The iron-y of it all - Forrester puts away woods to win WACO

August 13, 2000

The iron-y of it all - Forrester puts away woods to win WACO

By LARRY YANOS / Mail Sports Editor

photo: KEVIN G. GILBERT / staff photographer

Drew Forrester proved to be an iron man Sunday at Beaver Creek Country Club.

Forrester discarded his driver after the fifth hole of the final round of the 17th annual Washington County Open Championship and used a 2-iron off the tee most of the remaining holes to claim the championship.

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The 37-year-old member of the Mount Pleasant Country Club near Baltimore carded a 71 Sunday and finished with a two-day total of 145. Greg Henry and Tim Reeves tied for second at 149.

Forrester opened tournament play Saturday with a 74 and was one shot behind co-leaders Henry, Reeves and Kenny Smith entering Sunday.

He grabbed the lead with a birdie on the fourth hole and nursed it home as Henry and Reeves could not make up any ground.

Forrester went with the irons off the tee following a bogey on the fifth hole. He also bogeyed No. 15 but added birdies on 4 and 9.

"My driver went astray on the fifth hole and when I hit into the trees, I said to myself 'That's it, you're going back in the bag,''' said Forrester, who just missed qualifying for the U.S. Amateur this year.

Forrester, who just missed qualifying for the U.S. Amateur earlier this summer, said he hit the ball 230-240 yards with the irons and kept it in play.

"I worked some with it on Friday and after the fifth hole today (Sunday), I decided to go for it," Forrester. "I said 'what's the big deal, hitting a driver 270 yards or hitting an iron 230-240."

With the exception of the 15th hole (when he had problems with a chip shot in muddy, deep rough), Forrester played errorless golf down the stretch.

"I don't like looking at the scoreboard," Forrester said, "but I knew I had the lead.''

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