Cooke and Malo To Meet in Finals of Canadian Mid-Amateur
Tue, 03 Mar 2009 01:44:03
He'll go head to head with provincial teammate Peter Malo of Beaconsfield, QC in Sunday's final match starting at 8:00a.m. Malo walked through his afternoon semi final against Don Gowan of Victoria, BC, closing him out on the 11th hole 7 and 6, and finishing with a 2-under total through 12.
A 45-foot birdie putt on the sixth hole followed by a 25-foot uphill birdie putt on the 10th hole and there was no turning back for Malo. He sealed the match with a third birdie two holes later. He knows he'll have to play just as well during Sunday's final if he intends to become a first-time national champion.
"I know what I can expect from Graham [Cooke]: long putts, wedge shots that sit inches from the flagstick, tee shots into the trees followed by an approach shot to five feet. He plays Graham Cooke golf. Just when you think you have him beat, he'll surprise you. He's the best," said Malo.
Just as Malo reveres Cooke, Cooke knows that a win against Malo won't come easily.
"Peter [Malo] is a very strong player. He's consistent and he hits the ball with a lot of power. It'll be important for me to stay focused and play my own game instead of trying to out-power Peter because he still hits like he's 30. I'll have to putt well and make birdies if I want to give myself a chance to win," said Cooke.
He gave himself the chance to edge out Mel Murray earlier in the day, making consecutive birdies on 12 and 13, and leaving him with a 3 up advantage over Murray heading into a set of difficult final holes.
"Those birdies made a big difference in our match. It put a lot of pressure on Mel [Murray] as we turned for home. To lose two holes in a row after the turn when you're already down is so tough. I played aggressive this afternoon against Mel and won. I'll shoot for the flagstick again tomorrow against Peter. You can't win this thing playing conservative golf," said Cooke.
While Cooke and Malo compete often in stroke-play championships, the two have never faced off in match play. The 16th Canadian Mid-Amateur Championship will culminate with an 18-hole final Sunday, August 25 starting at 8:00a.m.
Sunday Final Match(seed numbers in brackets):
8:00 Peter Malo, Beaconsfield, QC (7) VS Graham Cooke, Hudson, QC (9)
Match Play Results:
Morning Round
Graham Cooke, Hudson, QC (9) def. Angelo Stroumos, Toronto, ON (32) 6 and 5
Mel Murray, Fredericton, NB (4) def. Chris Markle, Cobourg, ON (21) 1 up
Peter Malo, Beaconsfield, QC (7) def. Alan Gladwin, Lower Sackville, NS (2) 2 and 1
Don Gowan, Victoria, BC (22) def. Thomas Skinner, Red Deer, AB (19) 3 and 2
Afternoon Round
Peter Malo, Beaconsfield, QC (7) def. Don Gowan, Victoria, BC (22) 7 and 6
Graham Cooke, Hudson, QC (9) def. Mel Murray, Fredericton, NB (4)"
