Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 3, 1993 TAG: 9305030011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"Mentally, I just wasn't ready," he said. "I've had the physical talent, but I haven't had it upstairs."
Until this year. Prillaman has taken care of "upstairs," and his golf bag needn't worry about spending much time downstairs again.
Crediting a newfound "mental focus" for his success, Prillaman finished his Roanoke College career on top last week when he was voted the 1993 Old Dominion Athletic Conference golfer of the year.
The 22-year-old Union Hall resident is the third Roanoke College player to garner the conference's top honor and the first since Roanoker Jason Perdue in 1982. Salem's Steve Caldwell in 1981 was the first Maroon to earn player-of-the-year honors.
"The award was a big surprise somewhat," Prillaman said. "I know I feel lucky to be in the company of those two [Perdue and Caldwell]."
Prillaman, a Bassett native, always had a decent game. He started his first three seasons at Roanoke and was selected to the all-ODAC team as a junior.
Before going to the next step, Prillaman realized he would have to find a way to keep his mental game in bounds.
"This year I was able to focus on some things," he said. "It's basically just confidence and believing in myself . . . telling myself I'm going to have some bad holes and let 'em pass. Before if I hit one or two bad shots it pretty much crumbled me for the day. That didn't happen this year."
Prillaman was a model of consistency, finishing no lower than third individually in the ODAC's regular-season match play this spring and winning medalist honors in two of the four conference tournaments in which he was a participant. His 77.2 stroke average paced the ODAC.
Prillaman, who will graduate Saturday with a 3.0 grade-point average in business, said the rigors of academics made things tough on his golf game his first three years at Roanoke.
"I worked hard my freshman, sophomore and junior years academically so I could get set, get stable and use this year to do something like I've done," he said.
The 1989 Bassett High graduate said he hoped to get a serious reading on his game this summer when he tries to compete in the Southeast Amateur, State Amateur and State Open.
In past summers, Prillaman has worked full time in a furniture factory.
"It's tough to get your game going doing that," he said. "I've never devoted myself 100 percent to golf, so, it's time to do that and see where I stand.
"I want to give it a good shot. I've always dreamed of turning pro. But I'm realistic. If things don't work out, I'll be out in the job market somewhere looking for a salesman's job."
Maroons coach Tom Turner is trying to sell a regional board on inviting his ace as an at-large participant in the NCAA Division III national tournament in San Diego on May 17-23.
"I had to fill out tons and tons of paperwork," Prillaman said. "Coach has never done it before. I've never done it before. I really don't know the chances."
No matter what happens, he's had a great season.
"I would have been skeptical if someone had told this was going to happen," Prillaman said. "It is a nice way to go out."
\ STOUT FIELD AT LAKE: Perhaps no event has found a permanent spot on the regional tournament map any quicker than the Water's Edge Four-Ball Invitational, to be played this weekend at the picturesque Smith Mountain Lake course.
In its second year, the brainchild of Water's Edge head professional John Snyder already has turned into one of the area's top attractions.
Of the 96 players signed up for the unusual two-man, best-ball tournament, 55 players have handicaps of 3 or better.
This year's field includes such notables as past Virginia State Amateur champions Tom McKnight, Keith Decker and Ned Baber; former State Open winner Bill Sibbick; 1992 State Mid-Am champion Mike Matthews; former USGA Mid-Am winner Rick Wakefield; and Marylanders Dave King and Nick Aquilino, both former Maryland State Am and Mid-Atlantic champions.
"I'm really not surprised we've been so successful," Snyder said. "I think the players love it. I think they like the idea of playing a two-man best ball. It's just like everyday at the club. It's a partnership thing. Individuals don't like to see 80s besides their names, and they know they're not going to see that in this format."
The hospitality of Snyder, the former head pro at Farmington, and the beautiful 6,905-yard Water's Edge layout doesn't hurt the entry list, either.
"I personally sent letters to all the good players in the state," Snyder said. "That, plus the fact we've been recognized as the state's third-best course, has done it. The good word spreads fast."
North Carolinians Patrick Brady and Mike Goodes are the defending champions. They outlasted McKnight and Sibbick in a six-hole playoff last year.
\ LOCAL PROS CASH IN: Hunting Hills assistant pro Jay Reid shot a 3-under-par 68 to finish third in the Dogwood Pro-Am held recently at Meadow Creek Country Club in Charlottesville. Blue Hills head pro Billy King shot 69 to finish fourth. Reid won $197, while King collected $150. Don Jones, recently appointed as an assistant at Farmington, shot 66 to win.
\ SAND BLASTS: Roanoke C.C. assistant pro Mark Fry combined with Bill Burton, Basil Fry and Greg Fry to tie for second in a recent Pro-Am team event at River's Bend in Chester. . . . Roanoke Junior Achievement's annual $1 million hole-in-one contest will be held June 5-6 and June 12-13 at two locations - Countryside and Hanging Rock. Last year, Roanoker Rodney Naff came within inches of claiming the million. . . . All tickets for next month's U.S. Open have been sold, the USGA announced. The tournament will be played June 17-20 at Baltusrol G.C. in Springfield, N.J.
by CNB