Monday, July 09, 2001
N.Ky. Amateur golf tourneys start
Men, women both begin play Monday
By Ray Schaefer
Enquirer contributor
Rob and Deana Clarke of Richwood are perennial contenders in the Northern Kentucky men's and women's amateur golf tournaments, and you can count on one being in the gallery to cheer the other. But not this year.
Because the Fourth of July was Wednesday, the men and women both will play their tournaments this week, Monday through Thursday, at Twin Oaks in Covington and A.J. Jolly south of Alexandria, respectively.
“I don't know what we're going to do,” Rob said.
“I'm disappointed I'm not going to watch him,” Deana said. “It's a shame. He feels the same way. It's just a weird year.”
Neither Rob nor Deana has ever won a Northern Kentucky amateur, but last year was close — Rob finished second to Barry Wehrman Jr., and Deana reached the championship flight semifinals before losing to eventual champion Diana Camacho.
Both learned the frustration of being so close to a title, yet so far away.
Rob Clarke held a one-stroke lead on his home course at Triple Crown, thanks to Wehrman's three-putt on the 17th hole. As he approached the final tee, his goal was to avoid the right-side rough.
Instead, his tee shot on the par-4 18th went into the left-side woods. The result: a triple-bogey 7 and a two-stroke loss to Wehrman, who parred the hole.
Rob said he almost skipped this year's tournament. He thinks two-time champion Dave Macke is the favorite this year because he grew up playing at Twin Oaks.
But when Rob finishes a practice round, he remembers last year.
“I come up to 18, I'll blast one and hit it real good and say, "Take that, Barry,'” Rob said.
Defending champion Camacho, a senior at Northern Kentucky University, said she has to battle what she calls her “inner demons.”
“I've been playing in spurts,” she said. “When I'm not playing good, my driver and metal woods are not working, I'm hooking them. My irons and short game are good. My toughest competition is me.”
Two former champions, Lori Eberle (1985, '89-90, '94-95) and Katie Kruer ('99), return after missing last year. So will 2000 runner-up Lisa Houchen.
Houchen is counting on her experience at A.J. Jolly to get her through this week. But Deana Clarke said the greens might give her trouble.
“The greens are slower than I'm used to, and they're all elevated,” Clarke said. “You're hitting a lot of blind shots.”
Tee times: Men | Women
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N.Ky. Amateur golf tourneys start
