www.globalgolfpost.com
JULY 16, 2012
B at Wine Valley GC in Walla Walla, Wash. Ban, a
sophomore at the University of California-Berke-ley, bolted out of the gate after a 70-minute rain
delay, winning six of the first eight holes of the
scheduled 36-hole match. Despite being out-driv-en by the 19-year-old sophomore from Nevada-Las Vegas, Ban built an 8-up lead after 13 holes.
But Johnson birdied four of the next seven holes
to cut the margin to 2 down after 21 holes. Ban,
who missed the first five months of the year with
a wrist injury, methodically rebuilt his lead and
closed it out with a two-putt par on the 32nd hole.
Johnson was the medalist and No. 1 seed in the
tournament after the 36-hole stroke play qualifying. He shot a course-record, 9-under-par 63 in
the second round of qualifying. Johnson has a
history with this event; his father, Ed, won in 1974,
and his great uncle Carl, for whom he is named,
and his grandfather, Ernie, are members of the
PNGA Hall of Fame.
RESULTS
RABER VICTORIOUS IN TRANS-MISS
Knapp also qualified for last week’s U.S. Publinx
Championship in Utah, but chose the Senior Open
instead. He finished at 12-over-par 292. Also playing on the weekend was Doug Hanzel, 55, of
Savannah, Ga., who would take low amateur
honors after finishing at 9-over-par 289.
“It’s huge. My goal coming in here was just to
make the cut,” said Knapp, who made it to the finals of Q-School on the Champions Tour last year.
“I’ve played in 33 USGA events. It’s not much out in
this environment, but I do have some experience,
and I have played some good players over the
years. And at the end of the day, I was fairly certain
that I could play well.”
Reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Randy
Lewis, playing on a special exemption, rebounded
from an opening 80 with a respectable 73, but
came up short at 153. Former Mid-Am champ
Tim Jackson, who had finished as low amateur
in the championship two of the past three years,
missed at 74–147.
READ ABOUT KNAPP’S ROUND WITH TOM WATSON
READ ABOUT SNOAP’S TIME WITH COUPLES AND WATSON
KERNS PREVAILS IN OHIO AMATEUR
