Blinn makes herself known with capture of state crown

01:00 AM EDT on Saturday, August 16, 2003

BY KEVIN McNAMARA
Journal Sports Writer

MIDDLETOWN -- It's taken Valerie Blinn a while to become a name on the area women's amateur golf circuit, but that process is now over.

Blinn ended any anonymity she may have enjoyed by rolling to a win at the Ocean State Women's Golf Association's State Amateur championship this week at Newport National Golf Club. Blinn, who captured the women's title at Crestwood Country Club on Thursday, added the state crown yesterday with a relatively easy 4 and 3 win over Carol Clary of Segregansett. Blinn lost two holes early in the match but took advantage of some short-game errors by Clary to cruise to the victory.

A Seekonk native, Blinn didn't participate in many junior golf events and enjoyed a solid, but hardly dominating, career at St. Francis (Pa.) University. A triple major, Blinn said she focused on her studies and graduated with honors in May. With her diploma in hand, the goal this summer was to concentrate on golf full-time. As this week's results show, Blinn's game is getting better and better.

"In college, I was just another golfer," she said. "I've really never played around (Rhode Island) much and I never had the time to be serious about the game."

That's all changed. Blinn says she realizes she has a long way to go but she'd like to work exclusively on her skills for another year and then see if she has the talent to play on the LPGA Futures Tour.

"I don't want to be older and say I didn't give it a try," the 22-year-old said. "Who knows what will happen?"

Like many young players, Blinn's calling card is a booming driver. She said she loves her new TaylorMade 580 driver and she enjoyed a healthy length advantage off the tee yesterday and most of the week. Blinn owns a long, looping swing with a powerful, full turn and regularly cracks drives 250 yards.

"This past season I've gained more control so I'm consistently down the middle," she said. "A lot of people have tried to change (my swing) over the years because it's kind of loopy but I get it back in the slot where you need it. That's all that matters."

Blinn began yesterday's match opening the door for Clarey by bogeying two of the first four holes. Clarey took advantage and won both holes but gave one back when she failed to get up-and-down on the 129-yard third hole.

The match stayed even until the eighth hole, when Clarey began making some uncharacteristic mistakes with her short game. At the par-5 eighth, both players hit the green in regulation and hit their birdie putts by the hole. But while Clarey missed a 6-footer for par, Blinn drained a 10-foot uphill putt.

The key hole was the 10th, a short par-4 where players lay up in front of a wetland hazard but hit into a small green. Clarey missed the green left and then bladed a chip clear across the green. Her long par putt rolled 4 feet by and when she missed the follow-up chance, Blinn was 2-up.

"The chip on 10 was crucial," said Clarey. "I had the same one in the qualifying round and knocked it close. Today it got away from me."

The lead grew to three holes at the 11th hole, a short par-5 that both players nearly hit in two shots. Clarey landed in a greenside sand trap but her third shot came out hot and didn't stop until it rolled to the other side of the green. Clarey settled for another bogey, while Blinn had a tap in for bird.

Blinn also birdied the 14th hole to go 4-up, ending any chance Clarey may have had for a late comeback.

"Today I had a few putts where I blew it by (the hole) but still made the 10-, 12-footers, the ones you have to make," said Blinn. "I wanted to win this week. There were a lot of good players in this tournament but I just wanted to take care of my game."

In the tournament's other flights, Brenda Nardolillo of host Newport National beat Judy Duarte of Segregansett, 3 and 2. In the Second Division, Katherine Murphy of Wanumetonomy beat Jessie Tolland of Newport, 4 and 3. The Third Division winner was Kyon Kim of Triggs who knocked off Alpine's Amanda Parker, 4 and 3.