Lang keeps cool, holds off Parziale
OUIMET MEMORIAL
It was a solid summer on the golf course for Jackson Lang, but it took until now to get something to show for it.
Yet when he walked off the course following yesterday’s final round of the Ouimet Memorial Tournament at Woodland Golf Cub in Newton, the Lexington native didn’t think he had done enough.
It was a case of Lang focusing on what he could control, something he has been trying to do more often. He said he wasn’t looking for leaderboard updates.
Lang had the look of someone who didn’t know he was up by 2 shots when he missed a birdie putt at the 17th hole, or not watching Matt Parziale’s approach into 18 that did not drop, securing the win for the rising senior at Davidson.
The Lexington resident closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 6-under 206, a shot better than Parziale.
“I love it. It’s my last tournament on the summer schedule. I felt like I was moving in a great direction,” said Lang, who was the co-medalist at the Mass. Amateur earlier this month. “You don’t win very much, it’s just really special when you do.”
The first two days of the tournament were held at Concord Country Club, where Lang had five straight birdies and was in a tie for second after 36 holes, 2 shots behind Tim Umphrey.
Lang had five birdies yesterday, going out in 1-under 35 before birdieing the back-to-back par-5s at Nos. 11 and 12. He added another at No.14 to get to 7-under before dropping a shot on the 15th.
“I have no idea where I was (on the leaderboard) or what was going on,” Lang said. “I was under the impression I had to make some birdies . . . . It was a lot of staying patient, waiting for my opportunities to come and not playing stupid golf. I sort of kept the ball in front of me and didn’t make many bogeys.”
Parziale finished with a 70. He got a bad break on 16 when his tee shot down the left struck a root and bounced deep into the woods. He hit his second into the front right bunker but was unable to get up and down to save par to drop two shots off the lead. He birdied the last to finish one back.
Umphrey, the 36-hole leader, shot 75 and finished at 2-under to tie for third with Max Ferrari and Nick Cummings. Charlie Dubuel aced the 145-yard fourth to card a 68 and finish with a share of 14th.
Mike Calef had the best round of the day with a 67 that vaulted him into a share of ninth and a spot in next year’s tournament that will be at Boston Golf Club in Hingham for two days before the traditional finish at Woodland.
Jacquelyn Eleey of Quincy captured her second straight title in the Women’s Division, finishing at 3-over 219 after a final-round 75 to hold off Shannon Johnson by a stroke. Johnson made a late charge with birdies at Nos.11, 12, 16 and 17 and had a long birdie bid at the last that ran about 6 feet past.
Eleey scrambled to secure her victory, hitting her drive on 18 way left near the outof-bounds stakes but then put her second shot pin high to the left of the green. She pitched to about 7 feet, where she was able to make the clinching putt.
“I definitely got a little nervous coming down the end,” said Eleey, who held on despite not having a birdie on her card. “I didn’t strike the ball all that well, but I putted it well all day. Some dropped, some didn’t.”
Eleey is the first player to repeat as champion since Megan Khang in 2011-2012. Khang is currently on the LPGA Tour and Eleey hopes to join her there soon. She will skip next week’s Women’s Amateur at George Wright, turn professional next month and compete in the first stage of Q School in California.
Frank Vana won the Lowery Division title by 10 shots, going wire-to-wire in his first year eligible. He won the Championship Division five times, most recently in 2010. He opened his round with birdies on the first three holes and finished with a 4-under 68 to finish at 6-under.
He leaves tonight for the British Seniors Amateur at Royal Porthcawl in Wales that starts on Wednesday. He earned an exemption into the field last year when he was a semifinalist at the U.S. Senior Amateur.