*Day One results
*Day Two results

Treesdale's Van Sickle takes Amateur title

  BETHLEHEM, Pa.–Michael Van Sickle’s trophy cabinet now contains all of the Pennsylvania Golf Association’s Major hardware. Van Sickle, the reigning Open Champion, added the Amateur title to his collection on Wednesday with a stellar performance at Saucon Valley CC’s newly revamped and difficult Old Course (par 71, 7,138 yards).

Michael Van Sickle's clutch chip on No. 18.

  The 21-year-old of Wexford, Pa., carded an impressive final-round score of 68 to finish at 2-under-par 211 for the 54 holes of the championship and a shot clear of rival Nathan Smith of Pinecrest CC/Wildwood GC. Smith had forged a tie with Van Sickle, who was already in the clubhouse at the time, after 17 holes, but bogeyed No. 18 to finish as the runner-up for a second straight year.

  "It’s like a mini-grand slam for me. It’s really an honor to be able to win it," said Van Sickle, who took the Open last August at Lancaster CC. "I would have bet money that we were going to a playoff. Nathan is such a great player. You don’t expect him ever to make bogeys. I was real surprised and feel very fortunate."

  Van Sickle’s play throughout was obviously solid but his most decisive shots occurred at the beginning of each nine.

NATHAN SMITH

  Trailing leader Christopher Reedman of Makefield Highlands GC by two shots to start the day, Van Sickle opened his final round birdie-birdie. On No. 1 (par 5, 565 yards), he knocked a rescue wood from 248 yards to 15 feet and two putted for birdie and then followed that up on the extremely difficult second hole (par 4, 475 yards) with a 175-yard, 7-iron to five feet. Seven pars to finish the front nine put Van Sickle at 1-under par for the championship. He was playing in the third to last group and when everyone made the turn, Van Sickle found himself in a three-way tie atop the leaderboard with Brian Belden, Jr., a PGA Individual Member, and Smith.

  "I had a seen a lot of scores that were at 1 under so I figured I needed to get to 2 under to have a chance," said Van Sickle.

  It didn’t take the Marquette University senior long to find that number and a little bit more.

Brandon Detweiler of Lancaster CC eyes his drive on No. 9. Detweiler placed third.

  He rapped a 5-iron on No. 11 (par 3, 187 yards) that caught the backstop to the right and back of the hole and trickled down to 3-feet and then rocketed a driver, 3-wood to just 20 yards short of the par 5, 12^th hole (615 yards) before chipping up to eight feet and sinking the birdie. At that point, Van Sickle stood alone at 3-under par and two shots clear of his nearest foe.

  He missed good birdie looks on Nos. 14 (par 4, 422 yards), about 15 feet, and 15 (par 4, 345 yards), about five feet, before making a nice up-and-down par save on the uphill No. 16 (par 4, 387 yards).

  An 8-iron on No. 17 (par 3, 172 yards) caught the green’s ridge and stopped about 35 feet away. Van Sickle ran his birdie try by 10 feet and he missed that putt to drop a shot. On No. 18 (par 4, 447 yards), Van Sickle added some more drama to the situation after finding the fairway bunker and then hitting his second shot just over the back edge before managing a nifty up-and-down for par and a 2-under final score.

  "I just wanted to come out and play smart golf and at the same time give myself birdie opportunities. That’s what I did today," said Van Sickle. "I hit the first 15 greens in regulation and gave myself some good opportunities and made a few. I really played smart golf up until the last three holes. It was kind of a grind coming in. The heart was beating a little quicker."

  In the meantime, the methodical Smith applied a late push. He birdie No. 16 with a wedge from 112 yards to 10 feet and then after watching his 7-iron on No. 17 stop 30 feet away before somehow draining that putt to move to 2 under for the tournament.

  The final hole had been treacherous all week and after almost getting Van Sickle two groups earlier the hole won did just that to Smith. The 30-year-old Pittsburgh resident hit his tee ball a little left and it landed in the face of the fairway bunker. His next shot caught the lip of that bunker first bunker and threw it into the adjacent sand. He found the green with his third shot from the second bunker, an 8-iron from 147 yards, that stopped about 15 feet short and to the right of the hole. His par putt slipped past the right edge, however, and Smith fell into second place.

