GolfArizona.com Staff Report

PARADISE VALLEY, Ariz. - An unlikely scenario has unfolded in the last two years as Cottonwood's Mingus High School has produced the past two Arizona Amateur Golf Champions. Matt Lewis won in 1998 and Native American Marty James, 26, beat Ken Kellaney, 5 and 4, in the finals on July 17 to win the 75th Amateur at Paradise Valley Country Club.

"We are delighted and proud that these young men came out of Mingus High and worked here at Sedona Golf Resort," said John Benzel, the director of golf at the course. Both James, part Yavapai, Hopi and Apache Indian, and Lewis, Benzel's step-son, worked at Sedona Golf Resort while in high school.

After both players made par on the first four holes, Kellaney missed the green on No. 5, a long par 3. He failed to get up and down and James two-putted for par to go 1-up.

"It's disappointing, but I'll learn from this and go forward," said Kellaney. I didn't put any pressure on Marty or put the ball close to the hole. Once I got behind it was tough to make up. I felt really good going in because I've been here before and know what I have to do to prepare. Unfortunately I picked this day to kind of have an off day."

Things only got better for James after No. 5 as he birdied the next hole, a long par 5 and birdied the course's No. 1 handicap hole, No. 8, with a long birdie putt after Kellaney put himself in great position for birdie. When Kellaney missed his birdie, James was 3-up after eight holes. Kellaney bogeyed No. 10 and No. 11 and the match was basically over at that point, although the 43-year-old Phoenix banker birdied No. 13 to extend the match.

It was Kellaney's only birdie, but James closed out the match after making a birdie from 20 feet on PVCC's 409-yard par 4 14th.

The only hole James bogeyed on Saturday was No. 7, a short par 4 that Kellaney also failed to par. "It was uncharacteristic for Ken to miss a few short putts today, but I'm happy with the way I played. I hit a lot of solid shots today-pretty straight and where I wanted them to be," said James, who first played in the Amateur four years ago as a 22-year-old.

"Each year I've improved in this tournament, including last year when I made the quarterfinals. This is one of the goals I set out to accomplish early in the year."

Ed Smith, 56, of Mesa won his second straight Senior Arizona Amateur with a 4 and 3 victory over Chuck Renner, a PING employee.

"It was the first match I got up early-I was 3-up after four holes," said Smith, who sells plumbing supplies. Smith, although he gave a couple holes back during the match, eventually closed out Renner with a birdie on No. 15.

"I would have played in the regular competition if I could have, but the two tournaments are run at the same time. I was even or under par in every match that I played," said Smith, who plays out of Apache Creek Golf Club in Gilbert.

"I have had so much more experience and I devote so much more of my time to my game than the other guys-it's just one of my priorities."