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62 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, May 27, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Britt Festival Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Biz Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend May 18, 2005 North Medford's Mike Barry hits his second shot on the par-5, 18th hole at Stone Creek Golf Club in Oregon City. Barry went on to win the Class 4A boys golf title by two strokes. Barry stands alone at state By TIM TROWER Mail Tribune OREGON CITY — Mike Barry was left out of the loop. In contention for the first state championship by a Medford golfer in more than two decades, Barry, a North Medford senior, played the final two holes unaware that he had a one-shot lead. His gallery of family, coaches and friends knew his standing, however, and wanted desperately to shout out to him, much like a horror-film audience yearns to warn a would-be victim. Nevertheless, Barry remained in the dark, and only after finishing par-birdie Tuesday at Stone Creek Golf Club, did he learn he was the Class 4A boys state champion. "Those last couple holes were stressful," Barry said with a laugh. "They need to put some leaderboards out there." Advertisement The two-time Southern Oregon Conference champion shot 2-under-par 70 for the second straight day, giving him a 140 and a two-shot victory over Sunset’s Terence Macatangay. Tyler Simpson of Clackamas was another shot back at 143, and Dustin Andres of Tualatin was fourth at 145. With Macatangay playing five groups ahead of him because of team pairings, Barry had no idea who his closest pursuer was or what number he had to shoot. North coach Kevin Klabunde dashed to the scorer’s tent while Barry walked up the 17th fairway, but when Klabunde returned to the 17th green, he only told onlookers what he knew. Coaches aren’t allowed to coach during competition, and Klabunde wasn’t sure what information he could share with Barry. As it turns out, Oregon School Activities Association rules would have allowed him to tell Barry the situation, but Klabunde didn’t take chances. "I wanted to ask you," Barry told his coach later, "but I didn’t want to get in trouble." Perhaps it was a good thing, for at No. 17, Barry stood over an 8-footer for par, and putts of that length and shorter had been his bugaboo all day. However, this one dropped, and when he put together two good shots to position himself in front of the par-5 18th green in two, he was but a chip and a near tap-in away from Medford’s first title since Tony Joyner won for the Black Tornado in 1982. "It was the biggest relief," Barry said of making his last putt. "Oh, man." He became the first SOC state titlist since Ashland’s Jason Allred triumphed in 1996. In team competition, Ashland fared well, and Sheldon ended Tualatin’s reign. The Grizzlies had four players shoot in the 70s and improved 10 shots on their first day total, coming in at 304 and placing eighth with a 618 score. Sophomores Ben Wright and Austin Harfst each shot 75 for Ashland, while sophomore Joel Salmond fired a second consecutive 76 and junior Greg Harvey turned in a 78. South Medford’s Brodie Sullivan, playing as an individual, shot 75 for a 156 total. Sheldon and Tualatin tied with 291s Tuesday, giving the former a three-shot edge for the tourney and snapping the Timberwolves streak of state crowns at three. Barry was the first-day leader but didn’t let that weigh too heavily. He got to bed early Monday night, got a good night’s sleep and hit the range early Tuesday to work primarily on his drives. Barry was obscure to some observers, but he knew he could compete for the championship. "It seems like no one up here thinks we play golf down in the southern part of the state," he said. "It’s awesome to take one from the northern boys." Barry got off to a fast start, then spent much of the round trying to hold it together. The driver that had left him a day earlier did so occasionally on Day 2, but he never got in serious trouble. In fact, had he gotten a couple of putts to fall, it would have been a runaway. Barry missed two birdie putts of inside five feet and had a couple of longer ones scare the hole. "For him to shoot 70 both days when he couldn’t buy a putt," said Klabunde, "that just shows the level of his game." Birdies at the first and third holes constituted the fast start, and Barry made the turn at 1 under for the round. As holes disappeared behind him and the significance of what he was on the verge of accomplishing heightened, Barry wrestled with strategies. "In my head, I was telling myself not to get too conservative if I got off to a good start, which I did," he said. "But I also didn’t want to be too aggressive and start putting balls out of bounds and stuff." He bogeyed No. 13, the hardest hole on the course, when his lay-up iron tee shot ended up a fairway over. Two holes later, on the No. 3 handicap hole, he made an up-and-down par, sinking one of those pesky 5-footers. "The par putts I seemed to have confidence in," said Barry. "The birdie putts, I was more tentative." He lagged a putt close on 16 for par, then hit a wonderful tee shot on 17, only to pull his approach to the left side of the green, away from treacherous water. After the long first putt, he had that knee-knocker for par and was thrilled to see it dive into the cup. "I was on the edge with a lot of putts," said Barry. "Finally, one fell. That was the biggest putt of the day." And with many in the gallery holding their tongues, he hit his tee ball to 235 from the green on the par 5, then took a 4-iron from the right rough for his approach. He aimed at the crowd ringing the right side of the green, and let the wind and a bit of draw bring the ball to gullet below the green. Two shots later, everyone knew: He was champion. Ashland finished out of the trophy hunt — the top four teams get them — by 13 shots, but the Grizzlies served notice they will be a team to watch. "I knew we could score well on this course," said Harfst. "It’s a scoreable course, especially the front nine." Salmond, the team’s low man at 152, won’t be back next year because his family is moving to Bend, but the others will be around. Harfst and Wright piqued the Grizzlies’ hopes when, as the first two in, they posted impressive scores. "We didn’t really think we could make the top five," Wright said before play was completed, "but after these scores today, it might be possible." It wasn’t to be, but that didn’t dampen their spirit. Wright shot his best competitive round of the year. "I had one at Eagle Point, but it didn’t count," he said. "It feels good to do it in a tournament that matters." TEAM SCORES — Sheldon 589, Tualatin 592, Canby 603, Jesuit 605, Sunset 605, Summit 613, West Albany 613, Ashland 618, Bend 621, Clackamas 622, Central Catholic 629, West Linn 633, Wilson 633, Marshfield 635, Crescent Valley 639, Lincoln 651, Barlow 668. INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (Top 10) — 1, Mike Barry, North Medford, 70-70—140; 2, Terence Macatangay, Sunset, 71-71—142; 3, Tyler Simpson, Clackamas, 71-72—143; 4, Dustin Andres, Tualatin, 74-71—145; T5, Ben Bryant, West Albany, 75-71—146; T5, Isaiah Telles, Tualatin, 75- 71—146; T5, Trevor Moffitt, Sheldon, 71-75—146; T8, Matt Lemman, Lake Oswego, 74-73—147; T8, Robbie Ziegler, Canby, 74-73—147; T8, Philip Bagdade, Sheldon, 76-71—147. OTHER LOCAL RESULTS ASHLAND (618) — T26, Joel Salmond 76-76—152; 26, Greg Harvey 75-78—153; T50, Ben Wright 82-75—157; T65, Austin Harfst 86- 75—161. INDIVIDUAL RESULTS — T40, Brodie Sullivan, South Medford, 81-75—156; T72, Derek Rampersaud, Roseburg, 81-82—163; T72, Will Murphy, Ashland, 81-82—163; T81, Calen Nicholson, Grants Pass, 85-80—165; 92, Mackenzie Gordon, Roseburg, 85-85—170; Mike Leonard, Grants Pass, 85-87—172. Reach sports editor Tim Trower at 776-4479, or e-mail [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 Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg diamonds Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s