Posted
online: May 29, 2004 10:43 PM
Print publication date: May 30, 2004
By
Tom Johnston, tjohnston@qconline.com
LONG GROVE, IOWA -- Brian Soucinek must like his reign as Quad City Amateur
champ. The way he played Saturday, he proved he's not ready to give up the
crown.
The Moliner fired an impressive 4-under 68 at Glynns Creek Saturday
to take the lead after the first round of the 36-hole National City Bank
Amateur Tour event.
Soucinek held a comfortable margin on the rest of
the field until the day's final group came in. That was when 19-year-old Ben
Hanson posted his 3-under 69, proving he wouldn't mind taking the title.
The only problem is that Hanson may lay claim to the crown, but he won't get
the winner's trophy. The nephew of local banker Pietr
Hanson who hails from
That means Soucinek is in pretty good shape to defend
his crown, one way or the other.
``I figured it was my tournament until (this) afternoon and I was going to
do everything I could to keep it,'' said Soucinek.
With a round that included six birdies and just two bogeys, the defending
champ made it tough for the field to stay close on a blustery day. That was
until Hanson came in well after Soucinek posted. Hanson's round included six birdies and three bogeys, including one
mistake on 18 that cost him a share of the lead.
Tom Nelson was next after firing a steady two-birdie, one-bogey 71.
It seemed as if the wind and the golf course -- with greens cut and rolled
Saturday morning and plenty of penal rough -- were the day's big winners. While
most golfers said that they should have/could have shot better than they did,
only 34 rounds under 80 were carded by the 98 championship-flighters.
Soucinek, Hanson and Nelson were the only players
under par, but chasing were close behind are Steve Schwabe
(34-39), who has played well all three weeks of NCB Am Tour play, and Dave
Waugh (35-38) who checked in with 73s, along with Scott Nelson (37-36).
Last week's NCB Am Tour champ, Tyler Pitlik
(36-38), was joined at 74 by Mike Long (37-37), Dustin Drenth
(37-37), Dean Cavanaugh (36-38) and Brad Frantz (38-36).
Today's final round is scheduled for
With the forecast for today calling for possible bad weather, Soucinek went into Saturday's round with a simple plan.
``I wanted to come out aggressive and get under par not knowing what the
weather was going to do,'' he said. ``You hope it doesn't turn into a one-day
tournament. ... I want to be a two-day champion.''
Soucinek was true to his gameplan
of getting off to a fast start. He birdied three of his first four holes, with
a par on No. 2 breaking up an even more impressive start.
``This was the first day I started making putts,'' said Soucinek,
who estimated making about 55-feet worth of putts in those first three holes.. He then added birdies at the par-5 7th and 15th, and the
par-3 11th. His bogeys came at 8 and 16, the only two holes he missed the green
in regulation.
``It could have been even lower, but I missed a 2.5-footer uphill on No. 8
that I just yanked,'' said Soucinek. ``I hit the ball
well and played well, there were no secret shots.''
Nelson may have had the secret, though.
``I always do play well in the wind,'' said the 19-year-old who just
finished his freshman season at the
Hanson sports plenty of pedigree. As a prep at
Waterloo Columbus, he won the Class 3A state championship in 2002 and finished
second last year. He was third as a sophomore.
``It just worked out that I wasn't playing anywhere this weekend and had
heard about the exemption that the winner got into the John Deere Classic, but
they lost that from what I hear,'' said Hanson, explaining his interest in the
QC event. ``Our state tournament was always this weekend in the past and I
didn't have that this year.''
While Soucinek had the quick start on he fortn nine, Hanson matched that
on the back side of the outward nine with birdies on 7, 8 and 9.
``I took advantage of the par 5s,'' said Hanson of the 7th and 9th holes.
Tom Nelson, playing in his first NCB Tour event of the summer, maintained an
even keel all the way around. His birdie on No. 3 offset a bogey on the par-5,
into-the-wind 9th. He then birdied the par-5 15th for his 1-under 71.
D'Anne Gross (75) leads the women's division, Tom
Wolfe (69) leads the seniors and Tom Stelk (78) leads
the super-seniors after their opening rounds at Emeis.
In play at