Western Amateur Report

Cappelen keeps cool on course

Sebastian Cappelen of Fayetteville wipes his forehead Thursday afternoon during the third round of the Western Amateur Championship at the Alotian Club.

The towel atop Sebastian Cappelen’s head told part of his story after he walked off the 18th green Wednesday after completing his second round in the Western Amateur championship at The Alotian Club in Roland.

Cappelen, a University of Arkansas senior from Denmark, is still getting acclimated to the heat and humidity that is Arkansas in late July, and he did it well enough to secure a spot in the next two rounds of stroke play.

“I’m a warm weather person,” said Cappelen, who is at3-under par, well below the projected cut line of 1 under. “I adapt.”

Most likely, Cappelen will be accompanied by at least one, but possibly as many as three, of his Arkansas teammates.

Little Rock’s Joe Doramus bounced back from a 1-over 73 Tuesday to post a 2-under 70, a round that included four birdies and two bogeys, with the decisive birdie coming on the par-5 17th. Doramus’ 1-under score had him on the cut line.

Two other Razorbacks - Nicholas Echavarria and Taylor Moore - were at 4 under through six holes after enduring a weather delay of an hour and 17 minutes and will have to complete their rounds this morning.

The only Razorback who appears to be on the wrong side of the 1-under cut line is Jonesboro’s Austin Cook, who followed an opening 3-under 69 with a 3-over 75, a round punctuated by a bogey-double bogey-bogey stretch at Nos. 7-9 and a bogey on the difficult par-4 18th.

Cappelen said he has a good idea what it will take to make the sweet 16 match-play part of the tournament,which will be determined after Friday.

“I’ve got to have two more rounds under par,” Cappelen said. “Six under, I think, will make the top 16.”

Not sweet 16

Sixteen players - five threesomes and one individual - were docked a stroke Tuesday for lagging behind the Western Golf Association’s time standard of 4 hours, 57 minutes.

Two warnings were handed out Wednesday before play was delayed for an hour and 17 minutes by rain and lightning, but no more penalties had been handed out, said Gary Holaway, director of communications.

Unlucky 7

Tyler Dunlap of Westlake, Texas, survived his round Wednesday with a 1-over 73 and is still sitting in good position at 5 under for the tournament. Unfortunately, he had to hit four balls from the No. 7 tee, which included three provisional shots because two went wayward. He had to take an unplayable lie once he found his original ball and managed to take a triple bogey on the par-4.

Upon completion of the round, Dunlap signed his card and then rushed away from the scorers’ tent to be treated for a case of poison ivy that a tournament official thought he caught while looking for his tee shot and subsequent provisional balls on the seventh.

Tough gig

Little Rock’s Tyler Danaher signed up for caddie duty this week, thinking it would be a pleasant way to see The Alotian Club up close.

Pleasant might not be the right word.

“It’s a delicate process,” Danaher said, of traversing the hills so prevalent at The Alotian Club. “They’re pretty unreal. Those shuttles are a lifesaver.”

Players and caddies walk the entire 7,480-yard course, but there are shuttles available to transport players and caddies to some of the higher elevation changes.

“When you’re going downhill, you’re going downhill,” said Danaher, who is caddying for Steven Ihm of Peosta, Iowa. “When you’re going uphill, it’s way up hill.”

Abundant Aussies

Eleven Australians participated in the first two rounds with mixed results, but there is no questioning the popularity and strength of golf Down Under.

Jordan Zunic, 23, attributes the abundance of Australian golfers to Golf Australia, a grassroots organization that divides golfers into three divisions - club, state and national,as well as high-performance fitness training.

Zunic is not a member of the national squad, but players such as Brady Watt and Oliver Goss receive funding to participate in tournaments around the world.

Zunic said all the Australians get along well, and some even travel together.

Zunic did not make the 36-hole cut, but he is looking forward to next week’s U.S. Amateur at Brookline, Mass.

“Hopefully, I can find my best form for that,” he said.

Sports, Pages 23 on 08/01/2013