John Ellis went down swinging. Ellis wrapped up play at the
AT
&
amp;T Pro-Am Saturday by finishing 1-under par (69-74-72–215).
He was just one stroke away from qualifying for the championship
round on Sunday — the cutoff being 2-under.
PEBBLE BEACH — John Ellis went down swinging. Ellis wrapped up play at the AT&T Pro-Am Saturday by finishing 1-under par (69-74-72–215).
He was just one stroke away from qualifying for the championship round on Sunday — the cutoff being 2-under.
Playing his final round on Spyglass, Ellis hit the green from behind a pair of trees and then sank the putt from about 25 feet away for his third birdie of the day.
“I hadn’t made many putts, so it was nice to make one like that,” he said.
Ellis also had birdies on holes 7 and 11, but he fell into a hole early after bogeying holes 2, 5 and 6.
“I knew I would need a couple birdies down the stretch to guarantee me playing tomorrow,” Ellis said. “I thought if I had at least one it would be good enough to make the cut. It’s a little frustrating. I thought it might be good enough. I just wasn’t really sharp all week.”
Even though Spyglass doesn’t have the winds from the ocean that Pebble Beach provides, Ellis said the course can be deceiving.
“The wind plays tough in the trees because sometimes you can’t feel it,” he said.
Ellis, a Live Oak High School and Gavilan grad, playing his fourth year at Pebble Beach, said he would try to learn from the experience despite the disappointment.
“I was pleased with the way I hung in there and battled over the last 14 holes,” he said. “I came here with hopes of winning the tournament, but hopefully I can get something out of it. It gives me a little more experience.”
Ellis plans to take a couple weeks off and then participate in some Monday qualifiers for the Nationwide Tour.
