75-74-75; Ryan Carter, Hacienda Height,
76-75-73.
225 -- Patrick Nagle, Pacifica, Calif, 78-77-70; Jordan Irwin, Calgary, AB,
73-74-78.
226 -- Tyler Ley , Santa Barbara,, 73-73-80.
227 -- Andrew Putnam, Tacoma, Wash., 73-80-74; Travis Bertoni, Paso Robles,
Ca, 76-76-75.
228 -- Charles Soule, Longmont, Colo., 74-76-78; Randy Mahar, Portland, Ore.,
79-78-71; Rafael Lee , Burnaby, BC, 75-76-77; Erik Hanson, Kirkland, Wash.,
76-75-77; Justin St Clair, Eugene, Ore., 71-73-84.
229 -- Craig Junio, Las Vegas, Nev., 72-78-79; Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes,,
75-74-80; Michael Turner, Sherman Oaks, C, 77-71-81; Zach Bixler, Richland,
Wash., 80-74-75; Eddie Olson, Aptos, Calif., 80-74-75; Mark Baker, Scottsdale,
Ari, 75-79-75; Marc Rhoades, McCall, Idaho, 77-76-76.
230 -- Will Johnson, Fair Oaks, Cali, 73-75-82; Darren Wallace, Langley, BC,
77-78-75; Brooks Newsom, Portland, Ore., 74-80-76.
231 -- Michael Jensen, Los Altos, Cali, 78-81-72; James Love, Calgary, AB, 78-81-72;
Kyle Stanley, Gig Harbor, Was, 78-80-73; David Nelson, Reno, Nev., 72-75-84;
Marty Jacks, Kaysville, Utah, 79-76-76.
232 -- James Lee , La Habra, Calif, 81-77-74; Derek Tolan, Highlands Ranch,
80-77-75; Taylor Wood, Laguna Niguel,, 81-75-76; James Allenby, Langley, BC,
82-74-76; Riki Kauika, Wanganui, New Z, 80-72-80.
233 -- Ashdon Woods, Lander, Wyo., 74-82-77; J.J. Wood, Yuma, Ariz., 74-78-81;
Tim McKenney, Scottsdale, Ari, 77-74-82.
234 -- Keith Kinsel, Glendale, Calif, 79-75-80; Barrett Jarosch, Edmonton, AB,
76-78-80.
235 -- Michael Baird, Castle Rock, Co, 76-77-82; Larry Gilhuly, Gig Harbor,
Was, 78-74-83.
236 -- Michael McRae, Salt Lake City,, 83-78-75; Matt Williams, Holton, Kan.,
77-80-79.
238 -- Seth Cotter, Sparks, Nev., 80-81-77.
239 -- Patrick Carrigan, Walnut, Calif., 77-79-83.
240 -- Travis Gibbens, Caldwell, Idaho, 76-81-83.
241 -- Todd Points, Payette, Idaho, 77-89-75; John Hornbeck, Saratoga, Wyo.,
84-80-77; Greg Wenzel, Sparks, Nev., 82-81-78; Craig Reasoner, Casper, Wyo.,
82-75-84; Dustin Mills, Arvada, Colo., 79-75-87.
242 -- Ryan Fery, Beaverton, Ore., 86-80-76; Joe Sanders, Incline Village, 73-89-80
245 -- Lee Sanchez, J, Santa Fe, N.M., 84-77-84
246 -- John Pate, Santa Barbara,, 81-83-82
WD -- Ken Brooke, Jacksonville Be, 89-88 -- WD .
NOTE: To view live scoring for Friday's final round and to see individual scorecards of players, click on the tournament link at the top of this article (amateurgolf.com membership requested)