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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend August 21, 2005 Young gun Barry has easy run in men’s club Tee Talk By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune Mike Barry was eager to play against the "older guys." Said "older guys" might not have had a mutual feeling. Barry pulled off a nifty double when he won the Rogue Valley Country Club men’s golf championship last weekend, adding that title to the high school state crown he claimed in the spring. Barry cruised to the RVCC title, shooting under par each of the three days to outdistance runner-up Brad Bills by 12 shots and third-place Doug Olson by 18 strokes. "I was really looking forward to this summer because I was finally able to play against the older guys," said Barry, who had rounds of 71, 67 and 68 on the par-72 layout. "I’ve been playing against kids my age and only my age for so long. Playing against the older guys made me play a little better. I feel like it’s made me pick my game up, and it’s starting to show in my scores." Advertisement The next stop for his game will be the University of San Diego. He’ll leave for school the last week of August for a week of orientation, then start school Sept. 1. His first tournament for the Toreros, who are coached by Phil Mickelson’s younger brother, Tim, will be Sept. 18 at, of all places, Trysting Tree Golf Club in Corvallis. Barry hasn’t played a lot of tournaments since becoming Medford’s first state winner since Tony Joyner in 1982. Before the RVCC, his only big event was the Oregon Amateur in June. He made it to match play by qualifying with a 3-over 147 for two days of stroke play at Pumpkin Ridge’s Witch Hollow course. In the first round, Mickey Morey of Lake Oswego beat him, 1-up. Thereafter, he spent time vacationing with his family before college called. "It was well worth it," said Barry. Then came the men’s club tournament. "There were plenty of nerves," said Barry. "I was always watching it when I was a kid. You’d always see these big, big galleries. But, usually, nerves make me play better. I love it when people get out and watch all the groups. It’s a fun time." Barry did a little goal-setting beforehand. The first day, he decided anything under par would do, and he came in at 1 under. "I knew I’d be able to play better the next couple of days," he said. Prior to the tournament, his putter had been uncooperative and his drives unpredictable. But when play began, those inconsistencies corrected themselves. That only meant trouble for the rest of the field. Bills, one of the "older guys," got an up-close look when he played in Barry’s group the final two days. "The first thing you’ve got to do is not do anything to try and hit the ball as far he does," said Bills. "He hits it much further than anybody else out there." On par 5s, said Bills, Barry had mid-irons into the greens. And some par 4s — such as Nos. 6, 15 and 17 — he’s able to drive the greens or get awfully close. He was pin high at No. 6 and in a greenside bunker at No. 15. "Based on that," said Bills, "he should always be around 68 if he’s hitting it straight. And he’s a good putter, a very good putter. He made a number of longer putts, and I don’t remember too many putts that he should have made but didn’t make." Barry was 6 under through two days, and he led Travis Brink by six shots and Bills by seven. His goal for the final day was to get to 10 under for the tourney. Barry moved to 9 under through 11 holes, then double-bogeyed the par-5 12th. "Usually, I’d get maybe a little angry," said Barry. "But I just told myself that holes 14 through 18 were all birdie holes, and I pretty much knew I could get to 10 (under)." It didn’t take long. Barry birdied the 15th hole and sank a 35- to 40-foot putt for eagle on the 16th hole to hit the number. He then parred in. "It was really cool to set a score for myself and actually obtain that number," he said. As much as Barry looked forward to the club championships, he wanted to play in the Southern Oregon even more. But the popular tournament conflicts with the start of classes, and he won’t be here — much to the relief, perhaps, of the "older guys." Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail Young gun Barry has easy run in men�s club ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztechmedia Website Hosting Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Advertisement s