BGSU senior Balls wins Toledo Amateur playoff

8/11/2003

Adam Balls, a senior Bowling Green State University golfer, finished off a great week yesterday with a sudden-death victory over B.J. Claus after the final round of the 32nd annual Toledo Amateur, at Detwiler Golf Course.

Balls, who earlier this week had qualified in Dayton for the USGA Amateur Championship, carded the tournament's low round, a 6-under-par 65, to catch Claus, then sank an 18-foot birdie putt for the triumph.

Balls of Woodstock, Ont., had been seven shots back after yesterday morning's third round.

Claus, a Toledoan who had fired Saturday's top round (66), missed a three-foot putt on No. 18 to fall into a tie with Balls at 278. Claus, 40, a member at Heather Downs Country Club, won the Toledo District Golf Association Match Play Championship earlier this season. He had notched yesterday morning's best round, a 66.

Scott Winckowski, 39, of Oregon, placed third, two strokes back, and received the Mid-Amateur Champion Trophy for contestants 30-44 years old.

Bob Nichols, Jr., 47, who recently moved to Fayette, tied for fourth with Adrian's Greg Scheuerman at even-par 284 and received the Veterans Champion Trophy for players 45-and-older. Nichols is the son of former University of Toledo basketball coach Bob Nichols.

Craig Pickerel was sixth at 285. Tied for seventh at 3-over 287 were Frank Dudek, Matt Hiatt and John Hills. Rounding out the top 10 were Brett Sayre and Terry Tyson, both at 288.