USGA

PLOEGER WINS
USGA SENIOR AMATEUR

PORTLAND, Ore. - Bill Ploeger, 59, an insurance executive from Columbus, Ga., built a 3-up lead after 11 holes and defeated Gary Menzel, 55, from Milwaukee, Wisc., 3 and 2 to win the 1999 USGA Senior Amateur Championship Thursday at the 6,583-yard, par-72 Portland Golf Club.

"I'm thrilled to death, I can't say anything more than that," said Ploeger. "I can't believe it. I can't believe it. To win a national championship is something that you dream about. To have it happen is just unreal."

In the semifinals, Ploeger defeated his friend of 30 years, Curtis Wagner, 61, of Peachtree City, Ga., 6 and 5. Menzel edged Clifford Davis, 57, of Green Valley, Calif., 2 and 1.

After halving the first six holes with pars, Ploeger broke the ice with a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 7 to win the hole. He went 2 up with a par on the 8th. A par won the 11th hole and put him 3 up. Menzel answered with an 18-foot birdie on the par-3 12th. After three straight halved holes, Ploeger sunk a 3-foot putt to win the title after Menzel missed the green with his second shot that went under a tree and then missed his par putt.

Ploeger, who defeated 1972 U.S. Amateur champion and four-time Walker Cup member Vinny Giles of Richmond, Va., 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals, was still harkening back to that win after the final.

"I still can't believe I beat Vinny," said Ploeger. "He's been so much to me for so many years. I played in the British Amateur when he won it. I can't tell you how much it meant to me, as a golfer, to beat him."

Ploeger, who is contemplating retirement, has already won the 1999 Georgia State Senior Amateur and the Oak Hill (Rochester, N.Y.) Senior.

Troubled by a ruptured disk in his back, Ploeger took advantage of the geographic proximity of a specialist who assists many PGA Tour players - Dr. Tom Boers, who lives in Columbus, Ga.

"I can't get out of bed and I go to see him and two days later, I'm playing golf," Ploeger said.

Ploeger also uses a 44-inch putter built by his friend, club designer Tad Moore from La Grange, Ga. "This one looks like a putter not a pogo stick," said Ploeger.

A retired police officer, who served exactly 30 years on the City of Milwaukee force, Menzel was a registered golf professional but did not play competively for long stretchs and was reinstated as an amateur in 1991 at age 47.

A winner of the 1997 and 1999 Wisconsin Senior Amateur, he represented Wisconsin at the 1997 USGA State Team Championship and made a good run in his first USGA Senior Amateur.

Wagner is the second friend from the Peach State whom Ploeger defeated in the championship. He also nipped Spencer Sappington of Alpharetta, Ga. in 20 holes in the second round.

Ploeger won the first three holes and five of the first six to build a comfortable margin. He then won the 12th with a par 3 and halved the 13th with a par to close the match.

"That was a big disadvantage to Curtis," said Ploeger. "He had to take chances and I didn't. I hurt so badly for Curtis. You'd like for it to be somebody you don't know."

Menzel got a veritable wake up call with possible rules violation when he was placed on the clock for slow play in the semifinals.

"I got a bad time on No.6," said Menzel. "I got out of sequence and I guess I was captured by the moment. I lost track of where I was. I just had to play golf."

Menzel squared the match with a post-timing birdie on the 7th hole and parred the 9th to Davis' par for a 1-up advantage and upped it to 2-up with a birdie on the par-5 10th. Davis then won 12 and 13 to even the match. A par on the 15th won the hole for Menzel. After halving 16, Menzel won with a 2-putt par from 10 feet on the 17th from 10 feet. Bunkering on his tee shot, Davis missed the hole with a par-saving putt.

The USGA Senior Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs

Results of Thursday's semifinal and championship rounds of match play at the 1999 USGA Senior Amateur Championship at the 6,583-yard, par 72 Portland Golf Club:

SEMIFINALS

Bill Ploeger, Columbus, Ga. (151) def. Curtis Wagner, Peachtree City, Ga. (159), 6 and 5

Gary Menzel, Milwaukee, Wisc. (152) def. Clifford Davis, Green Valley, Calif. (155), 2 and 1.

FINAL
Ploeger def. Menzel, 3 and 2.

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