PINE BLUFF -- Miles Smith of Little Rock made sure two legendary names on the state's amateur golf circuit met their match Saturday.
Smith beat Chris Jenkins (2 up) and Beau Glover (2-and-1) to reach the final of the Arkansas State Golf Association Men's Match Play and will face Luke Cornett of Drasco for the championship at 9:30 a.m. today at Harbor Oaks Golf Club.
Smith, who will be a sophomore at Central Arkansas this year, won the ASGA Junior Match Play last year and is playing the men's match play for the first time. All he did Saturday was eliminate Jenkins, a 2018 ASGA Hall of Fame inductee, in the quarterfinals and Glover, a three-time ASGA Junior Boys Player of the Year (2000, 2001 and 2002), in the semifinals. Glover is such a revered figure that the organization honors its Junior Boys Player of the Year with the "Beau Glover Award."
"That says it all right there," ASGA Executive Director Jay Fox said of Smith's doubleheader sweep.
In the semifinals, Smith was 2 down at the turn before pulling even with a birdie on No. 11. Smith took his first lead on No. 13 after Glover missed a short par putt, and he went 2 up with another birdie on No. 14.
Smith, still 2 up, closed out the match on No. 17, a 186-yard par 3 protected by water in front of the green, when he nearly holed his 5 iron and was left with about a foot for birdie.
"I was eyeing it down, for sure," Smith said. "It looked good."
Glover's tee shot finished about 30 feet from the hole, leading to a concession (both players were credited with birdies for scoring purposes, according to a tournament official).
Smith, 19, said he's never had a hole-in-one in competition.
"That would have been one for the books if I made that one," said Smith, a 2017 Little Rock Catholic graduate. "I just kept playing my game. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen. Obviously, Beau, he's a great player. I was just able to make a few more putts at the end."
Smith said he had never faced Glover, of North Little Rock, or Jenkins in match play. Jenkins, 48, a Little Rock insurance agent, is a former men's match play champion and points leader in the race for ASGA Player of the Year.
"The morning was pretty good," Smith said. "It was definitely a tight match. Everyone knows Chris Jenkins around here."
Cornett, who recently completed his senior season at Arkansas Tech, beat Kevin Walker 5-and-3 in the other semifinal.
In other championship matches today, Glen Talbert of Sheridan will meet Bill Wrentz of Cabot at 9 a.m. in the Super-Senior Division; Tracy Harris of Little Rock will meet Fred Stamey of Hot Springs Village in the Senior Division at 9:10 a.m.; and Bill Burkhalter of Maumelle will face Trey Schaap of Maumelle in the Mid-Senior Division at 9:20 a.m.
Sports on 08/05/2018