10th Annual California Golf Association State Senior Amateur: LaMontagne Sets Record to Claim Championship.

    Sports Editors/Golf Writers & Columnists

      PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--June 22, 2001--Stockton's
Roly LaMontagne admitted to being "as nervous as a cat," but showed
nothing but coolness while claiming a two-stroke victory over
defending champion Mike Riley in the 10th annual California Golf
Association (State) Senior Amateur completed Friday at Poppy Hills
Golf Course.
      LaMontagne birdied the 14th and 18th holes en route to his
record-breaking 69-75-70-214 performance in a brilliant duel with San
Diego's Riley. Riley's 75-69-72-216 also broke the old record of 218
set in 1994 by three-time winner Jim McMurtrey.
      "I just tried to stay in the moment," said an extremely happy
LaMontagne after he two-putted for his birdie on the par-5 18th. "I
didn't want to start rehearsing an acceptance speech coming up the
final fairway. I wanted to stay focused."
      Riley said he had many chances throughout the day, but could not
get the birdie putts to go down. "I felt I played well, but didn't get
the job done. Congratulations to Roly. He was really consistent."
      Riley could have added to the drama on the 18th. His third shot
finished five feet above the cup. Meanwhile, LaMontagne floated a
3-iron to within 15 feet in two shots. His eagle putt slithered to the
right, some four feet away. Riley pushed his birdie putt to the right
and LaMontagne made his for the final outcome. "I don't even remember
hitting that first putt," said LaMontagne.
      The day started with the players locked at par-144. Riley took a
one-stroke edge after nine holes with a 1-under-par 35. LaMontagne had
to get up and down out of a greenside bunker to match Riley's birdie
on the ninth, but was still a stroke back.
      Michael Davis from El Dorado Hills got back into the fight with a
15-foot eagle putt on the ninth. Four holes later, there was another
contender. Danville's Bob Rowland birdied three of the first four
holes on the back nine and was tied with Davis at plus-one for the
tournament.
      Riley rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to go to
2-under. However, LaMontagne capped the effort with a 4-footer and he
also was in red figures. Davis made a good par, but Rowland suffered a
bogey after missing the green.
      Davis supplied the fireworks at the par-3 15th. He rolled in a
15-footer for birdie and went to even-par. LaMontagne, who hit 15
greens on the day, missed at the 15th but got up and down from the
bunker for his three. Riley missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the same
hole but maintained his lead.
      Major changes came on the 402-yard, dogleg 16th. Riley's drive
found the trees on the corner of the fairway. He chipped out and hit
his third shot to the fringe behind the green. His chip was short, but
he rammed home a 10-foot bogey putt. LaMontagne pulled even with an
easy par, just missing a 15-footer for birdie.
      Davis lost his chances on the 16th. His tee shot found a fairway
bunker from which he played into the left rough. His third shot
finished on the bank behind the green and a chip and two putts added
to a costly double bogey.
      Riley made another mistake at the 126-yard 17th. His tee shot
finished well short of the hole and he need three strokes from there.
LaMontagne lipped out a birdie putt from 18 feet but his par still
meant a one-stroke lead and that set up the par-5 18th.
      Davis and Rowland both made birdie on the final hole to finish at
217 and 218, respectively. Davis fired a 72 and Rowland a 1-under-par
71. "That's pretty tough company when you shoot 71 and lose ground,"
smiled Rowland.
      Ted Lyford from Redlands, playing in the next-to-last foursome,
fired a final-round 2-under-par 70 and tied Davis for third. Menifee's
Tom Eastlack, the 1999 champion, closed with a 71 and finished at 220.
Westchester's Spencer Beard got the seventh slot with his 77-73-72-222
finish.
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*T

      Following are the final results:

214 - Roly LaMontagne, Stockton, 69-75-70.
216 - Mike Riley, San Diego, 75-69-72.
217 - Mike Davis, El Dorado Hills, 76-69-72; Ted Lyford, Redlands,
      74-73-70.
218 - Bob Rowland, Danville, 78-69-71.
220 - Tom Eastlack, 75-74-71.
222 - Spencer Beard, Westchester, 77-73-72.
223 - Robert Olds, Brentwood, 75-76-72; Joe Byrom, San Diego,
      77-72-74.
224 - Frank Merhar, La Jolla, 76-77-71; Jim McMurtrey, Fair Oaks,
      74-74-76; Robert Heaton, Antioch, 72-75-77.
225 - Kemp Richardson, Laguna Niguel, 75-76-74.
226 - Tony Reboton, Fremont, 75-78-73; Gary Conti, Campbell, 74-75-77;
      Jeff Newkirk, Santa Cruz, 71-76-79.
227 - Paul Spengler, Carmel, 74-79-74; Earl Stewart, Fairfax,
      80-71-76; Paul Ladin, Westlake Village, 77-74-76.
228 - Jim Saivar, San Diego, 79-74-75; Ron Ramsey, San Diego,
      77-72-79.
229 - George Beebe, Del Mar, 75-78-76; James Myers, Oceanside,
      79-73-77.
230 - Ken Kirkpatrick, Whittier, 74-77-79.
231 - Jim Vargas, Fremont, 74-79-78; Steve Whitman, Martinez,
      77-74-80.
236 - Ted Gehrke, Los Gatos, 77-76-83.
WD - Reg Bailey, Antioch, 76-76-WD.

    --30--dc/sf*

    CONTACT: Northern California Golf Association
             Ted or Adam, 831/625-4653 (Ext. 8213 or 8216)

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