Stephen Ames for British Open after weekend win

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 Cialis Western Open | Wrap | 05 Jul 2004

When Stephen Ames woke this morning and heard the flutter of a gathering breeze on his hotel room window, he no doubt rested happy in the knowledge that wind would not be a problem in his quest for his first USPGA Tour victory. After all here was a man who had won in Europe and on several occasions had played well in some of the strongest winds including those at the 1995 British Open when 5th to John Daly. I can also recall his runner up placing to David Howell at the Australian PGA Championship at the New South Wales Golf Club where some of the worst golfing conditions didn’t seem to faze him as he battled his way into second, albeit seven shots behind Howell.

Ames, who has just turned forty, has found a new level in his game in 2004. Until this year his main claim to fame in the US had been his runner up placing to Craig Perks at the 2002 Players Championship and his constant battle with immigration authorities.

That fine performance at Sawgrass that year however, seemed to be lost in the disbelief surrounding the victory of Craig Perks who had edged out Ames by two, but perhaps in many ways it was that victory that gave Ames the genuine belief that he belonged on the PGA Tour, especially given the strength of the field that week.

After finishing third at the PGA Tour Q School in 1997, he finished third in his very first event as a card holder at the 1998 Nissan Open. He retained his card that year finishing in 83rd position in his rookie year and since then he has not looked back gaining in confidence and skill each and every year.

Today, as he entered round four of the Cialis Western Open, he shared the lead with another non American looking for his first win, Mark Hensby. Hensby, who is having such a great second year on the PGA Tour was playing in front of many of his friends having lived in this area for some time since moving from Australia in the early 1990’s.

Hensby, who was born in Melbourne and moved to Tamworth and was a postman there until his game reached the level where he wanted to take it to the US. He initially played amateur golf in the Illinois area winning State titles, but then the mini tours, and onto the Nationwide Tour and now the PGA Tour where he seems destined to stay. He played the USPGA Tour in 2001, after qualifying via the Nationwide Tour, but lost his card.

For Hensby and Ames this was to be a big day. Both made slow starts but this was a day and a golf course where patience was definitely needed. Both were over par early with Hensby in particular, at three over through seven, looking to have blown his chance. He recovered quickly however with birdies at the eighth and ninth but as he, Ames and Geoff Ogilvy, also looking for his first win as a professional, stood on the tenth tee, they and the emerging challenger Steve Lowery, were all tied at 8 under. The prospect of a real dogfight over the closing nine holes, with career milestones at stake for several, was very much a mouth-watering one for golf fans.

The first to crack was Lowery, who playing in the group ahead, bogeyed the tenth and was he was immediately followed by both Ogilvy and Hensby with that trio falling one behind Ames. Hensby bounced back immediately with a birdie at the 11th to rejoin Ames but the Canadian went ahead to stay with a birdie at the twelfth after a brilliant tee shot to six feet at the par three. Then the margin was one, but when Hensby took double bogey at the 13th, Ames lead was extended to two over Ogilvy and by three over Hensby and Lowery, who himself had just doubled the 13th.

Others were emerging as possible contenders should Ames slip, were Luke Donald and Stuart Appleby, but when Ames birdied the par five 15th and was rock solid on the way in, the title was his by two over Lowery and by three over Hensby and Donald.

Ames, who has a start at the British Open, must now be considered a serious contender to follow up his first tour win with his first major. He has after all, as mentioned earlier, had some success at the British Open having made all five cuts and finished 5th in 1995. With the confidence this win will no doubt bring and the wind game he possesses, he is a genuine chance at Royal Troon.

Ogilvy and Appleby were one shot back next in a share for fifth.

Tiger Woods, although never seriously threatening, was in the group in seventh place alongside Jim Furyk who had a great week considering this is just his second event back from wrist injury.

Of the other Australasians in the field Allenby was 11th and Peter Lonard 24th.