Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 4, 1990 TAG: 9006040136
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS BACHELDER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Michael Grant, who held a one-stroke lead after Saturday's first round, killed any thoughts of a thrilling finish by shooting a 4-under-par 68 in Sunday's final round, easily winning the 17th annual golf tournament.
The event, held at the 6,685-yard, par-72 Blacksburg Country Club course, is sponsored and coordinated by the Blacksburg Jaycees.
Grant, a native of Radford and a rising senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, had five birdies Sunday - including three on the back nine - to put his name on the winner's plaque and on a $500 BCC Pro Shop gift certificate.
With Saturday's score of 69, Grant's final round gave him a combined 7-under-par 137, a tournament record. The old record of 6-under 138 was set by four-time winner David Tolley in 1987.
Grant said the key to his final-round success was his driving.
"I hit the ball a lot better today than I did on Saturday," he said. "I don't want to say I can't hit it any better, but I'm really pleased with the way I hit the driver the whole tourney. My putting wasn't as good, but I'm happy overall."
Grant, who did not play well in his first GBO in 1989, said he has improved a great deal since then.
"I'd been playing good golf coming in here," he said. "I played well in the Sun Belt Conference tournament, and had a pretty good year on the [VCU] team. I like this course and I've played here before. In the back of my mind, I thought that if I played well, I could win this tournament."
Grant's stiffest competition came from the top two pros, Rich Buckner of Dumfries and Blacksburg Country Club's Jimmy Williams. Each shot 2-under 142, five strokes off the lead.
Buckner finished second by virtue of his birdie on the 18th hole. Williams placed third, followed by Troy Dixon, who shot a strong 3-under 69 Sunday, giving him a combined 143.
Lynchburg's Steven Toney, one stroke behind Grant at 70 after the first round, faded to fifth with a second round 73 and a combined 143. Defending champion Dickie Linkous finished at 3-over-par 147.
Pros Buckner and Williams received checks for $250 and $150, respectively, for their second- and third-place finishes. For fourth and fifth places, Dixon and Toney earned pro shop gift certificates of $100 and $75.
Buckner, who played in the same group as Grant, seemed to be the only golfer with a chance of challenging the leader. He attempted a late run at the front-runner on the par-5 13th hole.
"I was 2-under and he was 4-under, so it was still a ballgame," Buckner said. "I got impatient and hit some bad shots. I double-bogeyed and he [Grant] birdied. That pretty much did it.
"I didn't play bad, but I didn't play good, either. He [Grant] played the kind of game I wanted to play. He was patient."
Buckner, in his third GBO, hit four birdies on the afternoon, but his trouble on the 13th hole put him out of the championship chase.
After that, the only thing threatening for Grant was the dark afternoon clouds. But, like his competitors, he never was touched by the rain.
Grant, in his second GBO, birdied the 13th, 14th and 15th holes, more than compensating for his lone bogey of the tournament, on the 11th hole. He also birdied Nos. 1 and 7.
Grant said he was unaffected by any final-round pressure. "I just thought about playing the golf course," he said. "I tried not to pay any attention to what the other golfers were doing."
by CNB