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CSUB's Bellows makes good on prediction to play better in 2nd round
| Wednesday, May 14 2008 11:31 PM
Last Updated: Wednesday, May 14 2008 11:41 PM
Meggan Bellows predicted a stronger second-day performance for herself Wednesday at the 72nd Kern County Women's Amateur Golf Championships.
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Meggan Bellows lines up a putt on the back nine Wednesday during the second and final day of the Kern County Women's Amateur golf tournament at Sundale Country Club. Bellows was the overall winner.
Suzanne Clarksean was very excited about her chip shot onto the 11th green during Wednesday’s final round of the Kern County Women’s Amateur golf tournament at Sundale Country Club.
Meggan Bellows chips onto the 10th green during Wednesday's Kern County Women's Amateur golf tournament at Sundale Country Club. Bellows was the winner.
And that prediction turned into reality.
A member of the Cal State Bakersfield golf team and a former standout player at Centennial High, Bellows captured the championship thanks to a final-round 75 at Sundale Country Club, the lowest round of the tournament.
Bellows had confidence Wednesday because she often practices with her CSUB teammates at Sundale.
Coupled with her opening-round 85 Tuesday, Bellows finished with a 160, four shots better than runner-up Suzanne Clarksean and eight shots better than third-place finisher Vivian Sparks, who had a one-stroke lead over Clarksean after Tuesday's opening round.
Elizabeth Ross, who was the only other player in the field to break 80 Wednesday (a 78), placed fourth with a 169.
Bellows said she recalled a previous Kern Amateur winner, Allison Martin, when her victory was assured.
"I played with Allison Martin when I was a freshman (at Centennial)," Bellows said. "It's nice to have your name up there with players like her."
Bellows said her strategy on Wednesday was simple as she chased down Clarksean and Sparks: "Keep it down the middle all day and take it one hole at a time," she said. "I tried not to think about the score. I usually get all mental when I do that."
A birdie early on the back nine, on No. 12, propelled Bellows closer to the lead, and she had a solid group of pars over her final holes to pull ahead.
Bellows praised the play of the others in her foursome, Clarksean, Sparks and Charla Little.
"They hit the ball as far as me, and if they're not on the green, they chip it on and make it," Bellows said. "I have a lot of friends who are older players that I play with, but they don't hit the ball as far as they (Clarksean and Sparks) do."
Clarksean and Sparks are retired, and both had kind words for Bellows.
"She's got game," Clarksean said. "She came through and played very well."
Said Sparks: "She shot great. We were tied at the turn, but then she pulled away.
"It's great. We need young players like her to play in this tournament."
Clarksean said she was a bundle of nerves prior to the start of play Wednesday.
"I was up at 4 in the morning. My hands were shaking so bad I couldn't even floss (my teeth)," she said. "I've never played in something like this."
Clarksean said she had a birdie on her first hole of the day. "Can you believe that?" she asked.
"I didn't embarrass myself. That's the main thing I wanted to avoid," she said.
Sparks' game Wednesday was slowed when her shots kept landing in bunkers.
"I had eight sand bunkers -- five on the front and three on the back," Sparks said. "Normally I'm good in them. Yesterday I had sand bunkers and I parred out of them. But today they were tougher."
Sparks added: "I used to play a lot here -- six days a week, sometimes twice a day during daylight hours. So I know the course. I just got myself into trouble today."