Othello's Patitucci leads Men's Amateur

MOSES LAKE — After two days of play, more than 120 of the top amateur golfers from Washington State waited for the last man to make his way off the course to tally up the day's final scores. The unrelenting wind and long holes at The Links at Moses Pointe were too exhausting for some, but for Bart Patitucci of Othello, it only seemed to energize his game.

Patitucci and Alex Prugh of Spokane tied to lead the first half of the 79th Washington State Golf Association Men's Amateur Championship.

Patitucci finished Tuesday at 5-under par.

"He's a stick," friend Zach Mayer, assistant professional at Moses Point, said of Patitucci. "He's got experience under his belt and he's been under pressure."

Patitucci, going into his senior year of high school this fall, has two state titles.

"He came out here knowing that he's got to shoot his game," Mayer said. "He's gotta be pretty confident."

While many players struggled in the wind, Patitucci improved on his first round score of 1-under 71 with a 4-under 68 yesterday.

"I don't think the wind bothers me," Patitucci said. "It's a fun challenge."

The wind slowed play considerably on Monday. At the scoring area, Donna Bowen, a volunteer from Bellevue, waited as groups fighting the wind were over an hour off the pace of play. "We've got a bloodbath out here," was the call over her radio from observing officials on the course.

Erik Hanson, former Seattle Mariner who is in a three way tie for fifth place, found yesterday's wind to be frustrating.

"It's three club wind," Hanson said. "It's so hard out there it's ridiculous; and it's OB everywhere — at least 30 mile per hour winds."

Two Moses Lake players made yesterday's cut of the top 60 players.

Kirk Phillips earned a three way tie for 50th and Brock Johnson tied eight ways for 53rd position.

"My goal coming into this was to make the cut," Phillips said.

Phillips finished 8-over yesterday and 3-over Monday. Though the wind persisted yesterday, the temperature dropped considerably from Monday.

"I would prefer to play in the heat," Phillips said. "The ball rolls better, spins better, performs better — I think golf was made to play in the heat."

Johnson said he felt at home in the wind. He finished 7-over yesterday and 5-over Monday.

"I actually shot better in the wind," Johnson said. "I played down in Texas and it really prepared me. It's windy down there every day."

The Men's Amateur Championship continues today with a close field of competitors. There is a nine stroke difference among the top 20 competitors.

"There's still 36 holes of golf left," Jake Easterly of Leavenworth said. "Especially with this wind, anything can happen."

Easterly shot 1-under yesterday to secure a four way tie for 17th.

"With the wind like this three under par can win," Easterly said. "There's a lot of good players in the 6-over range."