Tim Hogarth

Tim Hogarth, who had regained his amateur status after playing professionally in California for several years, won the 71st Amateur Public Links Championship in convincing fashion, defeating Jeff Thomas of South Plainfield, N.J., 8 and 7. Midway in the match, however, the outcome was very much in doubt.

For the third time, the championship was held at the Wailua Golf Club in Lihue on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Ironically, Hogarth was born in Hawaii, but his family had moved to the mainland when he was a child.

Now a resident of Van Nuys, Calif., he had qualified for match play with a score of 148—12 strokes behind medalist Tagart Ridings of Tulsa, Okla., whose 70-66 placed him five shots ahead of Guy Yamamoto of Waipahu, Hawaii, the 1994 winner, and Bill Camping of Phoenix, Ariz., the 1995 runner-up.

Once into match play, however, Hogarth, 30, took charge. Among his victims was Chris Wollman, the 1995 winner, and he reached the finals by defeating Rob Long of Clarksville, Tenn., 1 up.

In the final against Thomas, who had won the Mid-Amateur title in 1993, Hogart was in charge from the very start. He vaulted to a four hole lead after 15, taking advantage of Thomas' poor putting and chipping. But at the 16th, a par 4, an unusual incident marred the match.

Thomas, who was away, asked Hogarth to mark his ball. After Thomas missed his putt, he inquired whether or not Hogarth had returned his ball to the original spot. He had not. And instead of going 5 up, Hogarth was now 3 up and after Thomas' birdie at 17, it was 2 up.

Hogarth, who had chastized Thomas for not reminding him to move his mark back, was visibly upset. But he regained his composure during the lunch break and won the first four holes of the afternoon round to dispell any notions of another comeback. Thomas three-putted the 19th hole. On the next, he hit his tee shot out of bounds, and the rout was on.

Hogarth, whose victory earned him an invitation to play in the 1997 Masters, never faltered in the afternoon round, putting steadily and taking advantage of Thomas' erratic play.

Hogarth siad a putting lesson with UCLA golf coach Brad Sherfy was the key to his victory. "I felt comfortable over the ball all week. As for the incident on the 15th green, it was fortunate for me the lunch break came right after that. I had a chance to calm down. I was upset with myself and my opponent at that time."