O'Neill wins second straight in Senior's

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Aug. 2, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

Bob O'Neill of Beatrice, Neb., made it apparent Saturday that Bemidji Town & Country Club officials could rename the Birchmont Senior Division the O'Neill Division.

The 1997 Birchmont Golf Tournament Senior champion successfully defended his title Saturday, while he was competing in his 10th Birchmont championship final of his career.

The 1998 Senior Division Championship is his fourth career title, as he took home the gold once in 1986 in the Executive Division, as well as his three Senior championships.

O'Neill wasted no time during Saturday's final, discarding his opponent, Don Pyykola of Cambridge, 8 and 6.

In a round that ended on No. 12, O'Neill shot one birdie on hole four and fired nothing bigger than par the rest of the round.

"I played real good golf. I was under par for the entire week, and that's as good as I'm going to play," O'Neill said of his championship.

He wasted no time taking the first hole with par after Pyykola fired his tee shot wide of the fairway. But the pair would push the next two holes, leaving the match 1-up in favor of O'Neill after three.

The defending champ gave himself a 2-up lead by winning the forth, and then pushed another hole with Pyykola on No. 5.

That's when the three-time champion put the lights out, winning the next five holes -- Nos. 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 -- with pars.

Another par on Hole 12 gave O'Neill an 8 and 6 edge and the victory.

"(Pyykola) was having problems with driving. So he wasn't playing very well. He gave me a lot of holes," he said after his match. "If you don't drive very well, and your opponent doesn't even bogey ... you're going to get thrashed."

O'Neill, who will approach his 60th birthday before next year's Birchmont, said he will return next year to defend his title again, and try to become the first-ever Seniors champion to three-peat.

He became the seventh competitor to win back-to-back titles in the Seniors this weekend, and he said he would like to be the first with three consecutive ones.

"My next birthday will be No. 60 ... that's definitely on the 'back nine' of life," he said. "But God be willing, and the water doesn't rise, I'll be back."

Thursday (Quarterfinals):

O'Neill def. Tweeton, 5 and 3

Kennedy def. Hiller, 5 and 4

Douglas def. Perkins, 3 and 2

Pyykola def. Barnes, 3 and 1

Friday (Semifinals):

O'Neill def. Kennelly, 5 and 4

Pyykola def. Douglas, 3 and 1

Saturday (Championship):

O'Neill def. Pyykola, 8 and 6