Pool comes back, wins amateur title

Douglas Pool temporarily stopped competing in golf tournaments several years ago after becoming disgusted in his swing.

The 57-year-old couldn't have been much happier with his game Sunday.

Pool captured his fourth Southern Nevada Amateur Championship title, shooting a 36-hole total of 1-under-par 141 at Las Vegas National Golf Club.

Pool, who shot a 73 in Saturday's opening round, carded the low round of the tournament with a 68 on Sunday.

"I just quit playing a couple years ago. I was hitting it too low," said Pool, who won the tournament in 1984, 1997 and 2001. "Today, I just hit it really well. I was hitting it close and putting well. That's a good combination."

Pool played in the next-to-last foursome Sunday, a group ahead of first-round leader and defending tournament champion Brady Exber.

Justin Howell, Craig Junio and Mike Ukauka, who all began the second round tied with Pool for second, were in Exber's group.

"It might have helped me to not know (the scores of the other group)," Pool said. "When I made the turn at 2-under, I knew I was doing pretty well."

Pool improved to 4-under in the second round before a bogey at No. 16. He got that stroke back by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

Instead of playing aggressively on the 18th hole, a 520-yard monster with a small lake on the right side, Pool was cautious, laying up 180 yards short of the green with his second shot.

He missed the green with his approach and scrambled to make bogey and then waited for the final group to come in.

"This is nice," said Pool, who played as an amateur in last year's Senior British Open and missed the cut by two strokes. "I only play in these events when I really like the course."

Howell, a 21-year-old UNLV student, was the only other player in the championship division to break par Sunday, shooting a 70 to finish two strokes behind Pool.

"I'm a little disappointed," Howell said. "I took second at Boulder Creek, and I was really looking forward to breaking through here."

Exber finished third at 4-over-par 146, two strokes better than Junio.

Eric Conway won the Net flight of the tournament, finishing with a 2-under 140, three strokes better than Tom Seidl. Conway carded a 66 in the opening round.

Exber took the Senior Amateur championship, which concluded Friday, with a two-round total of 139. Ray Vanyo and Howard Knodt each finished 10 strokes behind Exber.