CGA State Amateur Second Round: Hay and Donovan Take Similar Paths to CGA State Amateur Quarters.

Sports Editors/Golf Writers & Columnists

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif.--(BW SportsWire)--June 21, 2001

Two Northern California amateurs with eerily similar backgrounds were among those advancing to the quarterfinals Thursday in the 90th CGA (State) Amateur Championship at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

James Hay of Fremont and Darryl Donovan of Gilroy both won their second round matches by a 2 and 1 margin, but there similarities run well beyond that. Both players are 41-year-old former professionals, Hay having regained his amateur status in 1999 while Donovan got back on the circuit in '98. Donovan made a triumphant return to amateur golf by capturing the 1999 NCGA Amateur. Hay, of course, won the title last year.

In addition, both players boosted their amateur resumes by winning major Bay Area tournaments, Hay the San Francisco City this year and Donovan the Alameda Commuters each of the past two years. Both, of course, would like to take it even further by becoming the first Northern California players to win the State Amateur since Casey Boyns in 1993. They bolstered their chances with second-round victories Thursday morning.

Hay, the 16th seed, pulled off a bit of an upset by toppling medalist Jeff Wilson of Suisun in a finely played match by both players. Hay took a 2-up lead through the first nine holes, which gave way to a dazzling back nine by both players. Hay reeled off four straight 3s from the 10th hole through the 13th to take a 4-up lead. Wilson predictably scratched back with birdies of his own on 14 and 15, but that was as far as he would get. Hay clinched the match with pars on the 16th and 17th and closed out a back nine in which both players were 3-under-par when it ended.

"Today I hit the ball real well," Hay said. "I mis-hit nothing. I made a couple mistakes on the front nine and Jeff didn't play very well there. From No. 9 on, I don't know if there was one shot missed by either of us."

Hay's win continued an amazing run in which he is 18-1 in match play tournaments over the past year. He lost in the finals of the 2000 San Francisco City Championship, then won five matches in capturing the NCGA Amateur and came back to win this year's San Francisco City.

"I'm just a grinder," said Hay, drawing on a word he has used to describe himself in the past. "That's what I believe it is. I just grind and I hang in there. If someone gives me an opening, I always seem to jump through."

Wilson's loss continued a State Amateur trend in which only 10 medalists in 90 years have gone on to win the championship. He was the second Wilson to fall to Hay in the tournament, as Hay knocked off 1999 and 2000 quarterfinalist Jim Wilson of Chico in the first round.

"I just got by who I think is the best player in the field," Hay said following today's win. "I beat two very strong, potential winners."

Donovan did the same by defeating Jim Skinner of Manhattan Beach, a semifinalist a year ago. Donovan, the No. 2 seed, found himself 2 down to Skinner through eight holes but tied it with a par and a birdie on the ninth and 10th. Though he gave one back with a bogey on 11, a birdie from 12 feet on the 12th made it all square again. From that point on it was all Donovan, as he won the par-5 14th and the par-4 16th with pars. Another par on the 17th (the same spot where Hay's match ended) slammed the door on a roller coaster match.

"I'd like to go out and have no unforced errors and kind of walk away with it, but that didn't happen," Donovan said. "We were bouncing back and forth. He did get to 2 up but it was early enough where I wasn't concerned. It was just getting a couple putts to drop and that's what happened."

Though Donovan admitted he recently hasn't had the time to work on his game, he contended that so far it's been good enough to stay alive.

"I think I'm hitting about five or six out of eight cylinders," Donovan said. "I've been able to hold it together and keep my head in it. Fortunately, I've been rolling the ball well."

If Hay and Donovan are to face off in the championship, it won't be until the 36-hole championship match, and both would love making it that far -- and beyond.

"As far as amateur golf, this would be the biggest tournament I've ever won," said Donovan, who played professionally from 1991 to 1994 and made the cut at the '92 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. "You've got a lot of great players, so it's nice to step up and play well. God, look at that trophy. The names on that thing say it all right there."

