Topeka ? Gary Woodland will say goodbye to playing in the Kansas Golf Association, going out as the 2007 Kansas Amateur Champion after defeating Wes Stonestreet, 3-and-2, in the 36-hole title match at Topeka Country Club on Sunday.

“I didn’t expect to win two Amateurs, and it means a lot to me,” said Woodland, who also won the Amateur Championship in 2005. “It means a lot to come out here and win, especially at home. I’ve learned so much playing in the KGA.

“Growing up, that’s all I played in. I didn’t play any national stuff. So this has kind of been the start for me, and hopefully it carries on down the road.”

Woodland, a former Kansas University golfer, not only took advantage of getting to play on his home course, but he also capitalized on Stonestreet’s early mistakes.

After going 2-up after the first five holes, Stonestreet bogeyed five of the next six holes.

Woodland, on the other hand, was bogey-free through the first 18.

“My goal was to just be leading after 18 holes,” the former Jayhawk said. “I shot 4-under, but I didn’t make any birdies on the front nine, I made all the birdies on the back. So I didn’t think shooting that I’d be 3-up.”

Woodland was as much as 4-up on Stonestreet, but on the 24th hole of the match Stonestreet began a comeback bid by cutting Woodland’s lead to 1-up.

Former Kansas University golfer Gary Woodland gestures during the final round of the Kansas Amateur. Woodland won his second Amateur crown Sunday in Topeka.

“I was walking off the green mad, and I hear the official say, ‘Woodland, still 1-up,’ and I had to tell myself, ‘OK, I’m doing bad, but I’m still winning,'” said Woodland, who had three bogeys and four birdies on the second 18. “So I relaxed a little bit, finished on 9 and took it from there.”

Once again, bogeys struck Stonestreet, collecting two over the next four holes and Woodland eventually led, 3-up, with six holes to play.

“A little mishap here and you’re back down a couple of holes so there’s not much you can do,” said Stonestreet, whose prior best finish at the Kansas-Am was an appearance in the quarterfinals a year ago. “… It’s been a tough week, and Gary just played well.”

If having the advantage of playing on his home course wasn’t enough for Woodland, he also had some familiar faces around him for support, including his caddy Mike Dickerson.

“He does most of the work. I just step up and do what he says and hit it,” Woodland said about Dickerson, who was his fifth-grade basketball coach. “He knows this golf course as well as anybody, and he knows my golf game as well as anybody so it gave me confidence having him on the bag.”

Dickerson served as Woodland’s caddy when he won the Kansas Amateur title in 2005.

“It was fun,” Dickerson said. “It’s probably the last time I’ll get to caddy for him, and now we’ll be watching him on TV.”

Woodland also had his golf coach at KU, Ross Randall, who stepped down as the Kansas golf coach in May, in the large gallery on hand to watch the win.

“I’ve been talking to him, and he told me he was going to make it out this afternoon,” Woodland said. “And it meant a lot to see him there because he’s done so much for me, and I’m glad he got to see me finish this in front of him. … He’s been a father to me for four years so I’m glad he got to come out here, and it meant a lot to get to see him.”

The two-time Kansas Amateur champion now plans to spend three more weeks playing as an amateur with hopes of making the United State’s team for the Walker Cup, a biennial competition between amateur teams from the U.S. and Great Britain.

“If I don’t make that, I’ll turn pro,” Woodland said. “Start qualifying to a Q-school (Qualifying school), hopefully get through Q-school and play with the big boys next year.”