OVERTIME!
QUINNEY WINS 2000 U.S. AMATEUR...
Springfield, N.J -- Arizona State's Jeff Quinney had to wait an extra day to win the 100th U.S. Amateur title, but it was worth it.
The Eugene, Ore., native had to go 39 holes to defeat James Driscoll in a match that took more than 24 hours to finish. Lightning and darkness forced play to be extended to Monday, Aug. 28, and Quinney sank a 30-foot putt for birdie to win the title on the par-3 hole.
"I wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I hadn't pulled it out," said Quinney, who spent much of the night in his Ramada Hotel Room rolling out of bed and thinking about the par 3 that was in the future. He thought about every stroke and hole that had taken place that day on the 6,887-yard and par 35-36--71 Upper Course at Baltusrol Golf Club.
Quinney had played very well over the summer, winning the Pacific Northwest and Oregon Amateur titles before qualifying for the U.S. Amateur, so the confidence was there coming into the week. But winning the trophy was anything but easy. Quinney battled back all week long, playing 126 holes the first seven days and one hole on the eighth day.
He overcame a 6-over 42 on his opening nine holes in stroke play to make the 5-over cut by two shots. He then defeated an honorable mention All-American (Matt Weibring) in the first round and a first-team All-American (Lucas Glover) in the second In his third round match against World Amateur teammate Ben Curtis, he came back from 4-down deficit to win in 23 holes. Curtis, a semifinalist at the 1999 Amateur, birdied three of the first seven holes to forge the 4-up lead and Quinney was still down two with two to play. He roared back to take the final two holes, going birdie-par, and the survived five holes of sudden death with five straight pars.
"That was the best comeback of my life," said Quinney.
In his quarterfinal match he watched Hunter Mahan, the 1999 U.S. Junior Champion who was bidding to become the youngest Amateur winner, take a 3 up lead with birdies at No. 7, 8 and 12. But Quinney won the next five holes to win 2 and 1. And to put an exclamation point on it, he nailed a 35-foot birdie putt with 10 feet of break on the deciding 17th hole.
He then defeated David Eger, 48, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 3 and 1 as he was 4 up after eight holes. Quinney won the match with a birdie on No. 17. In his third round match against Ben Curtis, he came back from 4-down deficit to win in 23 holes. In his quarterfinal match he watched Hunter Mahan, the 1999 U.S. Junior Champion, take a 3 up lead with birdies at No. 7, 8 and 12. But Quinney won the next five holes to win 2 and 1.
He defeated David Eger, 48, of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 3 and 1 as he was 4 up after eight holes. Quinney won the match with a birdie on No. 17.
In the final match, Quinney went 2 up after five holes in the morning round. He gave one back with a bogey at No. 6, but went to 3 up with birdies at 8 and 9. Driscoll, who had a 39-5 match play record going into the final match, cut the margin to one with birdies at 10 and 13, but Quinney birdied No. 17 to take a 2-up lead at the 18-hole break as he hit 16 greens.
Driscoll bogeyed the first two holes of the afternoon round, as Quinney went 4 up. Three down with three to play, Driscoll staged his own amazing comeback much like Quinney did all week when he won 16 an 17 with birdies and 18 with a par to send the match to extra holes. Both parred the first two holes before play was halted, setting the stage for Quinney's dramatic putt the next morning.
Quinney joined Sun Devils Billy Mayfair (1987) and Phil Mickelson (1990) as Sun Devils to win the Havemayer Trophy. The 39 holes matched the longest Amateur final in history, alongside Sam Urzetta's win over Frank Stranahan in 1950.
"It was a great way to end it and yes I am glad it is over," said an exhausted Quinney after the match before jetting to Germany to play in the World Team Amateur Championships. "I kind of proved to myself that I love to compete, and I hate to lose, and
I'm never going to give up. That's the way I've always been, and playing basketball and other sports has really helped me in that aspect."
The Road to the 2000 U.S. Amateur Championship:
Quinney in Medal Play: 75-69=144 (137 was low score, cut was above 146)
First Round: Def. Matt Weibring, Plano, Texas (144), 6 and 5
Second Round: Def. Lucas Glover, Greenville, S.C. (139), 3 and 2
Third Round: Def. Ben Curtis, Kent, Ohio (142), 23 holes
Quarterfinals: Def. Hunter Mahan, McKinney, Texas (144), 2 and 1.
Semifinals: Def. David Eger, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (145), 3 and 1.
Finals: Def. James Driscoll, Brookline, Mass. (140), 39 holes.