Hardy agreed, "really hurt." Bettencourt would go as many as 5 up right after the lunch break when Hardy bogeyed the par-5 first. But the 25-year0old Hardy scrapped back with a birdie from 10 feet on the fourth and a par on the fifth as Bettencourt bogeyed from the front bunker. A birdie from five feet on the par-5 seventh gave Bettencourt a temporary 4-up lead that was reduced again when he hit into the woods left of the eight fairway. Hardy would win, as he bogeyed the ninth and tenth to go 5 down, then Bettencourt knocked it on the par-5 11th in two and won with a birdie. A great 2 on the par-3 12th gave Hardy temporary life that was quickly extinguished when he bogeyed and Bettencourt parred to clinch the match. "I'm on top of the world," said Bettencourt, who had last played in the Amateur as an 18-year-old in 1993. "It feels great. This is the biggest win I've ever had, without a doubt. To win our golf associations' championship is absolutely unbelievable." He was able to do it by characteristically hitting his driver incredibly long all week and tirelessly holing the putts he had to have. He never made a lot of birdies but made even fewer mistakes, starting with his 3 and 2 win over Joey Stockton of Twin Creeks GC in the first round and a slim 1-up decision over Ron Collet of Belmont CC later that day. His biggest win of the week came over 2000 NCGA Player of the Year Jim Wilson of Butte Creek, whom he outlasted with a dramatic 25-foot birdie on the first extra hole. That propelled him to a 5 and 4 trouncing of J.J. Jakovac of Napa GC, which set up his final match with Hardy, where his intentions were equal to those in his previous four bouts. "My game plan going into the final was to try and make 36 pars," Bettencourt said. "Obviously you're not going to do that at Spyglass. But if you can make 36 pars, you're probably going to win 99 percent of the time." After Bettencourt clinched the match with yet another par on 14, both he and Hardy, who chatted amiably all match, embraced. Hardy was the unlikeliest of finalists after he shot an 80 in the second round of stroke play qualifying Tuesday, making a 10-footer on the 18th hole. That gave him a 155 total that put him in a three-man playoff for the final two spots. However, when John Jaramillo of Bennett Valley GC failed to show up for the playoff, Hardy and John Dunn of Oakmont GC got i automatically, with Hardy earning the 32nd seed. He is thought to be the only 32 seed to advance to the NCGA Amateur finals. He, like Bettencourt, got early encouragement by knocking off one of the tournament's stalwarts, as he dominated medallist Jonathan Echols of Kings CC, 5 and 3 in the first round. That afternoon he had a equally convincing 4 and 3 win over Parke Jacquay of Round Hill CC, who didn't take the loss too hard-- he went on to caddy for Hardy through the final match. He helped Hardy knock off veteran John Enright of the Olympic Club by another 5 and 4 count. But Hardy's semifinal match against Brian Jones of Butte Creek CC wasn't decided so early. That battle went to extra holes when Hardy bogeyed the 18th in regulation. After par halves on the first two holes, Hardy took the match when Jones uncharacteristically three-putted the par-3 third hole "I'm proud of myself," Hardy said when reflecting on this week. "I mean, how many chances are you going to have to be in the final? There are a lot of guys who would have loved to be in my shoes." "Even though I lost, this does a lot for your confidence," said Hardy, who is the golf coach at his alma mater St. Mary's College. "After this tournament last year, when I went to the quarters, I had a tournament the next weekend and I won it by eitht shouts. If you play well out here for a few days your confidence is going to be pretty high." Hardy's loss prolonged a remarkable streak in which he has lost to the eventual champion each of the last three years. In 1999, he lost to darryl Donovan in the second round and fell to good friend James Hay in the quarterfinals last year. Hay, who is close with both Hardy and Bettencourt, was among the small gallery following the match friday. "I wanted to make sure I was here." Hay said. "Both of these guys are friends of mine and if I'm going to hand over the trophy, I wouldn't want to hand it to anyone else." Getting his hands on that trophy put Bettencourt in the lead over State Am Champion Carryl Donovan for NCGA Player of the Year honors, a lead he carried through to the end of the season. "Right now I'm as confident as I can be in my game, "Bettencourt beamed. "I feel great physically, mentally and I'm just real strong right now."