Vana wins fourth Ouimet title
Frank Vana Jr.'s home just got more cluttered.
Already full of Francis Ouimet Memorial Tournament chairs, paintings, trophies, and apparel, Vana added another chair to his burgeoning collection, shooting a final-round 1-over-par 73 yesterday for a 4-under 210 to win the 39th annual tournament at Woodland Golf Club in Newton.
Vana, who plays out of the Marlborough Country Club, has won a record four Ouimet Tournaments, has been the MGA Player of the Year seven times, including the last five years, and is the MGA leader in points.
``I need another table in my house," said Vana, whose four titles (also in 1998, 2001, and 2002) give him two more than any other golfer. ``I've been second a lot of years, too. I've got five paintings, four mirrors, six chairs. I need another table for all of it."
Vana started his march toward the top prize during the second round Thursday at Walpole Country Club, shooting a course-record 5-under 66. Yesterday, he shot a 1 over to finish 71-66-73--210, holding off 1981 champion John Hadges, who shot a 2-under 70 to close within two (70-72-70--212).
``It's very difficult to come back from a score like that," Hadges said of Vana's Thursday afternoon in Walpole. ``He played very well. I've played with Frank in tournaments before. We've been friends for a long time; for me, I just had to go out and play and hope something happened."
Vana had a one-shot lead over Hadges heading into the 18th hole, after a bogey on the 17th. However, Hadges's tee shot on 18 went wide, and he finished with a bogey.
``I was pretty confident going into today," Hadges said. ``I felt pretty good this morning and the first two days, really well. I just misjudged the wind on that last hole. I thought it was going right to left. For some reason, it just carried too far."
Vana took a methodical approach to the final round.
``I was kind of just paying attention to myself as I went along, which is what you want to do," said Vana, who was medalist Tuesday at Stockbridge Country Club in a sectional qualifier for the US Amateur Championship, his 26th USGA event.
``I'm not kidding you when I say this, I didn't know where I stood until the 18th hole when my caddie said, `You're either tied or 1-up' and I said `OK.' "
Vana, 43, an insurance executive, and Hadges, 45, a commercial real estate broker from Thorny Lea Golf Club, stole the spotlight from the third player in their group, 22-year-old Johnson & Wales senior and Plainville native Jim Renner.
Renner, who led after the first round with a 1-under 69 at Dedham Country and Polo Club, fell back as Vana and Hadges moved ahead in the final few holes. Renner, the defending champion, also won in 2003 and was medalist at the US Amateur qualifier at New England CC in Bellingham Tuesday. He fell off the pace with a double bogey on the 15th hole and a triple bogey on the 17th.
In women's competition, Alison Walshe of the Vesper Country Club and University of Arizona scored a 72 to win for the third straight year. Douglas Crawford of Stow Acres Country Club won the Lowery Senior Division with a 77, bringing his three day total to 225.
Garrett Medeiros, 17, of Metacomet Country Club in Rhode Island, finished 11th overall with a 221 (76-70-75) and won the junior division.
LPGA -- Michelle Wie bogeyed the 12th and 17th holes in the third round of the Evian Masters in France, falling one shot behind leader Karrie Webb.
Wie finished with a 2-under 70, putting her at 11-under 204 . She had shared the lead with Webb and Lorena Ochoa after the second round, the fourth time the 16-year-old has had a share of the lead as a professional.
Webb (69) dropped a total of three shots on the 12th and 13th holes, but compensated with six birdies to finish at 12-under 204.
PGA -- Corey Pavin maintained a one-shot lead over Jason Bohn in the hot and humid U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, but still had work to do in the second round. The 46-year-old Pavin, who opened with a 9-under 61 Thursday, was 12 under with seven holes left when play was suspended because of darkness.
Bohn was 11 under after 35 holes yesterday. Half the players, 78, did not complete the round.
Defending champion Ben Crane was disqualified for signing an incorrect scorecard.
Seniors -- Eduardo Romero eagled and birdied his final two holes for a 7-under 63 and shared the lead with Loren Roberts at the halfway point of the Senior British Open at Turnberry in Scotland.
European -- Robert Karlsson shot a 6-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead over Ian Woosnam, Lee Westwood, and Gary Orr after the second round of the
Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. 
