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Nealy shows she's not short on game By DON HUNT Johnna Nealy has been heading out to Grants Pass Golf Course nearly every day this summer to work on her short game. Nealy is heading to the University of Oregon on a golf scholarship this week, and she wants to be ready. Based on her play at the Southern Oregon Golf Tournament, she is. Nealy posted an unimpressive 84 in qualifying but turned on the afterburners in match play, winning five straight matches. The grand finale was a 7-and-6 victory over Carmen Akins in the women's championship match Monday at Rogue Valley Country Club. In other title matches Monday, Medford's Greg Miller won the junior-senior division with a 5-and-3 victory over Dave Wittkopf, and Grants Pass' John Dunkin took the senior division with a 4-and-3 win over Dan Dixon. Nealy shot a 2-over-par 74 during Monday's opening 18 holes to build a two-hole lead over Akins, then went two-under over the final 12 holes to win going away. The victory was the third for Nealy in the past four months. She won the Class 4A state championship in May - tying for the title with North Medford's Tai Kinney - and took the Oregon Junior Amateur in July. She also advanced to the quarterfinals of the Oregon Amateur. "My short game is the area that needs the most work and that's what I've been focusing on this summer," said Nealy, who at 18 years and one month is among the youngest ever to win the Southern Oregon women's title. "I want to be ready to go when I get up to Oregon." Nealy leaves for Eugene on Wednesday and will play in a qualifying tournament the following week to see if she makes the Ducks' traveling squad. "Winning this tournament this week was a good confidence-builder," Nealy said. "Other than qualifying, I played well all week." Miller, meanwhile, claimed his first Southern Oregon title since he first entered the tourney in 1967. And he did it in style, firing a sizzling 4-under par 68 in the morning round - his best score ever on the RVCC's original course - to build a 7-up lead. Miller cooled off in the afternoon, but still won handily. "I couldn't play much better than I did this morning," Miller said. "But then I got tired and lost my tempo." Miller has been a medalist in the regular men's and junior-senior divisions, and he's a two-time runner-up in the junior-senior. But Monday marked the first time he's walked off with the first-place crystal vase. "My family told me there was no reason to come home if I didn't win it this year," Miller said. "They put the pressure on." Duncan won three of the first four holes in his match against Dixon and cruised to his first seniors' title. He was the runner-up in 1998 and 2000. Southern Oregon Golf Tourament At Rogue Valley Country Club MEN'S REGULAR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Championship - Kevin Klabunde d. Tom Smith, 6 and 4. FIRST FLIGHT Championship - Erik Hill d. Larry Miller, 3 and 2. SECOND FLIGHT Championship - Kyall McGee d. Mark Decker, 7 and 5. Consolation - Chris Campbell d. Stephan Groves, 1-up. THIRD FLIGHT Championship - Geoff Davis d. Ray Cox. Consolation - Brooks Gard d. Steve Schireman, 19th. FOURTH FLIGHT Championship - Bob Foote d. Fritz Schuler, 3 and 2. Consolation - Bret Cornwell d. Mark Ziegenhagen, 20th. FIFTH FLIGHT Championship - Greg Jones d. Gary Sterton, 2 and 1 Consolation - Derek Schweitzer d. Matt Smith, 2 and 1. SIXTH FLIGHT Championship - Jerry Sessions d. Jeff Stirewalt, 4 and 3. Consolation - T. Lernhan d. Jerry Makowski, 19th. SEVENTH FLIGHT Championship - Tim Gallagher d. Allen Picchi, 6 and 5. Consolation - Don Webb d. Scott Byrd, 2 and 1. MEN'S JUNIOR/SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Greg Miller d. Dave Wittkopf, 5 and 3. FIRST FLIGHT George Mack Sr. d. Pat Moore, 2 and 1. SECOND FLIGHT Paul Averano d. Scott Weaver, 2 and 1. THIRD FLIGHT Brain Adolph d. Ralph Perry, 1-up. FOURTH FLIGHT Brent Orrico d. Glenn Kilroy, 5 and 4. FIFTH FLIGHT Brad Heilman d. Ron Hosek, 5 and 4. SIXTH FLIGHT Bill Shevlin d. Don Pinkham, 2 and 1. SEVENTH FLIGHT Jerry Johnson d. Les Cracraft, 2-up. EIGHT FLIGHT Kelly Timmins d. Tom Groves, 3 and 2. NINTH FLIGHT Gary Smerdon d. Craig Prewitt, 2 and 1. MEN'S SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT John Dunkin d. Dan Dixon, 4 and 3. FIRST FLIGHT Don Rose d. Ken Bailey, 1-up. SECOND FLIGHT Terry Newsom d. J. Ferguson. 19th. THIRD FLIGHT Jerry Cochrane d. Dick Entinger, 2-up. FOURTH FLIGHT Ed Setzler d. Bob Kaczor, 1-up. FIFTH FLIGHT Tom Hurd d. Harvey Myers, 1-up. SIXTH FLIGHT Mike Trovato d. R. Primasing, 1-up. SEVENTH FLIGHT Chuck Miller d. Bill Adams, 2 and 1. EIGHT FLIGHT Larry Nilson d. John Nelson, 2 and 1. NINTH FLIGHT Bob Reed d. Jack Sherman, 2 and 1. TENTH FLIGHT Doug Gardiner d. John Root, 2 and 1. ELEVENTH FLIGHT Ben Watrus d. G. Bendickson, 4 and 2. WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Johnna Nealy d. Carmen Akins, 7 and 6. FIRST FLIGHT Heather Holte d. Amanda Nealy, 3 and 2. SECOND FLIGHT Mary Plankenhorn d. Deanna Wilson, 1-up. THIRD FLIGHT Maureen McFaddin d. Jody Larson, 1-up. FOURTH FLIGHT Jerry McCann d. Joan Jarbo, 2 and 1. FIFTH FLIGHT Valeta Prosise d. Jaci Jones, 1-up. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.