Document text
Final has age-old dilemma photo by Drew Fleming White, Smith offer youth, experience to title chase By Don Hunt It�ll be the young upstart against the crafty veteran in the championship match of the Southern Oregon Golf Tournament today at Rogue Valley Country Club. Eugene�s Jimmy White, just three months removed from high school, charged into the men�s regular division finals Sunday with victories over Steve Light and former champion Brooks Newsom, while Medford�s Tommy Smith did likewise with wins over Scott Tuttle and Brett Breeze. At 18, White becomes the youngest player to reach the finals since Kelly Owen won the tournament in 1973. "He�s right about where I was at 13 or 14 years ago," Smith, 32, said. "He�s a young guy but he�s tournament-tested and he knows how to play. I�ve got my work cut out for me." White, who is headed to the University of Oregon on a golf scholarship, distinguished himself earlier this summer when he finished runner-up to Jeff Quinney at the Oregon Amateur. Capitalizing on 300-yard drives and a more-than-capable short game, White defeated Light 4 and 3 in Sunday morning�s quarterfinals and then beat Newsom, the 1998 champion and last year�s runner-up, 3 and 2 in the afternoon semifinals. "This tournament has been a lot of fun," said White, who stands 6-foot-2� and weighs 170 pounds. "I�ve got a lot of family in Medford and I�ve played this course a lot over the years. This is like my second home." White built a four-hole lead over a struggling Newsom after nine holes. Newsom finally sank a birdie putt on the 11th hole to cut his deficit to three, but White responded with a curling 17-footer for birdie on the 12th to regain a four-hole advantage. From there, it was just a matter of time. "It really helps if you can get ahead early and keep the pressure on," White said. "I felt pretty confident the whole way, and that putt on 12 was a confidence-booster. I knew then that I was really going to have to fall apart to lose." Smith, meanwhile, needed an extra hole to brush aside Tuttle Sunday morning before beating Breeze 3 and 2 in the semifinals. Smith led Breeze by two holes after the first nine and then stuffed his approach shot to within five feet on the 10th and made birdie. He then went up by four holes on the 12th when Breeze three-putted, and was not seriously challenged the rest of the way. Smith finished his afternoon round at even par through 16 holes. "The putt on 10 was important because I had missed a couple of short ones earlier," Smith said. "I felt at that time that he was going to have to make some birdies to get back in it." Breeze, 33, wasn�t up to the task in this match, but overall he had a superb tournament, particularly for someone who had never before advanced past the second round. "I putted well the whole tournament but in this match nothing would fall," said Breeze, who knocked off Kevin Klabunde 4 and 3 earlier Sunday. "I kept hitting the edges. "But take nothing away from Tommy. He�s a great player." In