LAS VEGAS – University of Oregon junior Cathryn Bristow and freshman Kendra Little capped a record-breaking day for the women’s golf team in final round action Wednesday in the UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in nearby Boulder City, Nev.
Bristow shot her third consecutive under-par round Wednesday to win the event by two strokes, and Little broke the school single round record with her five-under 67.
As a team, the Ducks ended with a three-round school best (292-291-286-869) and climbed two positions to finish in a third-place tie with No. 48 Texas Tech (292-286-291-869), while Washington State and tied for the team win (285-289-285-859) with No. 35 BYU (293-284-282-859).
Oregon scored its fifth individual victory the past three years courtesy of the Huapai, New Zealand native Bristow who shot a two-under 70 Wednesday to win the overall tourney title (69-69-70-208) by two strokes.
“I knew that as long as I put myself in the right position off the tee I’d give myself great opportunities,” Bristow said. “The course had wide fairways, so I was aggressive to give myself the best birdie putt chance. With my wedge game 100 yards in, I was hitting it fairly close to the pins consistently, so that allowed me to relax even if I did make a bogey. I was hitting the ball well on the greens, too, and reading the putts well.”
Bristow’s final day scorecard featured birdies on five holes, the seventh, 10th, 11th, 16th and 17th holes, bogeys on the third, 12th and 13th holes and par scores on the other 10 holes.
“After the two bogeys (early on the back nine), I was pretty annoyed with myself,” Bristow said, “and tried to refocus and stick to one shot at a time. That next hole I was able to keep it on the fairway and get par so that helped settle me down.”
Bristow began the day tied for the lead on the par 72, 6,202-yard course with Idaho’s Kelly Nakashima who shot a 76 Wednesday and finished in a tie for eighth place. Texas Tech’s Ulrika van Niekerk carded a 69 Wednesday to climb a position into second place (69-69-70). BYU’s Jade Bollinger (71-71-70-212) and Washington’s Christina Yoon (73-72-68-212) tied for third place.
“I knew the other girls around me were playing pretty well, but in reality I wasn’t worried about anyone else,” Bristow said. “I stayed focused on what I was trying to do. I was nervous to start with today, so I did my best to stay relaxed when I was out there and focus on staying on the fairway and the things that I’ve been working on in practice.”
Bristow celebrated her third career victory after she won twice by one stroke in 2005-06 - her collegiate debut, the fall OSU Invitational (70-74-73-217), and the spring regular season-ending Illinois Invitational (74-72-146).
Other Ducks to score wins the past two seasons include sophomore Felicia Eastick who opened the 2007-08 season with a win in the Giustina Memorial in Corvallis (74-69-74-217), and former teammate Kim McCready won the Baja Classic in Baja, Calif., to open the spring slate in 2007 (70-75-145).
Bristow’s three scores this tournament gives her six rounds of par or better among her 21 rounds this season. The pair of 69 scores tied her season best from the fall’s Stanford Intercollegiate, although that previous score was on the par 71 Stanford Golf Course. She also shot a pair of 1-under 71’s in the Heather Fall Memorial in Denver last fall.
Also making history, Duck freshman Kendra Little carded a school record 5-under 67 final round to jump into a tie for fifth place overall (72-74-67-213). Little’s score Thursday – the best of the tourney – bettered the previous Duck record of 4-under shot by Kim McCready in 2006 (67, -4), Paula Patterson in 1997 (68, -4) and Jerilyn White in 2001 (68, -4).
“Initially, I had no idea it was a record when Kate (Hildahl) told me,” Little said. “When we found out that we had a team school record, too, it was nice to be able to enjoy the moment together.”
Little staked her second top-five collegiate finish with her fourth-place Edean Ihlanfelt Invitational effort in Seattle last fall, and three more top-15 placings and another top-25 effort in her seven collegiate tournaments. Among her 21 collegiate rounds, the Eugene, Ore., native and Sheldon High School product has shot six rounds of 72 or better - a 67 (-5), two 69’s (-3, -2), a 71 (-1) and two 72’s (par).
