Columnist Peter Benton: Matyas captures Sun City event

Peter Benton

Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2001 | 10:04 a.m.

Peter Benton's golf column appears Wednesday.

Joe Matyas shot 74-69--143 to eke out a narrow victory in the championship division of the recent Sun City Amateur Championship -- one of the season's designated tournaments conducted by the Southern Nevada Golf Association.

Jason Margetts and Joe Sawaia tied for second place with 144s. Doug Poll, Brady Exber and Donald Clelland were next at 145.

In the net division, Dave Haddock's 67-68--135 bested Kyle Davis, who placed second at 137. Craig Escarzaga was third at 138.

Mark Marrow defeated Morris Ferstman on the first extra hole to win the senior division after both men came in with 147s. Jim Saub Jr. placed third at 150 followed by Bob Conrad in fourth with 151.

Woods had been tied at 72 straight cuts made with Dow Finsterwald, whose string ran from the 1955 Carling Golf Classic through the 1958 Houston Invitational.

Ahead of Woods are Hale Irwin (86), Jack Nicklaus (103) and Byron Nelson, who made 113 consecutive cuts in the 1940s.

The last time Woods didn't make a cut was at the 1998 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am where he withdrew after two rounds. (The cut at Pebble is made after three rounds.)

Before that, Woods' only other missed cut as a professional came at the 1997 Bell Canadian Open. He played in 14 PGA Tour events as an amateur, making the cut in six.

Woods' current streak began at the 1998 Buick Invitational.

This four-person scramble was contested over the 7,193-yard Desert Inn Golf Club and proved to be so successful that football coach John Denardin plans to make it an annual affair.

The team of Jim Pope, Gary Schiezbach, J.R. Ruhlman and Jim Shaw won the event, followed by Guyan Long, Corey Morley and Jack Schibrowsky in second and Mark Berry, Lars Kellog and Gary Ethrington in third.

Rhudd Kinder won closest-to-the pin honors on the fourth hole, David Beasly on the seventh and eleventh and Bill Barr on No. 16.

The longest drive went to Jack Schbrowsky and the most accurate drive to Bob King.