GENOA -- When the final round of the 2003 Nevada State Amateur Championship ends today, Carson City's Jeff Duncan won't be looking for the first-place trophy. He'll be looking for a bed.
"You know what, I'm just tired," said Duncan, who works as a supervisor at a bar inside the Carson Station. "I played on Saturday and Sunday in Washoe. I played Monday in the U.S. Amateur qualifying at Genoa. Then I played yesterday and today at Genoa. I've had to work every day after playing this past week and I'm kind of tired. And I'm old and crabby. But I don't have to work after tomorrow's round, so I'm going to play better."
Duncan shot a 1-under 71 during Wednesday's second round at The Golf Club at Genoa Lakes, and has a two-day total of 143. He goes into today's final round six shots back of the leader Matt Kodoma, who fired a 2-under 70 to put him at 7-under for the tournament. Duncan, though, feels he has another round in the 60s left in him.
"It's important to do well on the front nine," said Duncan, who shot a personal best 67 during Monday's U.S. Amateur qualifying at Genoa. "I haven't really been able to do that this week. If I can catch fire early, you never know what can happen. I definitely want to finish strong and finish up high and I've played pretty well. I'm scoring well but I'm just not making those great shots that will get you a 67 instead of a 71. I always leave shots out there."
Lowry High graduate Ben Bryson is in second place and one shot back of Kodoma. The junior to-be at Washington State followed up Tuesday's 2-under 70 with a 4-under 68 on Wednesday. Defending champion Cullen Brasfield, a former University of Nevada star, is tied with three others in fifth place with a 3-under 141. Two other former Nevada grads, Ian Hagen and Carlos Concha, are in the top 10. Hagen is in third place at 5-under and Concha is tied with Duncan in ninth place at 1-under.
Duncan's best finish at the Nevada State Amateur was at Dayton Valley Country Club in 2001, when he finished in fourth. He also qualified for the U.S. Amateur that year. But his 36-hole score of 6-under during Monday's U.S. Amateur qualifying round left him in a tie for fourth place. Only the top two advance.
Duncan tees off today at 8:50 a.m., less than nine hours after getting off work. To win his first ever state amateur title, though, he'll most likely need to shoot another 67. And hope Kodama and Bryson struggle.
"I think I'll do pretty well tomorrow," Duncan said. "If not, at least I don't have to work."
Notes...Whittell High graduate Dustin Fox is in a five-way tie for 12th place at 1-over. Dustin Hall, the former Reed High golf and basketball star who's now playing basketball at Feather River, stumbled to a second round 75 and is tied with two others at 2-over. Hall's opening round 1-under had him tied for third. Galena High graduate Steven Kafchinski is tied for 41st with a two-day total of 157.