women�s play, Central Point�s Luneta Ah-Sam and Grants Pass� Amanda Nealy moved into the finals. Nealy, the 1992 champion and last year�s runner-up, breezed to a 7-and-6 victory over Claudia Robbs, while Ah-Sam cruised to a 6-and-5 win over Portland�s Courtney Myrick. In the men�s junior-senior division, defending champion Doug Ward moved into the title match with a 2-and-1 victory over good friend Ric Metzger. Ward will meet Medford�s David Boals, a 2-and-1 winner over his good friend Bob Dickey. The men�s senior final will pit defending champion Bob Harrell against medalist John Dunkin, while the women�s senior final will match defending champ Pam Hubbard against Carmen Akins. Sunday�s Results MEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Tommy Smith, RVCC, d. Scott Tuttle, Medford, 19th; Bret Breeze, RVCC, d. Kevin Klabunde, RVCC, 4 and 3; Brooks Newsom, Col-Edgewater, d. Glen Clark, RVCC, 3 and 2; Jimmy White, Springfield, d. Steve Light, The Childrens, 4 and 3. Tommy Smith d. Bret Breeze, 3 and 2; Jimmy White, d. Brooks Newsom, 3 and 2. FIRST FLIGHT Robert Holland, StoneRidge, d. Kelly Rasmussen, RVCC, 3 and 1; Mike Stoll, Portland, d. Craig Knips, Quail Point, 6 and 5; Brent Orrico, New Castle, d. Scott Mayfield, Grants Pass, 3 and 2; Scott Ashpole, RVCC, d. Bill Maentz, RVCC, 3 and 2. Mike Stoll d. Robert Holland, 2 and 1; Brent Orrico d. Scott Ashpole, 4 and 3. SECOND FLIGHT John Adair, Eugene, d. Andy Luther, Grants Pass, 2 and 1; Raef Lillesve, Bend, d. Scott Lewis, Costa Mesa, 2-up. CONSOLATION Tom Jones, Eagle Point, d. David Ruegg, Oak Knoll, 19th; Eric Evensen, Wolf Run, d. Mitch Parsons, Cedar Links, 6 and 5. THIRD FLIGHT Terry Faulkner, Grants Pass, d. Jerry Johnson, Ruch, 6 and 5; Mike McCracken, Bayonet, d. Ted Curtius, Eagle Point, 1-up. CONSOLATION Derek Muir, RVCC, d. Matt Sorenson, Pumpkin Ridge, 1-up; Craig Dumont, RVCC, d. Mike Munden, Encinitas Ranch, 2 and 1. FOURTH FLIGHT Greg Jacobs, Cedar Links, d. Jasin Owen, Cedar Links, 1-up; Gary Redden, RVCC, d. Paul Chitwood, Cedar Links, 1-up. CONSOLATION Gary Sterton, Sea Mountain, d. Bill Trempe, StoneRidge, 1-up; Darrell Hunt, Twin Lakes, d. Tim Rondeau, Canby, 1-up. FIFTH FLIGHT Matt Van Sant, Del Notte, d. Fritz Schuler, RVCC, 19th; Daryn Clark, Tapps Island, d. John McCoy, RVCC, 4 and 2. CONSOLATION Dave Edgren, The Unisys, d. Cary Preston, RVCC, 1-up; Scott Irving, Cedar Links, d. Ron Harle, Columbia Point, 7 and 6. SIXTH FLIGHT Jeff DeBoer, RVCC, d. Ronald Moore, Medford, 6 and 5; Dennis Richards, Medford, d. Ned Engleson, Quail Point, 4 and 3. CONSOLATION Pat Brockie, Lake Oswego, d. Douglas Rodermund, Seal Beach Navy, 5 and 4; Jeff Stirewalt, Oakhurst, d. John Snyder, Lakewood, 3 and 2. WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Amanda Nealy, Grants Pass, d. Claudia Robbs, Overlake, 7 and 6; Luneta Ah-Sam, Bear Creek, d. Courtney Myrick, Portland, 6 and 5. FIRST FLIGHT Heather Holte, Tokatee, d. Anne Reynolds, RVCC, 7 and 6; Trina Rasmussen, RVCC, d. Carol