Mays rides monstrous shot to win

Monday, March 22, 1999 | 10:09 a.m.

dd By Brian Hilderbrand LAS VEGAS SUN

Frank Acker knew he had lost a sudden-death playoff with Tyler Mays for the Southern Nevada Amateur Championship almost before it started.

Mays, a 19-year-old freshman at UNLV, drove the green on the 357-yard par-4 first hole Sunday at the Las Vegas Golf Club and Acker seemed to concede the playoff before he ever hit his tee shot.

"This is going to be over quickly," Acker muttered to a friend.

Although Acker's drive nearly reached the green, it landed in the rough, about 15 yards short and left. Acker's chip trickled off the back of the green and he two-putted for par.

Mays, who was 35 feet from the cup, lagged his putt to within three feet and calmly sank his birdie putt to capture the first of four "major" events on the Southern Nevada Golf Association schedule.

Mays, who tied with Acker at 3-under-par 141 at the end of the 36 regulation holes, had been driving the ball well both Saturday and Sunday. But he impressed even himself with his 357-yard blast on the first extra hole.

"I crushed it," Mays said. "I hit it pretty good. I just stood up there and made sure I made solid contact and put it down the middle. I went first to kind of put the pressure on him and I guess I did."

Acker, who birdied three of the final six holes in regulation to forge a tie, also was impressed with Mays' drive.

"That's the first time I've seen someone knock it on the green," Acker said. "I've got nothing for that (kind of drive)."

Acker rebounded from an opening-round 73 with a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday while Mays, the first-round co-leader at 68, finished with a 73.

Eric Dutt took third at 1-over 145 and Tom Routen and Al Kuykendall tied for fourth at 146. Ben Auten, the first-round co-leader with Mays, struggled to a 79 Sunday and finished tied for sixth place.

In the net division, John Wright won his first SNGA event with a two-day adjusted score of 135, including a 66 Sunday. Blane Midkiff, Ron Case and Mike Bridges finished a stroke back of Wright in second place.

Mike Diehl won the senior division with a 36-hole score of 1-under-par 143, five shots ahead of Rodney Kingham and Charles Weber.