METROPOLITAN AMATEUR GOLF ASSOCIATION

Franks strolls to Metropolitan Amateur victory

O'FALLON, MO - Quincy’s Ryan Franks first ventured onto a golf course as a toddler, being wheeled around in a stroller by his parents.

   “I took up the game when I was three or four,” Franks said after his win at the 17th Metropolitan Amateur Championship Saturday at WingHaven Country Club. While his first experiences with the game were as a spectator for his parents, the tables have turned 180 degrees. Now his parents, and plenty of others for that matter, are watching Ryan play.

   “Now they’re golf parents,” Franks added.

   As the 19-year-old has progressed through the junior and amateur ranks, Dennis and Valletta Franks have pretty much given up the game of golf to chauffeur their lone child to events around the country.

   “I remember playing at a course in the Lake of the Ozarks,” Dennis Franks recalled. “We played with Ryan along in a stroller. We probably should have been kicked off the course.”

   “They used to be able to shoot in the 40s, but ever since I got serious about the game, they gave it up to get me to my junior tournaments,” Ryan said.

   Playing in 100-plus heat indexes all week at WingHaven, Franks posted rounds of 72-71-70-213 for an even par finish and a two-stroke cushion over Ballwin teenager Scott Langley in the 17th playing of St. Louis’ most prestigious amateur championship.

    While many struggled with the heat and demanding rough at WingHaven, Franks hit enough fairways and greens, and holed enough timely putts to beat the area’s top young golfers and seasoned veterans.

  Franks finished two ahead of Langley and three better than Norwood Hills’ Skip Berkmeyer, who posted Saturday’s best round, a 3-under 68. But once again Berkmeyer, a five-time Metropolitan Amateur Player of the Year, came up short in the event he has yet to win in his storied career.

   Fox Run’s Matt Hines (75-71-72-218) posted a 1-over par final round to take fourth place, one ahead of twoBig 12 collegiate golfers – Kansas State’s Mitchell Gregson (73-75-71-219) and Colorado’s Justin Bardgett (74-73-72-219).

   Collin Neeman of Waterloo, Ill., finished seventh (71-76-73-220). Scott McClellan (74-77-70-221), Jim Holtgrieve (72-79-70-221), Corey Choate (74-74-73-220) and 2006 U.S. Amateur runner-up John Kelly (71-79-71-220) tied for eighth.

   Langley, (pictured below with MAGA President Stan Grossman) who starts his freshman year at the University of Illinois in two weeks, had his chances to catch Franks. Trailing by two shots for much of the final round, Langley hit a laser approach to the 396-yard 17th that nearly went in for eagle.

   The shot hit the flagstick about a foot above the cup, left a ball impression two inches behind the hole and spun back off the green. “It could have gone in,” Franks said. “It was a great shot that was unlucky for him.”

   Holtgrieve, playing in his first Metropolitan Amateur since turning professional in 1998, played well enough to win – less a four-hole stretch late in his second round. The three-time Walker Cupper posted a final round 1-under 70 for a 54-hole total of 8-over 221, eight shots behind Franks, 40 years his junior. In that rugged run from holes 2 through 5 on Friday, Holtgrieve lost eight shots to par.

   While many in the field had moments of brilliance, they also had to contend with double and triple bogeys while battling WingHaven’s thick, U.S. Open-like rough.

   “I didn’t have a double bogey the whole tournament,” Franks said. “That was crucial. I had some bad shots, but my misses were good enough that I didn’t have a blow-up. And I made some great short shots and putts that saved all three of my rounds.

   Franks made four birdies in his final round, including a birdie-3 at No. 10 when his approach finished just four inches from the hole. But he thought a difficult par save at No. 3, a 434-yard par-4, may have set him up for a great final round.

   Darren Lundgren, the 2006 champion, posted Saturday’ second best round, a 2-under 69. After struggling in the opening round with a 10-over 81, Lundgren rallied to finish 12th at 222. “We need to make this a 72-hole tournament,” he said. “I just can’t seem to play well in my first round.”  

17th Metropolitan Amateur Championship
Sponsored by Midwest GolfLab
WingHaven Country Club – Par 71 / 7,096
54-holes, stroke play

Day 2: Quincy’s Ryan Franks Leads Metropolitan Amateur by two

   O'FALLON, MO - Quincy, Ill., teenager Ryan Franks shot an even-par 71 on Tuesday to take a two-shot lead into today’s final round of the Metropolitan Amateur Championship at WingHaven.

   Franks (72-71-143) will play in the final twosome at 10:10 a.m. with Parkway South graduate Scott Langley (74-71-145). In the heat and humidity, youth was served as a pair of teenagers moved past more seasoned players in the Metropolitan Amateur.

   Franks, who starred on Quincy High School teams prior to advancing to the collegiate ranks at Western Illinois, hasn’t won since his high school career. “I have come close and had some good rounds, but I never seemed to be able to put two rounds together when I needed them.”

    Saying his accuracy off the tee was a strength, Franks put it to good use by hitting 27 of 36 greens and staying out of WingHaven’s long, thick rough.

   Langley, who starts his freshman year at the University of Illinois this month, overcame a double bogey at the par-5 fifth hole, then played the final 13 in 2-under par for 71.  

   First-round leaders Collin Neeman (71-76-147) and John Kelly (71-79-150)  slipped back amongst a crowded leaderboard  that now includes Matt Hines (75-71-146), Colin Corrigan (72-74-146), Mark Gardiner (73-37-147), Justin Bardgett (74-73-147) and Ted Moloney, who fired the tournament’s low round (80-67-147).

   Kelly’s rollercoaster round included two double bogeys and a disastrous quadruple bogeyed at No. 18 for a second-round 79.

   Jim Holtgrieve, 59, who carried his own bag during the round, went out in 35 to stay 1-over through 27 holes. But the former Walker Cupper lost eight shots to par in one four-hole stretch midway through his final nine holes to finish at 79-151.


Day 1: Neeman, Kelly share first round lead at even par

   O'FALLON, MO - One player was hoping to kick-start his Division 1 college career, another was hoping to finish his amateur career with a flourish. Waterloo, Ill., collegian Collin Neeman and former University of Missouri standout John Kelly shared the first-round lead of the 17th Metropolitan Amateur Championship at WingHaven Country Club.

   Each fired even-par 71s on the 7,136-yard WingHaven layout. Four golfers, Missouri Bluffs' David Marshall, Quincy Westview's Ryan Franks, Aberdeen's Colin Corrigan and Boone Valley's Jim Holtgrieve, entered Round 2 trailing by one shot.

   Neeman, from a large golfing family, has played collegiately at John A. Logan College in southern Illinois. The easy-going Neeman hopes to play for University of Mississippi program, and a win at the Metropolitan Amateur would certainly enhance his Division 1 credentials.

   For Kelly, the runner-up at the 2006 U.S. Amateur, his amateur credentials have been well noted. With aspirations of a Tour career, the 2007 Metropolitan Amateur may be his last local event prior to turning professional.

   Play begins at 7:30 a.m. The field will be cut to the low 40 and ties following Friday's second round.

SPECIAL THANKS

The Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association wishes to thank its sponsor - Midwest GolfLab; its host facility - WingHaven Country Club, its members and entire staff; and all of the MAGA volunteers who made the 2007 championship possible. Special thanks to WingHaven Director of Golf Steve Sebastian and Golf Course Superintendent Chris Holtey for their assistance.