Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, May 30, 1993 TAG: 9305300047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: D8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On the fourth hole of Saturday's third round, Kite noticed that his playing partner, Grant Waite, had taken his stance with his heel over a white line that marked "ground under repair." Waite, ready to strike his ball, never noticed.
Waite had taken a free drop of his ball from the designated area, but hadn't taken "complete relief" as defined by golf's rules. As soon as he hit the ball, Waite would be liable for a two-stroke penalty.
Noticing what was about to happen, Kite interrupted Waite, saying, "We don't need any penalties, that's for sure. At least I don't."
Waite immediately stepped away from his ball. Noticing what he'd almost done, Waite took another free drop at a point where his stance would be legal.
Kite's honorable move was magnified on Sunday, when he lost the tournament to Waite by one shot. If he had waited for Waite to hit his ball and called the two-stroke penalty, Kite would have had his 19th PGA title and been $94,000 richer.
"It would have been pretty chicken of me to see [Waite] break a rule and [then say], `By the way, Grant, add another two strokes.' That's not golf," Kite told The Washington Post.
Who said there's no honor left in sports?
\ BUSCH FLIGHT PLAN: The Anheuser-Busch Classic, which annually has trouble attracting big names because it's played the week before the British Open, is trying its best to alleviate that problem.
Tournament director Johnnie Bender announced this week she has lined up two charter flights to fly players to London only hours after the conclusion of Sunday's final round at Kingsmill. Two players who hadn't planned on coming to the Anheuser-Busch - former British Open champ Ian Baker-Finch and Masters runner-up Chip Beck - have since committed to play in Williamsburg.
\ SHOOT FOR A MILLION: Junior Achievement's annual $1 million hole-in-one contest will be held June 4-6 and June 11-13. In an effort to attract more contestants, the contest will be run at dual sites - Countryside and Hanging Rock - for the first time.
Contestants may take as many shots as they want at $1 a pop in qualifying. The six players closest to the hole each day from both sites will advance to the June 13 finals, which will be held at 3 p.m. at Countryside. Each finals contestant will get one crack from 165 yards for the million.
Last year, finalist Rodney Naff was denied instant millionaire status by mere inches.
\ LAKE COURSE READY: Mariners Landing, the newest course on Smith Mountain Lake, will be open for public play starting Tuesday.
The nine-hole layout, designed by noted golf architect Robert Trent Jones, is located on Virginia 626 in Huddleston, one mile from Smith Mountain Lake State Park. Bassett native Stan Jones is the head pro.
\ SAND BLASTS: Roanoker David Tolley, whose visions of making the PGA Tour now appear to be history after his undistinguished performance last year on the T.C. Jordan Tour, is currently working a construction job in Miami. . . . London Downs pro Jerry Conner and Hanging Rock assistant Chip Sullivan qualified Tuesday to play in the June 3-6 Nike Dominion Open in Richmond. Conner tied for second at 70 and Sullivan tied for 10th at 73 in a field of 70 qualifiers at The Crossings in Glen Allen. Hunting Hills assistant Jay Reid (74) is the second alternate for the Nike Tour stop.
En route to winning the individual title at the recent Division II women's championship, Longwood's Charlaine Coetzee's second-round 70 tied a school single-round scoring record set 20 years ago by Roanoker Penny Stallins. . . . Countryside's Marilyn Bussey and Judy Knight collaborated on a 7-under-par 65 Tuesday to claim second in the Division I net competition of the VSGA Women's Four-Ball tournament at Stoney Creek. Richmond's Jane Mack and former Roanoke resident Anne Patrick captured the overall gross title with a 71. . . . Ex-Virginia Tech and Dallas Cowboys tight end Steve Johnson is a partner in Bristol's Virginian Golf Club, a new Tom Fazio creation that opened in May.
by CNB