Spring Break
Pair of Beaver golfers qualify for Amateur events
Vincent Johnson, Jessi Gebhardt will both participate in amateur tournaments this month in preparation for upcoming 2008 season that begins in September
Issue date: 8/8/07 Section: Sports
Two current Oregon State golfers and one coach will take part in various U.S. Amateur competitions in the near future: Vincent Johnson of the men's team, Jessi Gebhardt of the women's squad and women's coach Rise Lakowske have all qualified for their respective tournaments.
The U.S. Women's Amateur is being held this week (Aug. 6-12) at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., where Gebhardt will be among the 156 participants. She earned her spot thanks to a third-place finish at a sectional qualifier at the Bellingham (Wash.) Golf & Country Club on July 16.
"This will be the biggest tournament I've ever played in," Gebhardt said. "I'm really looking forward to the experience. I just look at it like I'll give it my best and hope that it's good enough. It would be great to make it to Thursday and be in the top 16. I think that's a reasonable goal for me."
Gebhardt (Bellingham, Wash./Bellingham HS), who will be a senior this fall at OSU, shot a 73 at the sectional qualifier.
"It was an okay day and I was playing all right," she said. "I could have shot even lower but I missed a few putts. But I was striking the ball well and I shot what I needed to, so I was happy about that."
Johnson will make his second appearance at a U.S. Men's Amateur event, as he also played in the 2004 tournament at Winged Foot. The 2007 event will be held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco from August 20-26.
"I'm really going to enjoy myself," Johnson said. "My dad will get to go down, and he didn't get to go in 2004, so he's excited about that. I know I will enjoy the moment. Every tournament I play in, my expectation is to contend. I just need to stay loose and let it happen."
Johnson (Portland, Ore./David Douglas HS), a senior at OSU, took third place at his sectional qualifier at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Ore., on July 30. He finished with a 143, just one shot behind the co-leaders.
"I got off to a sluggish start and was feeling a little unsure about my swing," he said. "I hit a couple of loose shots and didn't get it going with my putter. But I still had some confidence because there were some places coming up where I knew I could get some shots back. My first round I had a decent score (74) and in the second round I got off to a hot start and birdied the first three holes. I also birdied the toughest hole, 14, and after that I felt like I was going to qualify."
Finally, Lakowske qualified for the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur, which will be held at the Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore., from Sept. 1-6. She tied for fourth place and shot a 77 at a sectional qualifier at the Eugene Country Club on July 23.
The U.S. Women's Amateur is being held this week (Aug. 6-12) at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., where Gebhardt will be among the 156 participants. She earned her spot thanks to a third-place finish at a sectional qualifier at the Bellingham (Wash.) Golf & Country Club on July 16.
"This will be the biggest tournament I've ever played in," Gebhardt said. "I'm really looking forward to the experience. I just look at it like I'll give it my best and hope that it's good enough. It would be great to make it to Thursday and be in the top 16. I think that's a reasonable goal for me."
Gebhardt (Bellingham, Wash./Bellingham HS), who will be a senior this fall at OSU, shot a 73 at the sectional qualifier.
"It was an okay day and I was playing all right," she said. "I could have shot even lower but I missed a few putts. But I was striking the ball well and I shot what I needed to, so I was happy about that."
Johnson will make his second appearance at a U.S. Men's Amateur event, as he also played in the 2004 tournament at Winged Foot. The 2007 event will be held at the Olympic Club in San Francisco from August 20-26.
"I'm really going to enjoy myself," Johnson said. "My dad will get to go down, and he didn't get to go in 2004, so he's excited about that. I know I will enjoy the moment. Every tournament I play in, my expectation is to contend. I just need to stay loose and let it happen."
Johnson (Portland, Ore./David Douglas HS), a senior at OSU, took third place at his sectional qualifier at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Ore., on July 30. He finished with a 143, just one shot behind the co-leaders.
"I got off to a sluggish start and was feeling a little unsure about my swing," he said. "I hit a couple of loose shots and didn't get it going with my putter. But I still had some confidence because there were some places coming up where I knew I could get some shots back. My first round I had a decent score (74) and in the second round I got off to a hot start and birdied the first three holes. I also birdied the toughest hole, 14, and after that I felt like I was going to qualify."
Finally, Lakowske qualified for the U.S. Senior Women's Amateur, which will be held at the Sunriver Resort in Sunriver, Ore., from Sept. 1-6. She tied for fourth place and shot a 77 at a sectional qualifier at the Eugene Country Club on July 23.
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