Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 2, 1995 TAG: 9507060025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
``Basically, I had decided I was done with golf for the year,'' said the Roanoker. ``The way things were going, I really didn't care if I played anymore or not.''
Then came a phone call from the Virginia State Golf Association that changed everything.
``I couldn't believe it,'' Smith said. ``Mr. [Henry] Kerfoot of the VSGA called and asked me if I would like to go to France and play for a week. I couldn't say no to that.''
Smith, 34, is one of four players invited by the VSGA to play for the Virginia team in the July 25-30 Biarritz Cup in Biarritz, France.
Scott Inman, the 1994 State Amateur champion from Springfield, '92 State Am champion Allen Barber of Yorktown and '94 State Mid-Am titlist Bill Williard of Virginia Beach join Smith on the VSGA team.
``It's a great honor to be chosen,'' said Smith, who played on the VSGA's team in the 1994 Virginias-Carolinas and Sumner Cup matches. ``Maybe I can go over there and turn things around. I haven't been hitting the ball that poorly. It's just a matter of not scoring.''
NEW PROS: Two of the newest clubs in the area have new head pros.
Ed Cofino, formerly of Kensington, Md., has joined Mariners Landing in Hardy, and Marion native Greg Sayers has been hired by Draper Valley Golf Club in Draper.
Cofino, 31, takes over for Greg Haley at Mariners Landing. Haley remains as the club's general manager.
``I played with Greg at Elon [N.C.] College, so that was the link for me here,'' said Cofino, who had worked the past three years at Walden Golf Club in Crofton, Md. ``Mariners Landing is a great golf course, and unless something drastic happens, I look to be here for a long time.''
Cofino said ground will be broken soon on Mariners Landing's new clubhouse, and the facility should be ready by next summer.
Sayers, 25, replaces Rodney Ford at Draper Valley. The former Radford University standout had been an assistant at The Virginian in Bristol the past two years.
``It's going to be different being at an all-public facility, but Draper Valley is a super golf course,'' Sayers said.
Sayers noted Draper Valley's owners are contemplating the addition of nine holes in the near future.
HOLLIDAY BASH: The team of Gerald Akers, Wayne Campbell, Nick Thomas and R.W. Thompson won the overall title at the ninth Don Holliday Memorial captain's choice tournament.
The winning group carded a 14-under-par 58 in the captain's choice format at Hanging Rock and beat the team of Don Holliday Jr., Craig Cordes, Berkley Goodman and Mike Harwood on a match of cards.
Two players - Hank Highfill and J.C. Haga - scored holes in one.
With a record field of 292 players, the tournament generated more than $10,000 for the Don Holliday Memorial scholarship award administered by the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame.
FAME SCHOLARSHIPS: In addition to the Holliday award, the Hall of Fame handed out scholarship money to eight more deserving applicants:
Salem High School's Robert Seagle, who plans to attend Virginia Tech or Cornell, won the $1,000 Buddy Clement Memorial.
William Byrd's Wendy Hayden, who plans to attend Virginia Tech, won the $1,000 Phil Kistler scholarship.
William Byrd's Nadia Guertler, who will attend Roanoke College or James Madison, won the $1,000 Gordon Willis scholarship.
William Byrd's Brian Saunders, who plans to attend Virginia Tech, won the $300 King Family scholarship.
Allison Waymack and Ray Harrell of Glenvar, Dana Hall of Cave Spring and Kelly Osborne of Virginia Tech each won a $300 Hall of Fame scholarship.
DOUBLE DECKER: Fieldale's Keith Decker posted back-to-back victories the past two weekends, winning the Chatmoss Invitational and Mariners Landing Invitational.
After firing 2-under 142 to knock off Richmond's David Partridge by three shots at Chatmoss, Decker came back with a 70-76 at Mariners Landing to nip Bedford's John Nichols by a stroke.
The inaugural Mariners Landing tournament drew a field of 75.
SAND BLASTS: After this year, Anheuser-Busch Classic officials have made it known they no longer will extend an automatic tournament berth to the AMF-Signet Open of Virginia champion. Counting this year, the Open winner has been given a spot in the PGA Tour event in Williamsburg for 15 consecutive years. None has survived the cut. ... A pair of Blacksburg-based players has joined the area qualifiers for the State Open, to be played July 20-23 at Willow Oaks in Richmond. Jimmy Williams, teaching pro at Cox's Golf Range, and Billy Good, assistant pro at the Virginia Tech Golf Course, qualified by shooting 72 and 75, respectively, at Staunton Country Club. ... Ray Oyler recorded a net score of 1-under 70 to win the Roanoke Valley Golf Association's annual three-club tournament at Countryside. Dale Reed and Brian Miller tied for second with 71s.
by CNB