t www.durhamrcgion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN. DECEMBER 10. 2003 PAGE 13 Mills almost makes the PGA grade BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Editor' WINTER GARDEN, Fla. - Although he'd been there once before, Brook- tin's Jon Mills now has an even belter appreciation why the final stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School is known as one of the most gruelling tasks in all of sports. Mills had a PGA Tour card very much in his sights over six rounds at Orange County National, but came up four strokes shy when Ion all was Mills said and done Monday, settling instead for full status on the Nationwide Nationwide Tour for 2004. Although, at 25, he is well ahead of the curve followed followed by most golfers, Mills couldn't help but be slightly disappointed, especially especially considering one bad round - a six-over-par 78 on Saturday - likely cost him his PGA privileges. "Obviously when you come down to the crunch and you're so close to your PGA card, you're going to feel the pressure," Mills said shortly after his final round Monday. "I think the biggest thing is putting together together the six strong rounds. It's a lot of golf." Mills charged out of the gate with rounds of 69 Wednesday and 68 Thursday, Thursday, leaving him seven- under-par and one stroke off the lead. He slipped back to a tie for ninth place with a two-under 70 on Friday Friday before dropping below the cut with rounds of 78- PORT HOPE CAPITOL THEATRE Sun., Dee 14 - 8:00 pm Reserved Sealing: $28.50 (tax inch, plus $2.50 s/c) Box Office: 885-1071, 800 434-5092 (M-F 10-4) SOCCER CLUB AIL-STAR COACHES WANTED 2004 All-Star Coaching applications arc now being accepted. Applications arc available at Darlington's office, by lax or by email. All-Slur teams are .strictly Imirnimienl tennis. This program gives house league players the experience of lourmaiienl play. Teams are assembled through Irynuls and are open lo players registered with Darlington's house league program, for more information contact: Tony Kitypers, All-Star Co-ordinator 905-263-81% tkiipiTS@sympntico.ci! Darlington Soccer Chili 905-623-7309 <ly.sc@glolmlsiTve.iHT Generals go down fighting 73-71. Mills ended up tied for 52nd at three-under for the tournament. Thirty-four players earned their PGA cards, the next 50 full Nationwide Nationwide cards and the remainder remainder conditional Nationwide Nationwide cards. "I putted well for three rounds and then kind of lost it," said Mills, who had six bogeys during the fateful fateful fourth round as well as his lone double bogey of the tournament. "When I shot the 78, tlie conditions were bad. It was one of those days where you just had to grind it out." Mills, a product of Kent State University who finished finished sixth at the NCAA championships in 2001 and was named a first-team all- American, reached the final stage of Q-school in his first attempt that year. He earned a conditional card on the Buy.com Tour (now Nationwide), but struggled in his first season as a pro. This past season, Mills returned home to the Canadian Canadian Tour and won the Order of Merit, the first Canadian to do so since Mike Weir in 1997. For the record, Weir, the reigning Master champion, didn't earn his PGA card until he was 28. "People keep telling me that, so it helps, but for the most part I just believe I'll get there if I keep doing what I'm doing," said Mills. "It was a little disappointing disappointing to be so close, but it's positive to get my Nationwide Nationwide card. It's going to open some doors." Mills could bypass Q- scliool and move directly to the PGA Tour by winning three Nationwide events or placing in the lop 20 on the money list next year. The ($arra f^ac^ifs CRristmasf THIS SUNDAY!! BY BRIAN McNAIR Staff Editor OSIIAWA - The way things are going, the Plymouth Whalers will offer a nice little break for the Oshawa Generals Sunday. Okay, that may be a bit of a stretch since the Whalers are as strong as they always seem to be and the other two teams the Generals Generals face - Belleville Friday and Peterborough Saturday - both have sub-par records. But consider the following numbers about the Generals this season. Playing within their own East Division, where no team currently owns a record above .500. the Generals are an abysmal I-7-3-1. Outside their division, where 13 of the 15 teams are at or above. 500, the Generals are a surprising 10-6- 2-0. So, what gives? "I have no idea actually," left winger Adam Berli offered following following another divisional setback Sunday, a 5-4 loss to the Peterborough Peterborough Petes at the Civic Auditorium. Auditorium. "We play these guys eight limes and we have to gel points lo move up in the standings," Berti said of the Petes, whom they meet again in Peterborough Saturday. "They're right behind us and we want to stay on top. We'll see what happens next time we play them." Before that rematch, though, the Generals will try to beat the division's division's - and league's - worst team when the Belleville Bulls come to the Civic for a 7:35 p.m. start Friday, something they have yet to do in three tries so far. The Generals round out the weekend with their traditional Sunday 6:35 p.m. game at the Civic, against the Whalers, who lead the West Division with a 14- 8-5-2 record. "I just know that we have as many or more points than anyone in our division and we just have to take good, positive feelings from that," said Generals' eoach/GM George Burnett. Indeed, the Generals (11-13-5- 1 ) still have a share of first place in the East with the Kingston Frontenacs Frontenacs (12-13-3-1). The Petes (II- 14-1-2), Ottawa 67's (10-15-3-0) and the Bulls (6-18-5-0) follow. "Do we have to be better? Sure," added Burnett, in reference to divisional play. "Right now our focus for the next four days has got to be on having a good start, playing a good sound gaine and getting two points in our building against Belleville." A good start is something the Generals did not do before 3,342 RON PIETR0NIR0/ Statesman photo Peterborough Petes' defenceman Trevor Hendrikx had to he helped olT the ice following a light with Adam Berti of the Oshawa Generals. The Petes lost the light hut won the battle, posting a 5-4 win. Ians and a national television audience audience Sunday at the Civic, where they fell behind 5-1 early, battled back, but losl 5-4 to snap a four- game winning streak. Berti, Ben Eager and Chris Hulit each notched his 10th goal of the season while Ryan Kitchen (4th) also scored for the Generals. Jamie Tardif scored twice for the Petes, who drove a shaky Dan Turple out of the Oshawa goal by building a 4-1 lead on only nine shots in the first period. The Petes scored once on Ryan Gibb before the Generals mounted their comeback comeback bid. "Mentally I guess we weren't rcaily," said Berti. who clocked Petes' defenceman Trevor Hendrikx Hendrikx in one of the game's three lights. "Every time we play Peterborough Peterborough it seems like we have a slow start. Hopefully (Saturday) we can come out hard and get a win there." 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