“It was a lot of fun today, although the last two or three holes it was a little stressful,” Little said. “No matter how well you’re playing you can never relax for one second because you have to concentrate and keep your head steady. I got off to a poor start yesterday, so I wanted to set a good tone early today. On holes 9-12 I didn’t hit any of the greens, but was able to save par when bogeys were looming so that also gave me confidence. During the tourney, our team talked about how score-able the back nine. It was reassuring after I survived the previous rough stretches, so I knew I could still put up a good number. I’m glad to finish strong.”
On Wednesday, sophomore Kate Hildahl added UO’s third round of par or better on the day and improved to 42nd overall (78-74-72-224), nine places better than her overall ranking after the second round. Sophomore Felicia Eastick and Erica Omlid added final round scores of 77 Wednesday and finished in ties for 46th (75-74-77-226) and 56th places (76-75-77-228).
Thanks to its previous team season-low rounds of 291 and 292 on Tuesday and Monday, UO enjoyed a three-round tally of 869 that improved upon the previous school record of 885 that it shot once during the 1996-97 and 1999-2000 seasons. Oregon’s Wednesday round of 286 ( -2) also appears to be its best ever based on the records available.
“It was an incredible day. It was so fun to see them make so many birdies and play really solid,” Oregon head coach Shannon Rouillard said. “We really focused on getting relaxed before each round and staying that way. We tried to have the players go out with no expectations, and they took the day as it came. We weren’t trying to win the tourney or shoot ourselves in the foot the first day. We tried to let each day be itself, and take it one day at a time. This is a huge confidence booster going into our home event.”
Hole-by-hole results from each round are available at the www.GolfStat.com website, and more information on the event is located at UNLV’s www.UNLVrebels.com athletic department website.
Looking ahead, the Ducks look forward to the home tourney in 1 1/2 weeks, the Duck Invitational at Eugene Country Club, Monday-Tuesday, March 24-25
“I can’t remember if we’ve had a player shoot three rounds in the same tourney under par – so that says a lot about Cathryn’s performance,” Rouillard said. “Kendra also showed great maturity and attacked the course with confidence and skill. Felicia had two rounds of 75 or better and was knocking on the door. Erica (Omlid) is continuing to improve her game, and this was her first tourney with three rounds in the 70s so that’s a turning point for her, and she continues to get more competitive. She’s doing a great job and working hard and seeing those improvements as a results. Kate (Hildahl) has really taken a turn for the positive mentally. She’s learned that she can play a great round of golf and still score well even if she’s not hitting it perfect. “
FINAL ROUND RESULTS
UNLV Spring Rebel Invitational
Boulder Creek Golf Club - Boulder City, Nev.
Par 72, 6,202 yards
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Team Standings – 1t, Washington State, 285-289-285-859. 1t, BYU, 293-284-282-859. 3t, Oregon, 292-291-286-869. 3t, Texas Tech, 292-286-291-869. 5, San Francisco, 291-290-289-870. 6, UNLV, 284-302-287-873. 7, UC Davis, 296-294-285-875. 8, Campbell, 297-293-293-883. 9, Idaho, 297-293-297-887. 10, Washington, 293-297-298-888. 11, Indiana, 295-299-295-889. 12, Fresno State, 301-293-296-890. 13t, Colorado State, 304-29-4303-901. 13t, Sacramento State, 299-300-302-901. 15, New Mexico State, 305-302-306-913. 16, Kansas State, 311-301-302-914. 17, Eastern Washington, 322-315-288-925. 18, Long Beach State, 321-309-312-942.
Individual Standings – 1, Cathryn Bristow, Oregon, 69-69-70-208. 2, Ulrika van Niekerk, Texas Tech, 70-71-69-210. 3t, Jade Bollinger, BYU, 71-71-70-212. 3t, Christina Yoon, Washington, 73-72-67-212. 5t, Kendra Little, Oregon, 72-74-67-213. 5t, Therese Koelbaek, UNLV, 71-71-71-213. 5t, Christina Stockton, San Francisco, 69-72-72-213. 8t, Kelly Nakashima, Idaho, 68-70-76-214. 8t, Jee Park, UC Davis, 71-71-72-214. 8t, Jessica Potter, San Francisco, 73-70-71-214. 8t, Chelsea Stelzmiller, UC Davis, 76-69-69-214. 8t, Daphne Vines, BYU, 72-71-71-214.
Oregon Individual Results – 1, Cathryn Bristow, Oregon, 69-69-70-208. 5t, Kendra Little, Oregon, 72-74-67-213. 42, Kate Hildahl, 78-74-72-224. 46t, Felicia Eastick, 75-74-77-226. 56t, Erica Omlid, 76-75-77-228.
ADDITIONAL PLAYER / COACH COMMENTS
Cathryn Bristow
“I knew the other girls around me were playing pretty well, but in reality I wasn’t worried about anyone else. I just stay focused on what I was trying to do. I was nervous to start with today, so I did my best to stay really relaxed when I was out there and focus on staying on the fairway and the things I’ve been working on in practice.”
“After the two bogeys, I was pretty annoyed with myself, and tried to refocus and stick to one shot at a time. That next hole I was able to keep it on the fairway and get par so that helped settle me down.”
“It was nice to be following Kendra all day and see her put up great scores – that gave me confidence that I could do the same.“
“I knew that as long as I put myself in the right position off the tee I’d give myself great opportunities. The course had wide fairways, so I was aggressive so I could give myself the best birdie putt chance. In my wedge game from 100 yards in, I was hitting it fairly close to the pins consistently so that allowed me to relax even if I did make a bogey. I was hitting the ball well on the greens, too, and reading the putts well.”
“We had great weather every day, around 75 degrees with just a little wind at most.”
Kendra Little
“It was a lot of fun today, although the last two or three holes it was a little stressful. No matter how well you’re playing you can never relax for one second because you have to concentrate and keep your head steady. Initially, I had no idea my score was a record when Kate (Hildahl) told me. When we found out that we had a team school record, too, it was nice to be able to enjoy the moment together. We’ll take what we can get, and it’s something we can build on.”
“I knew Cathryn was playing well during the round, and knew she would do well based on how she plays. It’s comforting to have someone behind you with that kind of experience and ability and that gives you more confidence in your game.”
“I got off to a poor start yesterday, so I wanted to set a good tone early today. After I made a birdie on the second hole, that was good. Then on holes 9-12 I didn’t hit any of the greens, but was able to save par when bogeys were looming so that also gave me confidence. During the tourney, our team talked about how score-able the back nine was. It was reassuring after I survived the previous rough stretches, I knew I still could put up a good number. I’m glad to finish strong.”
“After yesterday’s round I finally felt that I knew the course pretty well. The first round there were a couple holes I wasn’t sure about. Overall, I drove the ball particularly well this week. I knew that on this course it was key is to position yourself well off the tee. It was nice to get the rolls on the desert type course, something you might not get in Eugene this time of year.”
“Playing in the desert, it’s different coming out here, adjusting from the 55 and rainy weather to the dry, clear 75 and 80 temperatures. It can be a little shock if you let it. In the past, I’ve usually played well in hot weather so I was looking forward to it. It’s important to be able to adjust from cold to warm climates since we’ll probably face that again later in the spring.”
“I’ve been trying to work on my short game over the winter. I’m making the strides I need to and that comes from practice. One thing that held me back last year was my short game, and that helps keep your scoring consistent.”
Shannon Rouillard
“I can’t remember if we’ve had a player shoot three rounds in the same tourney under par – so that says a lot about Cathryn’s performance. Kendra also showed great maturity and attacked the course with confidence and skill.”
“Felicia had two rounds of 75 or better and was knocking on the door. Erica (Omlid) is continuing to improve her game, and this was her first tourney with three rounds in the 70s so that’s a turning point for her, and she continues to get more competitive. She’s doing a great job and working hard and seeing those improvements as a results. Kate (Hildahl) has really taken a turn for the positive mentally – she’s really matured. She’s learned that can play a great round of golf and still score well even if she’s not hitting it perfect. “
“For our team it was an incredible day. It was so fun to see them make so many birdies and play really solid. This is a huge confidence booster going into our home event. The practice round was the windiest day, but it was calm the last three days. We knew the golf course could be very score-able, so it doesn’t surprise me with all the under-par rounds. All the par 5 holes were reachable in two for Cathryn and Kendra, and Kendra may have even birdied all the par 5s one day. They had several opportunities for eagles during the tourney.“
“We really focused on getting relaxed before each round and staying that way. We tried to have the players go out with no expectations, and they took the day as it came. We weren’t trying to win the tourney or shoot ourselves in the foot the first day. We tried to let each day be itself, and take it one day at a time.”
