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62 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, August 3, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Prime Times Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 31, 2004 There’s a Wie bit of anticipation at Bandon By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Last month, Matt Allen went all the way to England to watch an event that included teen golf sensation Michelle Wie. Two years from now, he might only have to walk out the back door. Allen is golf operations manager and assistant general manager at renowned Bandon Dunes Resort, and his Southern Oregon Coast facility will host the Curtis Cup July 29-30, 2006. In this year’s version, Wie, 14, helped the United States edge women amateurs from Great Britain and Ireland, 10-8, in mid-June at Formby Golf Club in England. "I have to assume that if she is part of it, it will have some impact on attendance," Allen says with considerable understatement. Advertisement The competition has been staged every other year since 1932, save for the war years of the ‘40s, and will be Bandon Dunes’ first venture into tournaments of such scope. The resort will follow up with the U.S. Mid-Amateur in 2007. They are the fruits of efforts five years ago to attract events commensurate with the resort’s standing. Its two courses, Pacific Dunes and Bandon Dunes, were recently ranked No. 2 and 3 on Golfweek’s list of America’s best modern courses (since 1960). A third course, Bandon Trails, is set to open next June. "With the national and international recognition the Bandon Dunes name has taken on," says Allen, "it will be pretty neat to host an event of such historical significance." The resort had been approached informally by U.S. Golf Association members to submit a request to host a tournament. The Curtis Cup would be a good place to start, it was suggested, because a venue for 2006 had not been chosen. Allen’s group was awarded the Curtis Cup prior to the 2002 tournament in Pittsburgh, which he also attended. "It’s a very impressive international golf competition," says Allen. "The infrastructure in the ceremonies, the hospitality and the social functions is probably unlike any other event." The difference between Pittsburgh and Formby, he says, was attendance. Here, about 2,500 attended; abroad, it was 15,000. Of course, the other difference was the presence of Wie, who, it’s believed, accounted for roughly 5,000 more fans at Formby than were expected. She didn’t disappoint, going 2-2 in her matches. With a teammate, she narrowly lost both her foursome events but swamped veteran opponents in singles match play, beating Anna Highgate of Wales, 5 and 4, and Nicola Timmins of England, 6 and 5. The 6-foot Honolulu native already has been in contention in two LPGA majors and missed a PGA cut in January by a single shot. "It was interesting," Allen says of watching the long-hitting Wie. "The golf course seemed awkwardly short for her. She was hitting a lot of utility woods and long irons off the tees and consistently passing opponents, who were hitting driver. There’s no question she has the ability to intimidate people with her length." The question is, will we be able to make the relatively short drive to Coos County to see her? It’s hard to tell what Wie will be doing by the end of this summer, let alone two years from now. Grace Wen, who has followed Wie for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, says the prodigy thoroughly enjoyed her Curtis Cup experience but was noncommittal when asked if she would play the event again. Whether or not Wie participates, the Curtis Cup figures to be a boon for Bandon Dunes, particularly because it will be carried live on either The Golf Channel or ESPN. And while Allen is eager to ingratiate Bandon Dunes to the USGA in hopes of attracting even larger tournaments, perhaps something like the U.S. Women’s Amateur, he understands the population base and lodging and transportation restrictions are "limiting factors." For now, however, the Curtis Cup is a good start. ERIK HILL OF Grants Pass, who has played in two of the past three Southern Oregon Golf Tournaments, nearly forged his way into an even bigger event: the U.S. Amateur. Hill, a 2001 graduate of Grants Pass High who will be a redshirt junior at the University of California-Davis this year, made it to a playoff before being eliminated Thursday in sectional qualifying at the Oregon Golf Association course in Woodburn. After an opening-round 71 on the par-72 layout Tuesday, Hill came back with a 67 Wednesday, tying for third place with three other players at 6 under par. The following morning, in a playoff for two of the remaining four berths, Hill was ousted on the second hole when his 18-foot par putt lipped out and he made bogey. The enormity of it all wasn’t lost on him. "I didn’t sleep as well as I normally do," he says. "It was tough playing for that kind of trip under those kinds of circumstances at 7 in the morning. That was a little different." But it underscored the progress Hill has made this year. In the spring, he played in five college tournaments, then followed with solid play in the Oregon Amateur, then missed by one stroke qualifying for the U.S. Men’s Public Amateur Links Championship. The near-misses aren’t getting him down. "Each time you get (close to winning), you learn a little more and get a little more accustomed to what it’s like," he says. "I figure if I put myself in that position next year, I’ll have an even better shot at getting into the actual tournament." He was close to getting there anyway. Although the 67 Wednesday was his best competitive round, he says it could have been a 64 had he not missed short birdie putts, including an 8-footer on the last hole that lipped out. "Me and my caddie were sitting there reading the putt and thinking it would be real nice to shoot 66," says Hill. "So many times, that one extra shot means so much. And it did. I would have been automatically in." Regardless — and regrettably, he says — Hill will have to forego the Southern Oregon this year because he qualified for the prestigious California State Fair tourney in Sacramento. Have a local golf story idea? Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times