  "Mike’s a special player. You have to play great to beat him. I gave it everything I had but just came up short," said Smith, who won the 2002 Championship and now has three second-place Amateur finishes. "It’s a little frustrating. I really played well today. I’m right there. We’ve had two great champions the last two years. I just have to keep playing good."

NOTES–Van Sickle was the only player to post consecutive rounds in the 60s. He shot a 69 yesterday and a 3-under 68 today … the 2009 Amateur Championship will travel to Waynesborough CC in Paoli, Pa. … a total of 44 players made the cut, which fell at 150 after two rounds … the final round starting times were pushed up to 7 a.m. from 7:30 a.m. with the possibility of inclement weather.

Player, club	Rd. 1	Rd. 2	Rd. 3	Total
Michael Van Sickle, Treesdale Golf & Country Club	74	69	68	211
Nathan Smith, Pinecrest Country Club	71	71	70	212
Brandon Detweiler, Lancaster Country Club	72	70	71	213
Robert Rohanna, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort	73	70	71	214
Brian Belden, Jr., PGA Individual Member	71	71	72	214
Kyle Davis, Philadelphia Publinks GA	71	73	72	216
Conrad Von Borsig, Concord Country Club	70	72	74	216
Adam Hofmann, Fox Chapel Golf Club	76	71	69	216
Christopher Reedman, Makefield Highlands Golf Club	71	70	76	217
Frank Fairman, Totteridge Golf Club	73	74	71	218
P. Chet Walsh, Philadelphia Country Club	74	70	74	218
Daniel Obremski, Hannastown Golf Club	73	76	69	218
Tyler Brewington, Huntsville Golf Club	71	72	75	218
Arnie Cutrell, Greensburg Country Club	71	75	73	219
David Brown, St. Clair Country Club	69	76	74	219
Matthew Mattare, Saucon Valley Country Club	71	77	72	220
Nathan Sutherland, Golden Oaks Golf Club	76	74	70	220
Gregg Angelillo, Moselem Springs Golf Club	70	73	77	220
Ryan P Castanet, Hickory Heights Golf Club	74	76	70	220
James Kania, Jr., Overbrook Golf Club	74	73	74	221
Adam Cohan, Talamore Country Club	69	77	75	221
Colin P. Smith, Radley Run Country Club	71	73	77	221
Christopher Ault, Yardley Country Club	74	72	75	221
David DeNunzio, Latrobe Country Club	74	73	75	222
Mark A. Endres, Overbrook Golf Club	73	74	75	222
Mike Danner, Lu Lu Country Club	72	76	74	222
Travis Gahman, Philadelphia Publinks GA	72	74	77	223
Mark Miller, Yardley Country Club	76	73	74	223
Christian S. Davis, Glenmaura National Golf Club	73	76	74	223
Doug Stadler, Treesdale Golf & Country Club	74	76	74	224
Brendan Borst, Hickory Heights Golf Club	75	74	76	225
James Bohn, Bucknell Golf Club	73	75	77	225
Cole Willcox, Philadelphia Country Club	72	76	77	225
Duncan Zeiders, Old York Road Country Club	73	75	77	225
Jeff Daniels, Dauphin Highlands Golf Course	75	75	76	226
Jon Pratkanis, Kittanning Country Club	71	75	81	227
Mark D. McGowan, Saucon Valley Country Club	72	75	80	227
Jason Cohan, Talamore Country Club	72	78	78	228
Matt Moot, Windber Country Club	77	73	78	228
Robert Galbreath, Jr., Huntingdon Valley Country Club	74	74	81	229
Christopher Schultz, Squires Golf Club	74	76	79	229
Corey Gast, Meadia Heights Golf Club	76	73	81	230
Eric Williams, Honesdale Golf Club	73	77	81	231
Logan Terry, Plymouth Country Club	73	75	DQ	DQ
DQ-disqualification

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