Posted online: June 26, 2005 9:21 PM
Print publication date: June 27, 2005

Rios finishes first in Short Hills Tourney while defending champ sinks to 12th

Staff report,

In the case of the Shorts Hills Amateur Golf Tournament, No. 2 may get to try against harder.

Chris Wilkins, second in the season-long amateur points standings going in, finished second in the Short Hills Am to Greg Rios in a one-hole playoff Sunday at Short Hills Country Club.

Wilkins was looking to move up in the points standings to earn a chance to golf in the July 4 4-spotter qualifying tournament for the PGA Tour's John Deere Classic.

The points leader going into the Short Hills Am was Steve Schwabe, the defending Short Hills champion. Schwabe, who led Wilkins by 100 points -- 980 to 880 -- struggled with an 82 on Sunday to fall from first after Saturday's first round to a tie for 12th in the Short Hills Am.

Also looking to improve his points standings was third-place finisher Dan Fisher. He shot a 70 to finish with at 141, one shot off the winning pace. Fisher was tied for third with Joe Irwin, who shot a pair of 71s.

With Rios (a Sunday 69) and Wilkins (a Sunday 67) tied at 141 after 36 holes, they went to the first playoff hole, and that's when disaster struck for Wilkins. He hit his opening shot out of bounds, opening the door to Rios' victory.

"Once I got the drive out of the way (on the playoff hole), it took the pressure off," said Rios. "I just seared one down the middle."

Rios settled for par on the playoff hole. Wilkins nearly chipped in, but the miss allowed Rios to two-putt to the title.

"The only thing I tried to do was to beat everyone in my group, because I was tied with them," Rios said. "My goal was 3-under, just to make the leader shoot par." When Schwabe was way over, both Wilkins and Rios soared to the top.

Rounding out the top five was Brian Soucinek, who recovered from a Saturday 75 with a Sunday 70 for a 145.

In the Flight 2 division, Kirk Trede (83-70--153) stormed to an eight-stroke victory over Duane Stelly.

In the Senior Division, Mark VanderBeke came up with a 73 for a two-day total of 150 to finish in a tie with Tom Swanwick, who followed a 73 with a 77. Bill Brewster took third with a 151.