Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Barrage of birdies halts Messer's sparkling play

By DAVE THEALL, Times correspondent
Published August 11, 2007

After playing 27 holes in the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship on Tuesday and another 27 in a sudden-death match-play win on Wednesday, Andrea Messer should have been tired going to the first tee of her opening match Thursday.

The Largo High senior said it wasn't fatigue that did her in; it was a slew of birdies by her opponent, Tiffany Joh of San Diego. She plays for UCLA and was last year's U.S. Amateur Public Links champion.

"Fatigue may have played into it," Messer said, "I started off (Thursday's) match bad then when I got on a roll when she started dropping birdies.

"Overall, I'm happy with my experience but I could have gone further. There are a lot of good players in this tournament and I feel I played better than many. There's always the next two years."

Joh won 6 and 5 to advance to the round of 16 in Carmel, Ind., at Crooked Stick Golf Club, which played to 6,497-yards in oppressive heat.

On Tuesday, Messer went an extra nine holes in her duel with Lauren Hunt from Little River. S.C. On the par-5 ninth, Messer reached the green in three then two-putted for the win due to Hunt's bogey.

Messer advanced to the top 64 (from a field of 156), posting rounds of 76-73 for a 5-over 149.

The U.S. Golf Association issued a special news release regarding Messer's choice not to have a caddie. She carried her clubs for 27 holes both Tuesday and Wednesday, saying: "I play better when I don't have a caddie; it gets me off my game."

Practice partner Evan Jensen of Belleair also advanced to match play in the Women's Am, shooting 73-77-150.

In her opening match, Jensen fell to 12-year-old Alexis Thompson of Coral Springs 3 and 2. Jensen moves on to next weekend's Ryan Wells Memorial Classic at Innisbrook.

TRAVEL PLANS: Messer will visit the University of Texas later this month. She has taken recruiting trips to Wake Forest, Tennessee and the University of Virginia.

PRO WOMEN: Jenny Gleason is on a roll. The Clearwater High graduate (and UNC-Greensboro) finished third in last weekend's Futures Tour event in Concord, N.H., with scores of 69-71-74 for 2-under 214.

Her winnings elevated her to 20th on the season's money list with $16,000. The player in fifth has $35,000.

A top-five finish for the year will give the aspiring exempt LPGA member priority status for 2008. Based on her finish at last year's LPGA Q-school tournament, Gleason has conditional status on the primary tour.

This weekend Gleason is playing in the Futures Tour's Betsy Pusker Classic in Morgantown, W.Va., aiming for another top-three finish.

"I still have four (Futures Tour) events to play this year and I'm confident I can close the gap to get into the top five," Gleason said. "I'll start right here where I've finished in the top 10 before. And if things don't work out I'll return to the (LPGA) Q-school where I've been successful. I just need a higher finish for priority exemption for the 2008 tour."

PRO MEN: Greg Kraft led a group of three Pinellas pros to success at last weekend's Reno-Tahoe Open on the PGA Tour. He finished in the money at 25th (tie), shooting 69-69-72-75 for 3-under 285. He was followed by John Huston (287) and Bob Heintz (291).

None are playing in this weekend's PGA Championship, but three other locally-connected pros are: Tampa native Woody Austin, Chamberlain High grad Ryuji Imada and former New Year's Invitational (St. Petersburg CC) winner Brandt Snedeker.

WEST COAST WOMEN: Tampa's Pat Rogers won Monday's match on her home course with 5-over 77. She is the league's 2007 champion.

Lake Jovita's Brenda Bartley (81) finished second. The leading net scorers were Judy Tickles (71) and Judy Schmidt (73).

In Flight B, Margaret Leigh of Countryside tied Maria Hyden of Tampa Palms with 89. Mary Stiegler (90) of Belleair finished third.

Anna Hayes (92) of St. Petersburg Country Club tied for second in Flight C, and Linda Lidster of Dunedin tied for second in D with 100.

CGA: Odessa's Jeff Neugebauer and Dick Clemens teamed up for a better-ball score of 6-under 66 at Crescent Oaks for the win on Monday. Clemens shot 68 on his own ball. Seniors Larry Vander Bie (Brooksville) and Mike Sanderson improved on that score, winning their division with 63. Sanderson, the league's senior champion, crafted 65 on his own ball.

There was a three-way tie at 62 for low net among Bob Hathaway with Larry Deavers, Richard Bullock with Bill Sanders, and John Munk with Kurt Demarr.

Tournament director Ray Goodman crafted the shot of the day on the 511-yard second hole. He hit his 4-iron 208-yard second shot to the back edge of the green and putted from 25 feet into the 4.25-inch opening on the green.

Asked how he did it, Goodman said: "I happened to get lucky."

LARGO COURSE: The winning team at last week's scramble posted 16-under 46. The members were Bill Miller, St. Petersburg; Mario Columbi, Seminole; George Brennon, Clearwater; and Bill O'Hair, Hudson. Twelve teams competed in the open match.

- Columbi tuned up for the scramble on Aug. 4 when he aced the 130-yard No. 2 hole with a 9 iron. Scott Laking of Largo also had an ace that day when his sand wedge tee shot on No. 5 dropped. Steve Graul of Seminole scored the third ace of the day at the municipal course on the 100-yard 12th.

JUNIOR BOYS: Ryan Hicks of Countryside won seven consecutive North Suncoast Junior tournaments this spring and summer in the 8-9 age division, including the recent two-day Tournament of Champions. His low stroke average was even par as he won each tournament by four to six strokes.

[Last modified August 10, 2007, 21:11:30]