Mahar takes down top-seeded Forster to win Oregon Senior

07 Sep 2018
by Oregon Golf Association
see also: Oregon Senior Amateur Championship, Salishan Spa and Golf Resort
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Randy Mahar (OGA photo)

SALEM, Ore. (Sept. 7, 2018) – Randy Mahar of Portland, Ore., defeated Ken Forster of Salem, Ore., 1 up, on Friday to win the 35th Oregon Senior Amateur Championship, played this week at Illahe Hills Country Club.

Mahar, the No. 10 seed in match play, parred the 18th hole to defeat Forster, the stroke-play medalist and No. 1 seed. The two players entered the final hole all square in their championship match.

Mahar jumped out to a quick 2-up lead through four holes in Friday’s final. Forster, playing at his home course, parred the ninth hole to cut Mahar’s lead to 1 up going into the back nine.

The final nine holes included chances for both players to win holes, but neither capitalized until the par-3 17th. With Forster already in with a par, Mahar missed his short chance to halve the hole, and the two went ahead to the 18th hole all square.

On the 18th hole, both players had putts for birdie. Mahar nuzzled his birdie try just short of the hole, and Forster conceded the par. Forster, putting for the win from just off the green, left his birdie chance 4 feet short. His opportunity to extend the match to extra holes slid just by, giving Mahar the title.

Mahar joins Scott Hval as the only two men’s players in OGA history to win the Oregon Amateur, Oregon Mid-Amateur and Oregon Senior Amateur in their careers.

The three drop flights also had championship matches on Friday. In the Flight I final, John Olmstead (Tualatin, Ore.) defeated Peter Fyhrie (Beaverton, Ore.) 1-up. The Flight II final match saw Tom Heckler (Lake Oswego, Ore.) defeat David Milne (Beaverton, Ore.) 4&2, while the Flight III championship match featured Jon Carey (Monmouth, Ore.) beating Tom Yurovchak (Hillsboro, Ore.) 1-up.

ABOUT THE Oregon Senior Amateur

Entries are open to male and female amateur golfers 50 years of age or older with USGA Handicap Indexes of 18.1 or less and who are members in good standing of an OGA member club. The field will be limited to the lowest 96 qualified men. The defending champion and 31 finishers from the 18-hole stroke play qualifier will advance to the single elimination Championship flight match play portion of the competition, with the remaining entrants placed in single elimination match play flights according to score. There will be NO age bracket flights.