Thom Captures First Major as the 2007 ILCRICC Ends Slowly

By Quetzel Miller III

Cedar City, Utah - If you expected to see dazzling play at this year's ILCRICC, you needed to be there the first day. The final round concluded late Thursday morning, with the competitors showing less than their best play for such a big stage.

Thom Archibald began the round with a two shot lead, but missed shots on two of the first three holes put him into a tie with Jim. As Thom began making putts, Jim missed. In fact, he missed 5 putts inside 5 feet on holes 4 through 8, giving the lead back to Thom. Jim's frustration finally got to him on the ninth when he hastily hit his shots around the green, nearly "Happy Gilmore" style (it was unlike anything this reporter has ever witnessed), and didn't ever hole out on the hole, after hitting two bunker shots at swatting at at least six putts. He played the tenth in similar fashion, pulling a driver into a sagebrush area on the short and narrow hole that never requires more than a long iron.

Play began to turn around for each player, though, as Thom birdied the tenth and eagled the twelfth, and Jim birdied the twelfth. Thom suffered a triple bogey on the par four 16th, but he had secured a victory after Jim's adventures on 9 and ten. The competitors each finished with rounds over par on the final day, but Thom was pleased with a win nonetheless.

"I am glad to finally win my first big tournament. I look forward to defending next year, and hope to have figured much more of this course out by then. I played good all week, but just sprayed it in the wrong directions a few times, and that really hurt me," Thom mentioned after his round, at the trophy presentation. Jim wouldn't comment, but a few times during his round, he was heard saying "I hate this game."