Vijarro & Simanton Win Oregon Amateur Titles

Andrew Vijarro and Amy Beth Simanton won the Men's and Women's Oregon Amateur, respectively, at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. The 36-hole final matches, one of the few in the U.S. where both the men and women play, took place Saturday.

Simanton, a 17-year-old from Lake Oswego, Ore., became one of the youngest champions in the event, which celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. Vijarro, who lives in Bend, Ore. became one of the just a handful of men to simultaneously hold Oregon's Stroke Play and Amateur titles.

Simanton had to go 36 holes to beat medalist Kendra Little. Though she was up throughout the match, the teenager lost a 4-up lead with six holes to go. "Once I finished the first 18 4-up I had a lot of confidence, something I might not have had if the tables had been turned," Simanton said. "I told myself that if I par the rest of the way in, there is no way she can catch me.

"I was a little bit shocked when she got back into the match. Going into 18 I had to refocus and not be so upset at what had been going on. I told myself, just give yourself a chance."

On the par-5 18th hole at the Bandon Dunes course, Simanton struck her approach to within five feet while Little was 25 feet above the hole with a tricky downhill putt. Little missed her birdie chance, while Simanton didn't to end the match.

"It's awesome," said Simanton. "I can't even explain what it means to me. It's been so long since I won a tournament. I got second last year at the Junior Am, I took second the last two years in the [Oregon] high school championships. I was sick of getting second. It really frustrated me and that's why I work so hard. That's why I go out to the course every day to practice. It feels so good, like everything has paid off."

While Simanton took early command of her match early, Vijarro and Chris Polski of Eugene, Ore., waged a back-and-forth battle. The two finalists halved only seven holes in the 36-hole championship match. "Every time I'd get a lead I seemed to give it away," said Vijarro. "It was frustrating not to be able to hold a lead like I was able to do all week."

Polski shot even-par on the first 18 but only had a 1-up lead. "It was the most up-and-down match ever," noted Vijarro. "Neither of us played great this afternoon. It was a combination of things. We were tired, the wind, the pressure. Neither one of us were on our 'A' games."

Vijarro rallied to go dormie into the final hole; he only needed a halve to win but that's when things got interesting. Polski hit his drive into a fairway bunker to give the advantage to Vijarro, but Vijarro hit his third shot above the hole but backpedaled into a greenside bunker.

"I was 103 yards out and I just wanted to get it inside of Chris," said Vijarro. "For a while my shot looked really good, but after it landed on the green it spun back into the bunker. I was not happy. I was in trouble. It was not the shot I was looking for. I looked pretty dumb after that shot," he said.

But Vijarro hit his bunker shot a foot from the hole to secure the win. "I needed a little magic," said the sophomore-to-be at the University of Oregon. "I choked down on the shaft, I didn't have any real kind of back swing and I was in clay. I didn't know whether it would be hard or soft. Maybe it was a little luck, but I pulled it off.

"It was fun. It was a battle, and fortunately it turned out in my favor."

Final Match Results

Men's Andrew Vijarro (11), Bend, Ore. def Chris Polski (21), Eugene, Ore. - 1up

Women's Amy Beth Simanton, Lake Oswego, Ore. (2) def. Kendra Little, Eugene, Ore. (1) - 1up

For more details of the Oregon Amateur, visit www.oga.org.