Two-year wait well worth it
Bechtel finally grabs title in 1998
After coming close in past tournaments, Shawn Bechtel carded a 226
and bested runner-up Mike McGarry's 229 to win the 1998 Logan County
Open championship. (Examiner photo by Jim Mason) |
By Don Hensley
Examiner Sports Editor
For Shawn Bechtel, the two year wait was well worth
it.
After losing the Bellefontaine Examiner/Logan County
Open to Mike McGarry in 1996 in a sudden death playoff, Bechtel realized
he was good enough to one day be the champion.
And that realization came true on Sunday when he outlasted
the largest field in the tournament's history en route to grabbing the
title with a three-shot victory over McGarry.
"It's about time," the 28-year-old Bechtel
said. "This means a lot to me. All of the pressure of not having
won it is off now."
Bechtel became the fourth different player to win the
tournament in the last four years.
And his strategy was simple.
Taking a two-shot lead into
Sunday's round at Tree Links, Bechtel knew he wanted
to play it safe and not take a whole lot of chances.
"I was actually playing for bogey on a lot of holes,
especially on the back," he said. "I hit some irons off tees
that I wouldn't have before."
Playing in the final group with Ken Day lurking two
shots behind and Rob May and Al Southard within striking distance, Bechtel
slowly began distancing himself from the players in his group when he
fired a 38 on the front nine.
From there his attention turned to the group in front
of him and it didn't take long for the leader to find out that Chris Conley
was on fire.
Starting 11 shots back of Bechtel proved to be too much
for Conley to make up even though he was the only player to break 80 (77)
on the tough Tree Links track.
The other pursuer was McGarry, who had Bechtel in his
sights until a triple bogey on No. 10 proved to be his downfall as he
finished three shots off the pace.
"I came in five strokes down and I knew I had to
break 80 to have a chance," he said. "I triple bogeyed 10 and
ended up three shots out. But a triple bogey can sneak up on you here.
This is a very demanding course, but Shawn played great. He came in with
the lead and played the way he needed to.
"I knew he was determined to win one of these days."
With the course playing tough and the rounds reaching
six hours, the play was tough for a lot of the top players in the area.
But Bechtel battled through it.
"I didn't play well ... I struggled," he said.
"My short game really saved me. Everyone else let me off the hook.
If someone would have come and gotten me, I'd have been in trouble."
But once he hit the tee on No. 16, he knew he was in
control of his own destiny.
"I am really relieved. After coming in second and
losing a playoff on my home course two years ago, this is really a relief,"
Bechtel said.
In the A flight, Rob Robson won the title, while Doug
Weber claimed the B flight and Mike Moore grabbed the C title.
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