Vana just misses third Mass. Amateur title
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Marlborough - The part of his golf game that got him into the final of the 99th Massachusetts Amateur Championship - his putting - is the part that ultimately cost Frank Vana a chance to win his third career Mass. Amateur title.

The 44-year-old Vana, who plays out of Marlborough Country Club, made his way deftly around the greens of Concord Country Club during the first six rounds of the week-long tournament, which concluded July 13, rolling in birdie putt after birdie putt and long par-saving putt after long par-saving putt.

On that fateful day however, Vana's expertise with the only flat-edged club in his golf bag deserted him.

Because it did, Vana, playing in the 36-hole final for the fourth time in five years, lost 1-up to 24-year-old Burgess Houston.

"I'm disappointed that I played so poorly," Vana said. "I wasn't as sharp with my putting in the final as I had been prior to that. That was ugly golf. I feel bad for all the people watching."

The worst of the bad golf for Vana came on the par-5 17th hole - the next-to-last hole of the tournament - as he threeputted from 20 feet. It was the fifth time in the final that Vana three-putted a hole, and Houston won the hole each time Vana three-putted.

"The greens seemed just a touch slower in the final," Vana said. "Because of that I never felt like I got comfortable with the speed of the greens all day. I felt like I was fighting it all day. I can't believe how many putts I left short. You don't know why that happens, but sometimes you're really sharp and sometimes you're not. I just wasn't sharp with the putter in the final.

"The 36-hole final makes for a long day, and you're going to hit some bad shots and miss some others," Vana said. "But there couldn't have been a worse time for me to threeputt than on (No.) 17."

Houston's win marked the second straight year he ousted Vana from the Mass. Amateur championship. He defeated him in the quarterfinal round of last year's tournament, which was played at Worcester Country Club.

Vana, who captured the Mass. Amateur title in 2003 and 2005, was attempting to become just the eighth player in the history of the tournament to win at least three Mass. Amateurs.

Houston led, 2-up with 10 holes to play, but Vana stormed back into the match, pulling even by rolling in birdie putts on Nos. 10 and 11, the latter a 30-footer. Vana grabbed his first lead of the afternoon on No. 12, bogeying the hole while Houston double-bogeyed it, but he gave it right back on the next hole - unlucky No. 13 - with a double bogey while Houston only bogeyed the hole.

Houston went ahead on Hole No. 15 when Vana three-putted, but Houston squandered the lead when he three-putted at No. 16, setting up the drama at No. 17.