Trip Kuehne

Trip Kuehne, 35, of Dallas, Texas, won four of the first six holes and pulled away to claim the U.S. Mid-Amateur title over Dan Whitaker, 26, of Cle Elum, Wash., 9 and 7, at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in Bandon, Ore.

“It’s been a long journey; one that started 13 years ago,” said Kuehne in reference to his runner-up finish to Tiger Woods at the 1994 U.S. Amateur. “I got the job done this time. It doesn’t get any better than this. It truly is a dream come true. I thought this day would never come.”

Kuehne never really gave Whitaker a chance. He was the equivalent of five under par for his 29 holes and never made a bogey. His reward was the Robert T. Jones Memorial Trophy and a probable spot in the 2008 Masters Tournament.

“He made par after par after par and it was tough to catch him,” said the long-hitting Whitaker, who was playing in his first Mid-Amateur. “It still was an awesome week. To get this far at this level is something I’ve not done before.”

Kuehne made four birdies in the morning round over the par-72, 6,988-yard Bandon Dunes layout, including three for winners in the last six holes.

He jumped out to an early lead, winning four consecutive holes to stand 4 up after the first six holes. Whitaker’s troubles started with a poor tee shot on the third hole. He also had errant tee shots on the next three holes. He soon straightened things out and narrowed Kuehne’s lead with a winning birdie from 15 feet on the eighth hole.

Kuehne rebounded to go 5 up with back-to-back wins on holes 12 and 13. Whitaker won the 14th with a birdie to gain a hole back before Kuehne won with birdies on holes 16 and 18 to go 6 up at the break. He rolled in an eightfooter on 16 and two-putted for birdie at the par-5 18th.

Whitaker didn’t win another hole the rest of the way. In the afternoon round, when Kuehne won the third, seventh and 11th holes, the match was over.

“I knew if I didn’t make any bogeys I would be difficult to beat, because I figured I was going to make my fair share of birdies the way I’m driving the ball and especially the way I was putting,” said Kuehne.

When Kuehne lost to Tiger Woods in the 1994 U.S. Amateur final, he was 4 up at the lunch break. Woods came back to win, 2 up. It took Kuehne 27 more tries in USGA events to win his national title.

Kuehne had held the dream of winning a USGA title since that 1994 loss. He even changed his mind about professional golf, choosing to stay a career amateur and start a fund management business. His younger brother, Hank, won the 1998 Amateur and his younger sister, Kelli, won back-to-back U.S. Women’s Amateurs.

Kuehne was one of six who tied for medalist honors at 1-over-par 144. He became the second medalist to win the Mid-Amateur championship, following George Zahringer in 2002. But Kuehne’s way to the final wasn’t easy. He made an 18-foot birdie on the first extra hole of his semifinal match to defeat Scott Hardy, 31, of Pleasant Hill, Calif., who also reached the semifinal round in 2006. Kuehne made par on the second extra hole to edge Stephen Sear of Washoe Valley, Nev., in his quarterfinal match.

Whitaker birdied the final hole of his semifinal match to get by past champion Kevin Marsh of Las Vegas, Nev.,1 up.