“It was a pretty typical desert course, slightly hilly but not bad. The ball was rolling well. It was warm, and the course was quite firm - some of them even had problems getting their tee in on the third tee. The fairways and tee boxes were green, but everything else was brown. Not many trees, and there were some waste areas which you can hit out of – could be sand or rocks leading into the natural terrain – and we played those pretty well. There was a little bit of water and normal bunkers.”
Friday, March 14, 2008
Monday, March 3, 2008
2008 Senior Open Can Boast Of Volunteers From All 50 States
Far Hills, N.J. - Ron Diltz and Mike Kelly first became acquainted when their sons began playing high school football in Anchorage, Alaska. They quickly discovered a mutual love for outdoor activities – hunting, fishing and even golf – and their friendship soon extended beyond Friday night games.
Even after Kelly moved back to his native
This summer, the get-together will take place a little closer to Kelly’s backyard in
“I sucked him in,” said Kelly. “I only live a couple of miles from [The Broadmoor], so it seemed like the right thing to do.”
Diltz will be one of many individuals making a long trek to Colorado Springs this July to be part of the 3,000-plus volunteer force for the Senior Open (July 31-Aug. 3). In fact, this year’s championship will have volunteers from all 50 states. It’s the first time that a volunteer from every state has participated in the same championship.
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| The USGA would have a difficult time conducting championships without volunteers' participation. (John Mummert/USGA) |
The participation from near and far even had the management company that handles the U.S. Senior Open for the USGA pleasantly surprised.
“It’s very unusual [to have all 50 states represented],” said Jeff Yeager, the volunteer manager for Bruno Event Team. “I would say 40 to 45 states [is normal], but to get over the 45 mark, it’s something of a unique status.”
Part of the lure is this year’s site. The Broadmoor is a world-class resort located in an area where there are plenty of alternative activities when people are not on-site working. Yeager said The Broadmoor, which attracts guests from throughout the world, also solicited volunteers through various means of communication.
“We had started a waiting list of about 100 volunteers, but after looking at a few numbers, we have almost added all 100 of those [people] from our waiting list,” said Yeager. “So it’s been really terrific.”
Some people love being a part of the championship so much that they keep coming back.
“We’ve made the Senior Open part of our summer vacations so we can get out and see new parts of the country,” said Cato, who is retired. “This will be our first visit to
In 2005, the two served on the transportation committee. Last year, they were walking scorers. Cato went with Jim Thorpe and R.W. Eaks in the final round. In ’05, Cato said he drove Gil Morgan, Fuzzy Zoeller and Thorpe. He also got to meet Tom Watson. This year, they will be on-course marshals, just like in 2006 at Prairie Dunes in
“Especially in transportation, you get to meet a lot of [contestants] because you are right there with them,” said Cato. “When you are working out on the course, you see them but you don’t necessarily get to talk with them.
“But we’ve enjoyed it and it’s been a good experience. We haven’t decided if we are going to do it next year [at Crooked Stick] or not. We’ll probably make that decision after this year’s tournament.”
Of course, having the championship in a smaller market like
The retired Kelly moved back to
“You can get lost in places like
Just seeing a major golf event in person is a big opportunity for Diltz.
Diltz admitted that his outdoor activities of choice are hunting and fishing. But he does enjoy an occasional round of golf, including an indoor version played on a simulator.
“I’m just a weekend hacker,” said Diltz, a sales manager for an office supply company in
Pronghorn Recognized As One Of America's Top Communities
Pronghorn, the premier private golf community in the Pacific Northwest, is proud to announce that Travel & Leisure Golf has named Pronghorn in the magazine’s "
Fairways & Greens and Golf Digest have recognized Pronghorn as their top pick for private golf courses in the U.S and among the top five for "
Pronghorn is ranked No. 8 in Travel & Leisure Golf’s "Top 100 Golf Communities" which represents the best golf communities in the country based on amenities, real estate offering, and challenge and playability of each course.
