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Past
Champion Richardson Advances
To
Quarterfinals
Bristol,
Va. –
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| Quick-starting
Edward Craig defeated 1999 champion Bill Ploeger in the third round,
1 up. (Sam Greenwood/USGA) |
Kemp
Richardson, 57, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., the 2001 champion, won two matches
to advance to the quarterfinals of the 2003 USGA Senior Amateur Championship
at The Virginian Golf Club.
Richardson,
57, of Laguna Niguel, Calif., knocked off Jim Lipe, of Shreveport, La.,
4 and 3 in the second round and, then beat Beecher Metzger, of Venice,
Fla., 3 and 2 in the third round.
“I’m
pooped,” said Richardson, who is the only remaining contestant not using
a cart. “It’s a long day, especially when you are walking the place. It’s
a long walk. But, I played well. I’m driving it well.”
The
long-hitting Richardson, one of eight third-round winners, is the only
remaining past champion. Edward Craig, 60, of Orlando, Fla., defeated
Bill Ploeger, 63, of Columbus, Ga., the 1999 champion and 2001 runner-up,
in a close match, 1 up.
Richardson,
a stockbroker, maintains a focused game-plan, not looking any farther
than his next opponent.
“I
just hit it and chase it and hope to do all right,” said Richardson, who
won the British Senior Amateur in 2001. “You go on what you’ve done in
the past and keep plugging along.”
Craig,
a small jet pilot, was well aware of the obstacle he faced in his match
against Ploeger.
“I
knew I had to start out quickly because his reputation precedes him,”
said Craig, of winning three of the first four holes in a match in which
he never trailed.
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| Bob
Hullender, the 1994 runner-up, outlasted Mark Bemowski, and advanced
to the quarterfinals for the third time. (Sam Greenwood/USGA) |
Bob
Hullender, 66, the 1994 runner-up from San Antonio, Texas, defeated 2002
runner-up Mark Bemowski, 57, of Mukwonago, Wis. in a roller coaster match.
“I
was 66 when I teed off and I’m 80-something right now,” said Hullender,
who is playing in his ninth Senior Amateur.
The
retired Air Force general, who won medalist honors in the Senior Amateur
twice, was 4-up through seven holes and then lost five of the next seven
holes to birdies by Bemowski. Hullender birdied the 16th and 17th holes
to re-take the lead.
On
the 18th, Hullender drained a long birdie putt and Bemowski missed a 4-footer
for eagle to close the match.
“You
may appreciate it more as you get older,” said Hullender, who has two
artificial hips and has advanced to the quartefinals three times.
“I’m on the back nine of life here. There’s not too many more of these
left for me. I probably enjoy each one of them a little more now.”
The
other quarterfinalists are: Frank Abbott, 60, of Napa, Calif., David Boesel,
55, of Winter Park, Fla., Sam Farlow, 56, of Birmingham, Ala., Bruce Richards,
60, of Bellevue, Wash., a member of the USGA Executive Committee and the
third seed, and 2003 British Senior Amateur champion Roy Smethurst, 61,
of England,
All
quarterfinal match winners are exempt from qualifying for the 2004 Championship
at Bel-Air Country Club in Los Angeles, Calif, from October 9-14.
The
quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of match play Wednesday and Thursday’s
final round will be televised on ESPN from 2-4 p.m. Eastern.
The
USGA Senior Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually
by the Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.
Results
Bristol,
Va. – Results from Tuesday’s second and third rounds of match play at
the 2003 USGA Senior Amateur played at The Virginian Golf Club (6,914-yards,
par 71):
Second
Round
Preston
Davis, San Juan Capistrano, Calif. (151) def. Randy Reifers, Columbus,
Ohio (148), 4 and 3
Frank
Abbott, Napa, Calif. (146) def. Gaylord Davis, Portland, Ore. (145), 2
and 1
Bill
Ploeger, Columbus, Ga. (143) def. Gary Koprivica, Missoula, Mont. (149),
6 and 5
Edward
Craig, Orlando, Fla. (143) def. Pete Parker, Winston-Salem, N.C. (149),
1 up
David
Boesel, Winter Park, Fla. (141) def. John Bracken III, West Hartford,
Conn. (148), 2 and 1
Alex
Tarumianz, Lookout Mountain, Tenn. (144) def. Robert Morris, Great Falls,
Va. (146), 2 and 1
Gayle
Sanchez, Baton Rouge, La. (151) def. H Andy Wall, Tyler, Texas (148),
1 up
Sam
Farlow, Birmingham, Ala. (149) def. Stephen Isaacs, Richmond, Va. (150),
1 up
Mark
Bemowski, Mukwonago, Wis. (138) def. John Peters, Muscatine, Iowa (148),
4 and 2
Bob
Hullender, San Antonio, Texas (145) won by concession (illness) vs. Rick
Smith, Crystal Lake, Ill. (149)
Robert
McIntyre, Westfield, N.J. (150) def. Russ Berkoben, Perrysburg, Ohio (147),
1 up
Roy
Smethurst, England (146) def. Fred Silver, Lewiston, N.Y. (150), 3 and
2
Bruce
Richards, Bellevue, Wash. (139) vs. Patrick McCabe, Jupiter, Fla. (148),
2 up
John
Gibbs, Oneonta, Ala. (149) def. A.B. Sisco, Pensacola, Fla. (150), 1 up
Beecher
Metzger Jr, Venice, Fla. (147) def. Harcourt Kemp, Louisville, Ky. (151),
21 holes
Kemp
Richardson, Laguna Niguel, Calif. (144) def. Jim Lipe, Shreveport, La.
(149), 4 and 3
Third
Round
Abbott
def. Davis, 2 and 1
Craig
def. Ploeger, 1 up
Boesel
def. Tarumianz, 4 and 3
Farlow
def. Sanchez, 19 holes
Hullender
def. Bemowski, 1 up
Smethurst
def. McIntyre, 19 holes
Richards
def. Gibbs, 19 holes
Richardson
def Metzger, 3 and 2
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