Kokrak wins amateur event

The Warren JFK graduate's 7-under 277 was good for victory by four strokes.
BEACHWOOD (AP) -- Lots of skilled amateur players can hit a golf ball a long ways off the tee. Warren JFK graduate Jason Kokrak can do that, plus much, much more.
The 21-year-old Xavier senior overpowered Canterbury Golf Club to shoot an even-par 71 and win the 100th Ohio Amateur title by four strokes on Friday.
"It is definitely a big factor," Kokrak said of his length off the tee. "Hitting it straight and hitting it 50 or 60 yards past can be a huge advantage."
Finally
The victory was a major breakthrough for a player who had already been state high school medalist twice and has been low man at the last two Atlantic 10 Conference golf championships.
The Warren native's 71 followed rounds of 70, 68 and 68 and left him at 7-under 277.
Marty Miller of Middletown closed with a 72 and was alone at 281.
"It's intimidating playing against a guy hitting it past you 50 or 80 yards, but what can you do?" Miller said. "You just have to play your own game and do what you can."
Dublin's Alex Antonio, at 61 the oldest player in the field, shot a 73 to finish tied for third at 285 with two-time Ohio Am champ Robert Gerwin. Gerwin matched the low score of the day with a 67.
Antonio matched strokes with Kokrak, despite the gaping disparity off the tee.
"He just hits it so far," the former Ohio State golfer said. "That's the farthest I've ever seen anyone hit it."
1961 Amateur champ
During the awards ceremony after the final round, Antonio, a Hubbard native, was introduced as "the 1961 Ohio Juniors champion."
Tied for fifth were defending champion Chris Wilson of Dublin (71), Xenia's Andy Miller (73), C.J. Gatto of Columbus (67), Logan's Jason Gerken (72) and Michael Kelley (71) of Westerville.
Kokrak was grouped with his two closest pursuers, Marty Miller (who started the day three shots back) and Antonio (three shots behind Miller).
Miller is average in length off the tee, while Antonio is a big hitter for a seniors player. Kokrak, however, is PGA Tour long.
On the 475-yard 13th hole, played as a par 5 by members but a par 4 this week for the Am, Kokrak's drive was 347 yards -- and 76 yards ahead of Miller's and an incredible 116 yards beyond Antonio's.
"I thought it was only 112 yards," Antonio joked.
On their second shots on the difficult 13th, Antonio hit a 3 wood and Kokrak hit gap wedge.
Decided advantage
Kokrak had at least a 40-yard advantage on most of the holes where he hit driver. Twice on the front nine his drive ended up 60 yards past Miller's.
That's a huge advantage, particularly for a player who started the day with a comfortable lead.
Still, Miller cut the lead to a shot on the first hole by holing a 25-foot sidehill birdie putt while Kokrak was making bogey after flying the green with his second shot.
Miller lipped out par putts at holes 3 and 4 and Kokrak reached the par-5 sixth in two and two-putted for a birdie to push the lead to four strokes.
"I felt good after that two-shot swing on the first hole, on No. 3 I just wasn't that focused on that short [par] putt," Miller said.
At the par-3 seventh, Kokrak hit his iron approach 20 yards over the green and had to settle for bogey. Miller rolled in a 35-foot birdie putt to narrow the gap to two.
Two to green
Kokrak again needed just two shots to get to the green at the par-5 ninth, after a drive that covered well more than 300 yards. When Miller had tree trouble and bogeyed the hole, Kokrak two-putted from 40 feet to go ahead by four shots.
"That [length] really helps because I know that [par-5] holes like 6 and 9 should be birdie holes for me," Kokrak said.
Playing smart golf -- and continuing to mail his driver -- there was no way Kokrak was going to lose.
He cinched the win with a tight approach to the 15th for a five-stroke lead.
The victory came in Kokrak's third appearance in the Ohio Amateur.
He hung around the lead all week before a final-round 77 left him tied for 19th in 2002.
A year later, he tied for sixth. He missed the last two Ohio Amateurs because he was playing in the U.S. Public Links.