Also, Pronghorn’s Tom Fazio course recently ranked No.4 in Golf Digest’s "
In addition to Pronghorn’s top-ranked Fazio course, their Jack Nicklaus course has past been ranked in Golf Digest as the No.2 pick in 2004 for best new private course in
OSU wins golf tournament
Under cloudy and windy conditions, the
Both teams were competing with their junior varsity squads.
Despite the windy weather conditions combined with added distance off of the tees and difficult pin locations, the Beavers finished 10-strokes better than the competition with a 297.
“The conditions were very tough today, probably added five or six shots from yesterday. Anything around par today was a great score,” OSU coach Brian Watts said. “Our guys battled and fought hard and came away with a win, I’m proud of those guys and it was a lot of fun to watch them compete this week.”
Alex Williams, playing as an individual, took home the first-place prize, finishing 1-over par with a 143.
“Alex is very patient out on the golf course and usually plays within himself. I don’t think he ever got himself into too much trouble today and played very solid golf,”
Jeremiah Oliver and Tyler Simpson finished in a tie for second place with matching scores of 144. Oliver posted a 73 and Simpson a 75 on the second day.
Clayton Moe finished the tournament tied for 8th after being 8-over for the day. He shot a 2-under 69 in the first round. Freshman Brandon Taylor finished in 12th place, shooting a 6-over 77.
The Beavers will compete Monday at the USC Collegiate Invitational.
Team scores: 1. OSU 282-297-579 (+11); 2.
Hole-in-one
Dan Van Dusen of
Golf Galaxy Golf Tour Tees Off in April
Portland, OR – The Portland chapter of the Golf Galaxy Golf Tour, a "Real Tour for the Average Golfer", will be in full swing Saturday, April 19 with the first of its 2008 tournaments.
Portland is one of more than 50 cities offering events sponsored by Golf Galaxy, Callaway Golf, Golf Magazine, PGA Tour Partners, Shaftix, Green Buddy, Zero Friction Tees and Player's Pass. The tour is designed to give average golfers the opportunity to experience the fun, friendly competition of tournament golf at a variety of great local courses.
Portland Tour Director Eric Jason is excited about the growth of the tour. "This is the first golf tour that caters to the average golfer who scores in the 90's, 80's or 70's. There are no mandatory membership fees or dues, events are flighted so every team has a chance to win every time they tee it up, tournaments are played on weekends, and it's very affordable. On top of that, you can win great prizes." Jason said.
All tournaments are two-person team format events played on Saturdays and are open to men, women, and juniors who normally score 95 or less for 18 holes. Players receive merchandise payouts (in the form of Golf Galaxy Gift Cards) to maintain amateur status. The tour offers more than $1,000 in prizes (with full field) per event and a point system that crowns a "Player of the Year". Although there are no mandatory membership fees or dues, players may upgrade to "VIP" status and receive discounts on tournament entry fees, Golf Galaxy Golf Tour logo'd merchandise, great products from Callaway Golf and other valuable golf offerings. Players and sponsors may learn about tour schedules and locations, VIP Memberships, national and local sponsorship opportunities and other tour related information by visiting www.PortlandGolfTour.com.
The Portland Tour tees off on Saturday, April 19 at Chehalem Glenn GC in
Sat. April 19 at Chehalem Glenn GC in
11:00 AM - 12:21 PM tee times.
$82 entry fee ($72 for VIPs) including riding cart.
2 Person Best Ball Format.
Sat. May 10 at Camas Meadows GC in Camas, WA.
11:00 AM - 12:21 PM tee times.
$91 entry fee ($81 for VIPs) including riding cart.
2 Person Best Ball Format.
Sat. June 28 at Club Green Meadows in
11:00 AM - 12:21 PM tee times.
$87 entry fee ($77 for VIPs) including riding cart.
2 Person Best Ball Format.
Sat. July 26 at Tri-Mountain GC in
12:00 AM - 1:21 PM tee times.
$83 entry fee ($73 for VIPs) including riding cart.
2 Person Best Ball Format.
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Eric Jason
971.570.4515
Email: info@PortlandGolfTour.com
Website: www.PortlandGolfTour.com
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