Posted online: May 23, 2004 11:28 PM
Print publication date: May 24, 2004
By
Tom Johnston, tjohnston@qconline.com
ALEDO -- Tyler Pitlik's hot putter and one unfortunate shot by Tom Miler
went a long way to deciding the outcome of the inaugural Hawthorn Ridge Amateur
golf tournament Sunday afternoon.
Pitlik fired a 1-under 71 Sunday that proved just
enough as the 18-year-old Rock Island High School student, two weeks from
getting his diploma, graduated into the National City Bank Amateur Tour
winner's circle for the first time.
As it turned out, though, it was one unlucky shot that left the 50-year-old
Miler a runner-up by one shot for the third time in as many tournaments this
spring. Entering the second round of the 36-hole
tournament with a one shot lead over playing partner Dave Waugh, Miler was even
par through 13 holes. A tee shot on No. 14 to the right-side rough left him
with a tricky approach shot around a tree to the 425-yard par-4 hole's green.
``I had to miss one branch and it didn't,'' said Miler, who thought the shot
navigated that branch but then kicked into a hazard. ``It was just weird;
that's when you say that maybe it just wasn't meant to be.''
After that double-bogey 6, Miler played even-par golf, birdying the 18th,
but coming up one shot short again. He missed by one shot each titles at last
week's Muscatine Am and the Illinois State Mid-Amateur championship two weeks
ago at White Eagle Golf Club in Naperville.
``I'm disappointed,'' said Miler. ``It's not like I'm playing bad... It's
frustrating. I just have to keep plugging and keep playing'' to get over that
hump.
While Miler was sidetracked by his tree misfortune, Brian Soucinek played through his own troubles to shoot a 1-under
71 and tie Miler for second. Steve Schwabe
(75-71=146) was solo fourth. Waugh battled a bulky putter to card a 76 (147)
and ended up tied for fifth with Chris Wilkins, whose Sunday 3-under 69 was the
tourney's best round.
Soucinek, the winner of last year's QC Amateur
which is up next week on the NCB Am Tour, had to figure out how to tweak his
swing to compensate for a Saturday hand injury. His Golden Retriever lost a
race to its stuffed toy and ended up with a mouthful of Soucinek's
right palm instead.
``I know what it feels like to get stabbed now, because I felt that tooth go
right into that bone,'' said Soucinek. ``I just had
to make a couple of adjustments, but nothing that bothered me.''
Soucinek, playing with Pitlik,
felt he had a chance to be in the title hunt with the youngster, figured any
score under par would get him close. He and Pitlik,
playing in the next-to-last group, had differing rounds. Soucinek
carded four birdies and a bogey, but like Miler, was sidetracked by a
double-bogey. His double came on No. 11 when his tee shot sailed way right,
going out of bounds. He rebounded, though, with birdies on 14 and 15, but
couldn't find one more on the way in.
Instead, he watched Pitlik card one birdie and one
bogey on the back 9 and finish off his three birdie,
two bogey round.
``He played well and putted great and that's what wins tournaments,'' said Soucinek of the champ. ``He made pretty much every 5- and
6-foot putt he looked at.''
Pitlik admitted that he needs to continue working
on his short game. But he was also encouraged by the way he rolled the ball.
``I've been playing really good, I just haven't been able to putt very good,'' said Pitlik, who was happy
with his game from tee to green. ``Today, I putted good.''
If he continues that, he would like to follow in the footsteps of last
year's series champ Tyler Swanson. Pitlik, who played
on the Am tour last summer and plans to play the full circuit this year, is
going to walk on at
National City Bank Tour
Hawthorn Ridge Amateur
Hawthorn Ridge Golf Club, Aledo
Par 72
Championship Flight
Tyler Pitlik 72-71=143, Brian Soucinek
73-71=144, Tom Miler 70-74=144, Steve Schwabe
75-71=146, Chris Wilkins 78-69=147, Dave Waugh 71-76=147, Mike Long 72-76=148,
Tim Flaherty 76-73=149, Adam Seitz 75-74=149, T.R. Swanwick
72-77=149.
Joe Smazel 79-71=150, Greg Rios 78-72=150, Cody Flatt 75-75=150, Bruce Allison 78-74=152, Pieter Hanson
73-79=152, Dave Johnson 79-74=153, Kirk Trede
77-76=153, David Holmes 76-77=153, Billy Hagen 77-78=155,
Dave Schurke 81-75=156, Tom Swanwick
77-80=157, Ryan VanDeRostyne 76-81=157, Chris Vandersnick 77-82=159, Baker Green 78-82=160, Kyle Coopman 75-86=161, Mel Owens 84-78=162, Mike Bewley 82-84=166,
Bob Nash 87-80=167, Dan Medina 77-90=167.
Dan Senatra 85-83=168, Ethan Pressley 82-90=172,
Matt Bloomfield 85-88=173, Kevin Finn 87-89=176, Dean Lowery 88-90=178, David
Steele 96102=198.
Senior Flight
Carlos Salaber 73-74=147, Bill Brewster 75-75=150,
Ron Rode 74-83=157, Reed Swenson 77-80=157, Gene Lebo 81-77=158, Ron Johnson
78-80=158, George Husar 79-81=160, Darrell Reynolds
80-81=161, Barry Black 80-86=166, Roger Schock
89-82=171.
Bill Tank 89-83=172, Steve Lensch 86-91=177, Vic
Stein 92-90=182, Rex Smith 107-111=218. Ben Shnurman
90-NS,