Fischer, RVCC, 1-up. SECOND FLIGHT Cathy Trower, Medford, d. Diane Tucker, RVCC, 3 and 2; Jacqueline Jones, Steele Canyon, d. Maggie Kilroy, RVCC, 1-up. THIRD FLIGHT Becky Barry, RVCC, d. Gloria Tyson, RVCC, 1-up; Cindy Breeze, RVCC, d. Donna Dixon, RVCC, 3 and 2. MEN�S JUNIOR-SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Doug Ward, Overlake, d. Ric Metzger, Overlake, 2 and 1; David Boals, RVCC, d. Bob Dickey, RVCC, 2 and 1. FIRST FLIGHT Ed Jolly, RVCC, won by forfeit over George Mack Sr., Col-Edgewater; Mike Derryberry, RVCC, d. Michael McCann, Arrowhead, 3 and 2. SECOND FLIGHT Dick Condon, Illahe Hills, d. Doug Burwell, RVCC, 1-up; William Bednar, RVCC, d. Buck Brigham, RVCC, 5 and 4. THIRD FLIGHT Randy Wooton, RVCC, d. Benny Sullivan, RVCC, 6 and 5; Brian Adolph, RVCC, d. Mike Jantzer, RVCC, 8 and 6. FOURTH FLIGHT Steve Rodermund, Seal Beach Navy, d. Wayne Van Wey, RVCC, 1-up; Gary Wood, Franklyn Canyon, d. Rick McCabe, Murrieta, 2 and 1. FIFTH FLIGHT Norm Veronneau, RVCC, d. Kirk Straw, Contra Costa, 5 and 3; Glenn Arnesen, Grants Pass, d. Chuck Carnese, Col-Edgewater, 3 and 2. SIXTH FLIGHT Tom Leach, Deerwood, d. Wayne Logemann, Eastmoreland, 1-up; Mike Brown, Oregon City, d. Brian Schmitz, RVCC, 6 and 5. SEVENTH FLIGHT Rick Holcom, RVCC, d. Winston Tucker, RVCC, 1-up; Manfred Muenzel, RVCC, d. Anthony Decker, SCGA, 4 and 3. EIGHTH FLIGHT Brad Heilman, Overlake, d. Mike Kirkpatrick, RVCC, 1-up; Ralph Perry, Redding, d. Tom Kellogg, Bellevue, 5 and 4. NINTH FLIGHT Cleve Tooker, RVCC, d. Gerald Hanson, Gold Mountain, 5 and 4; Mike Edgren, Oak Knoll, d. Frank Holminski, Lone Tree, 1-up. SENIOR WOMEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Pam Hubbard, Yakima, d. Bunny Casey, Ironwood, 1-up; Carmen Akins, RVCC, d. Ellie Mitchell, RVCC, 2 and 1. FIRST FLIGHT Pam Turnipseed, RVCC, d. Mary Rongerude, Willamette Valley, 4 and 3; Shirley Mitchell, Riverview, d. Norma Luther, RVCC, 4 and 3. SECOND FLIGHT Barbara Hanson, RVCC, d. Karen Van Sant, RVCC, 3 and 2; Chris Howe, RVCC, d. Doris Grosch, Cedar Links, 3 and 2. THIRD FLIGHT Pat Humphrey, RVCC, d. Yvonne Schlafke, RVCC, 3 and 2; Shirley Murphy, Pajaro Valley, d. Jerry McCann, West Brook Villa, 1-up. SENIOR MEN CHAMPIONSHIP FLIGHT Bob Harrell, RVCC, d. Jerry Cochrane, Napa, 2 and 1; John Dunkin, RVCC, d. Robert Buck, RVCC, 3 and 2. FIRST FLIGHT Howard Phearson, Reames, d. Jim Quincy, RVCC, 1-up; Jim Smith, RVCC, d. Don Rose, Eugene, 2 and 1. SECOND FLIGHT Larry Brown, Eugene, d. Rick Brockie, RVCC, 2 and 1; Michael Austin, Eagle Point, d. Jim Stough, RVCC, 2 and 1. THIRD FLIGHT David Rasmussen, RVCC, d. Dick Sorenson, Pumpkin Ridge, 2-up; Ron Dixon, RVCC, d. Bert Putney, RVCC, 2-up. FOURTH FLIGHT Mike Morris, RVCC, d. Roger Winslow Sr., Sonoma Mission, 2 and 1; Fred Johnson, RVCC, d. Charlie Jacob, Almaden, 2-up. FIFTH FLIGHT Chuck Miller, Walnut Creek, d. Sixto Rodriguez, Eagle Point, 4 and 3; Larry Hannan, RVCC, d. Jerry Dillen, Lake Shastina, 2 and 1. 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