Posted online: August 1, 2005 12:04 AM
Print publication date: August 1, 2005

Former Leadbetter student takes amateur event at Deere Run By Tom Johnston, tjohnston@qconline.com

Greg Rios had an inkling a few years ago that Nick Sheedy could be a good golfer as he grew up.

As the Davenport West High School boys' golf coach, Rios watched Sheedy play for Burlington High School a few times in Mississippi Athletic Conference competition. But little did Rios know that Sheedy would someday beat him in tournament play as he did Sunday.

Firing the day's best round, a 1-under 70 at TPC at Deere Run, Sheedy skipped past the seven players in front of him to win the Spirit Hollow/Deere Run Amateur -- the sixth event on the National City Bank Amateur Tour.

Showing some of the skill that he learned at the famed David Leadbetter Golf Academy in Florida, Sheedy topped Saturday leader Kevin Kilstrom and Rios (who was tied for second with Scott Briggs) by a stroke. Kilstrom carded a Sunday 3-over 74 at the par-71 home of the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic. Rios, who was 6-over after six holes, recovered for a 2-over 73.

Tied for fourth were Bettendorf teen Adam Seitz (75-73--148) and former Deere Run Club champ Brian Soucinek (74-74--148). They were followed by Briggs (73-76--149), David Holmes (74-76--150), Paul Huddle (75-78--153), Adam Moyers (81-73--154) and the trio of Tyler Pitlik (74-82--156), Duane Stelly (82-74--156) and Dan Kies (74-82--156) tied for 10th.

While Rios and Kilstrom missed the tournament victory, they both helped themselves in the season-long NCBAm Tour points chase. With Sheedy not a Tour member, Rios and Kilstrom shared the first- and second-place points.

"I really like college football and don't see a problem with more than one national champion," said Rios, rationalizing Sunday's outcome. "I think you can have two winners; Sheedy won it, he's a good player. I don't have any problems sharing the points with Kevin."

Kilstrom, though, wasn't against being a little greedier.

"This doesn't hurt me at all, but I definitely wanted to have first place all alone," said the 30-year-old former assistant pro at Davenport Country Club. "Greg's been playing some outstanding golf, so I definitely wanted a little bit of cushion, but couldn't do it."

Kilstrom came into this event in second in the points chase, trailing Chris Wilkins (1530), who didn't play this week, by 100 points. With 380 making his total 1810, Kilstrom jumped into the lead. Rios (1395) moved from sixth to third, just ahead of Soucinek (1390). Steve Schwabe and Dan Fisher did not play and also slipped a few spots in the Player of the Year chase.

On Sunday, Sheedy played like a guy with a bright future who might someday be playing weekend golf for a check. After starting with a bogey, the 21-year-old junior at Oklahoma countered two more bogeys with four birdies on a course he hasn't played since his junior year at Burlington.

"I kind of scrambled and made a lot of good par putts," said Sheedy, who played in this year's U.S. Public Links, but failed to make it out of stroke play. "I putted well and took advantage of some birdie opportunities when I had them."

Sheedy's score didn't surprise Rios.

"He went from being a good high school golfer to being top-five at Oklahoma -- he's good," said Rios.

Kilstrom recovered from some bad putting fortunes Saturday.

"It was the exact opposite of Saturday; I made every putt, but couldn't find a fairway or hit a green," said Kilstrom, who finished with four bogeys and just one birdie. "I stuck to my gameplan (of hitting irons off tees and keeping the ball in play), but just didn't get it done."

Rios described his five-bogey, two-birdie round as a struggle. Not helping matters much was that he left his lob wedge on the driving range, but that wasn't his only problem.

"I couldn't keep the ball on the course," he said, lamenting a wayward driver. "I found just about every bunker I could and made some great up-and-downs with my gap wedge."

And that was enough to make a move in the NCBAm point race.