Mail Tribune Sports - Nealy cruises to women�s championship

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2000-12-07

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Nealy cruises to women�s championship photo by Steve Johnson By Don Hunt Amanda Nealy was a picture of consistency as she claimed her second women�s title at the Southern Oregon Golf Tournament Monday at Rogue Valley Country Club. The Grants Pass resident registered 21 pars, one birdie and six bogeys to romp past Luneta Ah-Sam, 10 and 8. In other championship matches, Bob Harrell defeated John Dunkin 1-up to take the seniors title; Doug Ward beat Dave Boals 3 and 2 in the junior-senior division; and Pam Hubbard won her third straight senior women�s title with a 4-and-3 victory over Carmen Akins. "Most of the time I was in the fairway with my drive, on the green in two and two-putting," Nealy said. "That�s a fun way to play golf." Nealy soared to a seven-hole lead in the morning round and then posted her only birdie of the day on the first hole of the afternoon to go 8-up. Ah-Sam, who struggled early, finally began to match pars with Nealy but it was too little, too late. No one at the Southern Oregon tourney may ever catch Ed Godden, who registered nine titles in the men�s regular, junior-senior and senior divisions between 1979 and 1990. But Harrell is gaining. Harrell, 64, won his third senior championship in four years and his fourth title overall when he downed Dunkin. "I beat Godden my rookie year (in the senior division) and that�s something I�m still proud of because he�s a legend around here," Harrell said. "I doubt that I�ll ever catch him but I�ll keep plugging away." Harrell trailed Dunkin � this year�s senior medalist � by two holes after nine but birdied 10 and parred 11 to get even. It was nip-and-tuck the rest of the way before Harrell took the lead on 17 and halved 18 for the win. Harrell admitted he was lucky to get past Tom Hamlin in the quarterfinals. That match went six extra holes. "You always need a little luck to win these things," he said. Ward, meanwhile, held off a late charge from Boals to win his third junior-senior title in the past four years.   Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds |  Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive  | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA