|
|
|
It's Deja Vu All Over Again
 |
Updated: Sat 6/27/2009 5:44 pm
|
June 27, 2009 - St. Joseph Country Club - If it feels like we've been here before, it's because we have been. For the first time in Missouri Amateur Championship history, the same two individuals will be competing in the Missouri Amateur Final in back to back years. Skip Berkmeyer vs. Justin Bardgett II is officially on the tee sheet.
The reigning Missouri Amateur Champion really enjoyed his year as the top amateur player in the State of Missouri. So much so, he isn't willing to give it up just yet. Bardgett defeated Jace Long, 2&1 in a tightly contested match Saturday afternoon at St. Joseph Country Club.
 Bardgett jumped out to an early lead with birdies on the first two holes to earn a 2 up lead. Long responded quickly with a birdie of his own on the par 5, 3rd hole to get one back. But Bardgett answered with another birdie at the par 4, 5th hole and won with a par on the difficult par 4, 6th to build a 3up lead through 6 holes. Bardgett maintained a 3 up lead thru the front nine.
As the two players made the turn, Long turned the momentum back once again with a birdie on the par 5, 10th hole to shrink the deficit. After Bardgett made bogey on eleven and thirteen, Long had officially battled back to square the match against the defending Missouri Amateur Champion. The match stayed even until Bardgett made a spectacular birdie, 2, on the par 3, 16th hole. He then followed that up with an eagle on the par 5, 17th to defeat the Missouri Amateur Medalist, 2&1.
In 1998, Skip Berkmeyer was playing in front of a hometown crowd as the Missouri Amateur Championship was being played in  the metro St. Louis area at Lake Forest Country Club. Berkmeyer would lose in 1998 in the Final against Chuck Greene, missing out on his opportunity to win a Missouri Golf Association major championship. One year later, at Highland Springs Country Club in Springfield, MO, Berkmeyer put his 1998 experience to use and won his first Missouri Amateur Championship.
Ten years later, Berkmeyer was again playing the Missouri Amateur Championship in the St. Louis metro area at WingHaven Country Club. Just as in 1998, Berkmeyer lost in the Final, this time to Justin Bardgett who was also from St. Louis. And again, Berkmeyer has responded to return to the Missouri Amateur Final to finish the job he started a year ago but wasn't able to finish. "Skip's had this focus all week and he looked awfully focused this morning on the putting green and he knows he has a tough day ahead of him," said Missouri Golf Association Executive Director Scott Hovis during an interview on 101.1 ESPN. "Skip told me walking off the green after losing to Justin last year, I'll see you in St. Joe and that's my motivation factor", remembered Hovis of his conversation with Berkmeyer one year ago.
That focus helped Berkmeyer to defeat hometown favorite, Brian Haskell - the 2008 Missouri Mid Amateur Champion, going away 6&5 on Saturday afternoon. Berkmeyer made only two birdies during the match, but was never challenged to do much more as Haskell struggled in the Semifinal match.
Earlier it was mentioned that tomorrow would mark Berkmeyer vs. Bardgett II, but in reality that was last year's match. A few years ago, it was Berkmeyer who defeated Bardgett in extra holes to win the Metropolitan Match Play Championship in St. Louis. Bardgett was essentially returning the favor last year, evening up the score. If anything, tomorrow at St. Joseph Country Club will serve as the tiebreaker for what is turning out to be a very good and friendly rivalry between two Chaminade High School graduates.
Live scoring of the 36 hole finale can be viewed at http://www.mogolf.org or followed via twitter at  .
|
|
|
|
|
|