"Winning this," Hay said simply, "would mean a whole lot."

Hay will next face Mark Peel of Delray Beach, Fla., a 46-year-old businessman who spends two months of the year in Pebble Beach. He is a member of the Caddy Club of Pebble Beach, an NCGA associate club (the tournament is open to members of any NCGA, SCGA or Public Links Golf Association of Southern California member club, regardless of the player's residence). Peel also swung an upset by beating reigning U.S. Mid-Amateur champion Greg Puga of Los Angeles, 1 up. Peel took a quick 2 up lead through three holes but watched Puga bounce back and take a 1 up lead of his own through 13.

That was followed by some uncharacteristic golf by both players, as Puga bogeyed 14 and 16 to go down a hole, Peel bogeyed 17 to even the match and Puga bogeyed again on 18 to lose.

Donovan's quarterfinal foe will be Hanford's Jonathan Echols, the 21-year-old who used a little bit of luck to down 16-year-old Kyle Metzler of Rancho Murieta. Echols never led until the 18th hole, which was set up by a do-or-die birdie on 17. Going for the green in two on 18, Echols pulled his approach toward the ocean, but his ball got a fortuitous bounce off a rock and hopped into a greenside bunker. From there he blasted out and two-putted for par, then took the match when Metzler three-putted for bogey. It was redemption for Echols, who lost to Metzler in the first round of last year's championship.

Two guys named Travis will face off in Fridays morning's quarterfinals after picking up second round wins. Travis Johnson of Bellflower, who began the tournament by taking out 2000 finalist Troy McKinley, edged 1998 NCGA Amateur runner-up Ray Otis of San Jose, 1 up. Johnson, a 20-year-old member of the UCLA golf team, bounced back from a 2-down deficit through only four holes. He evened the match when Otis made bogeys on the pivotal ninth and 10th and took his first lead with a birdie on 14. Another birdie on the 18th put a capper on the win.

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old Matye had a slightly easier time with Darrin Sullivan of San Diego, prevailing 3 and 2. Sullivan never led as Matye shot 34 on the front nine to take a 3 up lead. Though Sullivan won two holes on the back nine, he never got closer than 2 down and Matye put him away with a birdie on the 16th.

Scott McGihon of Bermuda Dunes, the reigning SCGA champion, made his second career trip to the quarterfinals by beating Earl Morley, Jr., of Pleasanton, 3 and 2. In the day's final match, William Coleman of Huntington Beach took out 2000 quarterfinalist Jason Higton of Fresno, 1 up.

That assured an even split of Northern California and Southern California players in the quarters. Those eight players will play their matches starting at 6:10 a.m., and the winners will play semifinal matches at noon and 12:07. The 36-hole final is Friday.

Following are complete second-round results (seedings in parentheses) and quarterfinal pairings. For hole-by-hole results and an updated bracket, visit the NCGA web site at www.ncga.org.

UPPER BRACKET

Travis Johnson, Bellflower (12) def. Ray Otis, San Jose (5), 1 up; Travis Matye, Lancaster (13) def. Darrin Sullivan, San Diego (29), 3 and 2; Mark Peel, Delray Beach, Fla. (25) def. Greg Puga, Los Angeles (9), 1 up; James Hay, Fremont (16) def. Jeff Wilson, Suisun (1), 2 and 1.

LOWER BRACKET

Darryl Donovan, Gilroy (2) def. Jim Skinner, Manhattan Beach (15), 2 and 1; Jonathan Echols, Hanford (26) def. Kyle Metzler, Rancho Murieta (23), 1 up; Scott McGihon, Bermuda Dunes (3) def. Earl Morley, Jr., Pleasanton (14), 3 and 2; William Coleman, Huntington Beach (22) def. Jason Higton, Fresno (6), 1 up.

QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS

6:10 a.m. -- Johnson vs. Matye; 6:17 a.m. -- Peel vs. Hay; 6:24 a.m. -- Donovan vs. Echols; 6:31 a.m. -- McGihon vs. Coleman.