Ducks on pond for OGA event.

Byline: Chris Hansen The Register-Guard

The Oregon men's golf team will be well-represented today as the Oregon Golf Association's Stroke Play Championship opens its three-day run at Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell.

And if the recent play of a handful of Ducks is any indication, Oregon could be well-represented come Sunday, as well.

Seven members of the Ducks' 12-man team will be among the field of 117 this weekend, including the three U.S. Amateur Championship qualifiers - Gregg LaVoie, Ted Whitney and Derek Sipe - and last season's OGA Stroke Play champion, Chris Dukeminier.

LaVoie, who will be a senior in the fall, goes into the 54th annual event as someone worth watching thanks to a solid junior season and a summer of strong tournament play.

The Pasco, Wash., native was Oregon's top performer this past spring, finishing 24th at the NCAA Championships to become the Ducks' first all-American in 13 years.

On July 25, he earned a trip to the U.S. Amateur Championship after taking medalist honors with a 2-over-par 146 at the 36-hole OGA qualifying event at Emerald Valley.

The U.S. Amateur will take place Aug. 22-28 at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa.

Last week, LaVoie finished fourth at the Pacific Coast Amateur at Bandon Dunes thanks to a final-round 67 that moved him up from 19th place. It was the lowest round of the tournament, as well as LaVoie's best effort this summer.

"I feel really good about my game right now," LaVoie said. "I've been playing really solid and I've been working on things every day."

Dukeminier, who is also heading into his senior season, is looking forward to defending his title at the par-72, 6,539-yard Emerald Valley course.

"It's a long course and I'm a long hitter," said Dukeminier, who was a prep standout at Sheldon High School. "But this is a tournament that will be won or lost on the greens. They're hard and fast and tough to chip onto."

The other Oregon players teeing it up this weekend are juniors Eric Hastings and Matt Amen, and senior Justin St. Clair.

Another individual to watch is Jesse Schutte, one of Oregon's top high school players. The senior-to-be at Siuslaw High is a two-time Class 3A state champion who also guided the Vikings to the 2005 team title.

Schutte enters this weekend's tournament with a handicap of plus-2.6 - the second best of any golfer in the field. The only player ahead of him is Christian Green of Sisters, whose handicap is plus-3.9.

Schutte has also played well this summer, coming in third place at a tournament last weekend in Indiana, and recording a fifth-place finish at the Junior America's Cup the last week of July in Wyoming. He also helped the team from Oregon finish in a first-place tie at that event.

Gresham's Carl Johnson qualified for the U.S. Open in June, while Portland's Jim Pliska, the 1996 winner, is also the course owner.

In the men's senior field, the opening group includes 1999 and 2004 champion Chris Maletis, 2003 champion Sam Spicher and 2002 winner Denny Taylor. They tee off at 8:30 a.m. while the first group in the men's field goes at 7 a.m.

The tournament is free and open to the public.

CAPTION(S):

Defending champ Chris Dukeminier leads a contingent of Oregon players in the OGA's Stroke Play Championship.