Moore, Elston win golf crowns

Victoria Sun

Friday, June 22, 2001 | 10:26 a.m.

Pat Moore showed up at the Las Vegas Founders' Legacy Junior tournament feeling unusually relaxed and comfortable.

He left with a big smile and a winner's trophy.

Moore, of Phoenix, edged friend Ryan Keeney, of Redmond, Wash., in a sudden-death playoff at the Legacy Golf Club Thursday afternoon to win his first AJGA title.

"It means a lot to me," Moore. "This is by far the best tournament I've ever won.

"I haven't been nervous all week. Sometimes, you know it's going to be your week. I guess you could say that it has just been my week."

Lani Elston, of Spokane, Wash., shot a 69, the girls' division low round of the day, to capture her second AJGA title in one month. Elson's three-day total 213 gave her a two-stroke victory over Lisa Ferrero of Lodi, Calif.

Elston will be attending the University of Idaho in the fall while Moore will be enrolling at New Mexico.

"My swing is much better than it was at this time last year," Elston said. "I've got a lot more confidence in my game and the experience of playing here last year helped.

"I've been striking the ball really well, but missed nine putts five or six feet away the first two days which hurt. Today, I hit everyone in."

Moore and Keeney both finished the tournament at 7-under-par 216 forcing a playoff.

After Moore teed off, Keeney hit his tee shot to the left of the fairway and out of bounds. His next shot (his third including the penalty) was so close to the same fence that he was forced to take another one-shot penalty for an unplayable lie. After he put his fifth shot on the green, he conceded the hole.

"I knew he was putting for six, but it was still unexpected," Moore said.

Keeney said he was in shock after the club slipped in his hand forcing him to hit an errant drive, but was glad Moore collected his first win.

"The second shot, I was done, already depressed about the first one," Keeney said of his provisional ball. "I figured if I holed out, I'll play it out, but I knew he wasn't going to blow up.

"Pat's a good friend of mine. I thought, why make him 3-putt? I just wanted to give him this win. He did a good job and he deserved it."

Green Valley High graduate Drew Scott tied Daniel Summerhays of Farmington, Utah, for fifth place finishing the tournament at 3-under-par 213.

Christine Fernandez, the defending state amateur champion, finished in the top five of an AJGA event for the first time by tying Young Pak of Cerritos, Calif., for third place. Pak will attend UNLV in the fall while Fernandez will be a senior at Foothill.

The comeback of the tournament belonged to Palo Verde student Jeremy Keller. After opening the tournament with a 7-over-par 79, Keller shot a 70 the second day and a 67 on Thursday.

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