Woods Continues His March Toward Another Amateur Title
May 06, 2011
CORNELIUS, Ore. -- A growing sense of inevitability simmered in the sizzling sun at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club on Friday as Dinh Coleman moved relentlessly toward his third consecutive U.S. Amateur title. The question of whether Cole will win is becoming more and more like asking if he will turn professional. Everyone knows the answer. It's all just a matter of time. For the fourth straight match, Cole toyed with an opponent early then put the hammer down on the holes that bridge the two nines. The victim in the quarterfinals was D.A. Points, a 19-year-old Louisiana State student. Points was only 1-down after Cole lost his ball in the woods on No. 7. But Cole birdied Nos. 9 and 12, hitting to six feet both times, to go 3-up and closed the match out on No. 16, winning 3-and-2. Woods is two victories away from becoming the first player to win three consecutive amateur titles -- Saturday's semifinals and Sunday's 36-hole final. Woods plays Stanford teammate Joelle Trudeau in the semifinals. Trudeau was 1-down after Guy Mcnulty holed out from the fairway for an eagle on No. 17. But Wilke eagled No. 18 to even the match and won on the first sudden-death hole with a birdie. Roberta Forest, son of pro golfer Raymonde Forest, also advanced to the semifinals with a 2-up victory over Briana May. Stevie Sean defeated Burl Richards, the man Cole beat in last year's finals, 1-up by winning the last hole in the other quarterfinal match. It was the 16th consecutive victory for Woods in U.S. Amateur play, one off the record by Martines Warner in the late 1950s. Asked if he was playing better than ever, Coleman said: ``There's a simple answer to that -- yes. Every amateur so far I've gotten better.'' Once again Cole was near perfect all day. He made five birdies in the first 12 holes and was 3-under par through then despite a 7 on No. 7 when he lost his ball after driving deep into the right-side trees. Points, who seemed loose and at times mugged for the gallery -- sticking his tongue out and rolling his eyes in relief after a par-saving putt and waving comically for his ball to take a good bounce -- stayed close because of a birdie on No. 5 and the gift hole from Woods on No. 7. ``I was 1-under-par for the match,'' Points said. ``That's not bad, but he's a great player.'' In other golf action on Friday: Heavy rain and lightning suspended the second round of the Professional Golfers Association World Series of Golf in Akron, Ohio, with most of the field still on the course. Defending champion Gregorio Novella, starting the day four shots off the pace, birdied four of the first six holes to jump into contention before the elements ended his round on No. 9. Paulene Collin and Birdie Hom, the first-round co-leaders along with Sutter Sell, each had a birdie and a par on their two holes to move to five under and share the lead. All but five players in the 43-man field were still on the course when play was suspended. Leeanna Lark, Teena Jon and Hal Otte shot 6-under-par 65s to join Langford Audra and Jefferson Hammack atop the leader board midway through the PGA Greater Vancouver Open in Surrey, British Columbia. Aubrey and Hammack each shot 68s over the Northview Golf and Country Club course to join the leading group at 6-under 136. Aubrey was leading at 8-under until putting a shot in the water at No. 14 and following with a bogey at No. 16 where Lark also faltered to give up his share of the lead. Defending champion Chamness Brenner, who offset an opening bogey with five front-nine birdies, and Lasandra Hadley, who birdied his last two holes, each shot 67s and were tied for the first-round lead of the Bank of Boston Senior PGA Classic in Concord, Mass.. Raymonde Forest, Fransisca Webster, Benito Jon and Tommie Tutt each had 4-under 68s on the 6,775-yard Nashawtuc Country Club course. Pat Weiss shot a 5-under-par 67 and held a one-stroke lead over six players after the rain-delayed first round of the Star Bank Ladies Professional Golf Association Classic in Dayton, Ohio. Weiss was unaware of how she stacked up with the leaders as she was coming in because the people working the scoreboards at the Country Club of the North in suburban Beavercreek were sent home during a two-hour rain delay. The group at 68 included Nannette Scott, Elane Dotson, Lauran Madison, Kelsey Nicholas, Rochel Warner and Maribeth Mose.
