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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, May 7, 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 Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health 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 January 17, 2005 Allred is all smiles Ashland native finishes first PGA tournament in a tie for 17th place, and a paycheck worth $72,000 By DAVE REARDON for the Mail Tribune HONOLULU — Why shouldn’t Justin Allred be smiling? He had just birdied the 15th hole at Waialae Country Club in the Sony Open on Sunday, moving back to 3-under for the final round. Then, on No. 16, he launched a beautiful 288-yard blast into the wind that landed right in the middle of the fairway. As he walked toward his next shot, Allred dispensed golf balls to children in the gallery like Halloween candy. Unfortunately, Allred bogeyed 16 and the closing 18th hole. But the smile remained. He finished his first tournament as a card-carrying PGA Tour member in a tie for 17th place, with a paycheck of $72,000 to buy a lot more golf balls to give to kids. Advertisement The money, though, was just a bonus for the 24-year-old from Ashland. "Thankfully, I didn’t think about that too much," he said. "I just enjoyed every minute of being out here. Even taking the good with the bad. I didn’t finish quite as well as I’d like, but I hit good shots. I just loved being in position (to win), and it’s just so much fun to be out here." It was a wild day at Waialae, with Ernie Els and eventual winner Vijay Singh making huge moves to catch third-round leader Shigeki Maruyama. And Allred was in the thick of it for a while, after he and playing partner Stewart Cink both began hot. Allred birdied three holes to make the turn at 3-under 32, while Cink — who finished tied for fifth — did the same. Both golfers said they were helped by the other. "We had a good rhythm going on the front nine," Cink said. "I started real well and he did too. He’s a good guy to play with. It’s always nice to see a new young guy out here who’s nervous and see him perform well under those circumstances, because it’s very stressful. "I remember my first tournament after I got my card, in 1997. The last day I played with Peter Jacobsen and I wondered if I looked the same to Peter Jacobsen that round as Jason Allred did to me. I think I did," Cink added with a smile. Allred enjoyed his playing partner, too. "I think playing with Stewart helped," he said. "He was on a roll so we kind of fed off each other. He’s a pleasure to play with. He’s a great guy." Dick Christy, Allred’s caddie, said the entire week was full of positives for the rookie. "It’s been lots of fun. Nothing but fun. He’s a great kid and he will do nothing but get better," said Christy, a 20-year pro caddying veteran. "It’s a great start. His putter was good and his ball-striking was quite good. It all worked." Allred drew attention from spectators who had never heard of him with his long drives. He averaged 283.4 yards for the tournament, including a crushing 347-yard drive off the 14th tee on Saturday. He is currently ranked 11th on the Tour in driving distance. If the former Pepperdine star has a weakness, it’s consistency; he carded 19 birdies in the 72 holes, but also failed to make par or better 14 times, including a double bogey. Christy said steadier play will come, and Allred proved his toughness last month by surviving the rigors of qualifying school and earning his Tour card. "He’s already passed the test. He has the right idea out here. This is the fun part," Christy said. The smile will likely remain plastered on Allred’s face as he heads to Torrey Pines in San Diego for this week’s Buick Invitational. "The last couple months have been great for me. By God’s grace in my life I’ve matured a lot, and I just enjoy myself a lot, and I think that’s helped my game," he said. "Oh man, it’s a dream come true. I’m so fortunate to be able to do what I love." His wife and parents were with him in Hawaii. Allred thanked them, as well as his fans in Oregon, California and Arizona (he lives in Scottsdale) for their support. "Just a big hello to everyone back home. They all cheer me on so much and I appreciate them all," he said. If his drives remain monstrous, his short game steadies and his smile keeps gleaming, that fan base is sure to grow. 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 Paris Hilton Online Poker Auto Insurance Mesothelioma Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Mortgage Calculator Free Home-Loan Referrals Payday Loans Advertisement s