Linville runs away with
Open title
First-time champ sets tourney record
Dave Linville eyes his tee shot on the 11th hole Saturday at Cherokee
Hills Golf Course during the final round of the Logan County Open.
Linville won with a tournament-record total of 210. (Examiner photo
by Matt Hammond) |
By Matt Hammond
Examiner Sports Editor
7/25/05
Dave Linville was not going to let the lead slip from
his grasp this time.
Linville, a 1981 Bellefontaine High School graduate,
led the 2003 Bellefontaine Examiner Logan County Open by one shot with
five holes remaining.
But Linville bogeyed each additional hole and finished
fourth.
"The guys I work with at Honda gave me a lot of grief
the last couple of years," said Linville.
This year, Linville took the lead from the start of
the tournament and never let up.
He followed up rounds of 71 and 69 at Tree Links and
Liberty Hills with a 70 on Saturday in the final round at Cherokee Hills
Golf Course to seal his title in a tournament-record total of 210.
Linville's four-under par 210 eclipsed the previous-best
of 214 by Ben Schwaderer in 2001.
"There are a lot of great past champions on that (championship)
trophy," said Linville. "To be on that trophy is an accomplishment."
Linville, who led by five strokes coming into the final
round, received only a mild threat Saturday.
After firing a 32 on the front nine to extend his lead
to six shots over Shawn Bechtel, Linville ran into some trouble on the
back nine.
Linville bogeyed the 10th hole and after a par on 11,
he double bogeyed the 12th.
Meanwhile, Bechtel parred the first three holes on the
back nine to climb within three strokes. But that was as close as Bechtel
could get.
Linville played the last six holes in one-under par
to stretch his lead back to five strokes.
"Dave played solid all day," said Bechtel, who finished
second with 215. "I would have had to shoot a course record just to tie
him. He always made the putt when he needed to and that's what it takes."
Linville used a superior short game Saturday to wrap
up his championship.
The story of his round was told on the opening hole.
After his drive went behind some trees to the right
of the first fairway, Linville lofted his second shot over the trees to
within eight feet of the cup. He then knocked in his putt for a birdie.
"That was huge," said Linville. "To be able to finish
that hole with a birdie was a big help.
"My driver wasn't really working today, but my short
game was pretty good and I had some putts fall."
In addition to his tournament record score, Linville
also became the first golfer in the event's 12-year history to play each
of the three rounds under par.
"My goal before the tournament was to try and shoot
under par every round," said Linville. "For me, that's a big accomplishment.
This is a great tournament and it's a joy to be able to win."
In retrospect, Linville all but won the tournament with
his opening round of 71 at Tree Links. While many of the other top golfers
in the field were struggling with the difficult conditions, Linville was
four strokes better than anyone else after that opening round.
"He played well all three rounds," said Bechtel. "My
hat is off to him."
Matthew Strayer, a Riverside High School graduate and
a sophomore on the Malone College golf team, finished with a 218 to take
third. Ken Day and Mike Louden both shot 220s, with Day getting the edge
for fourth on a scorecard playoff.
The remaining flight winners were Troy Wilson in A Flight
(222), Jay Knight in B Flight (230), Jim Vermillion in C Flight (239),
Keith Jackson in D Flight (243), Kevin Armstrong in E Flight (245), Lance
Wilson in F Flight (259), Scott Sebring in G Flight (263), Eric Richardson
in H Flight (272), Ryan Nolan in I Flight (272), Keith Chamberlin in J
Flight (274), Gary Thomas in K Flight (278) and Robby Manley in L Flight
(289).
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