Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407160016
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``I hit the ball well off the tee and made some good putts,'' the 25-year-old Virginia Commonwealth alumnus said of his bogey-free round on the 6,684-yard Willow Oaks Country Club course.
Wood's 65 tied the low first round score in a State Open, set by pro Woody FitzHugh of Great Falls in 1988 at Stonehenge and equaled last year by Army Maj. Marty Smith at Willow Oaks.
``I play golf full-time,'' said Wood, who grew up in the Martinsville area and plays on several mini-tours around the country and some overseas. ``I call Richmond my home, but I live out of my car.''
Wood's closest pursuer was three-time State Amateur champion Tom McKnight of Galax, whose 4-under 68 included six birdies and two bogeys.
``I had a pretty solid round,'' said McKnight, a 39-year-old fuel oil distributor.
Deadlocked at 69 were pro Glen Barrett of Alexandria and amateurs David Partridge of Richmond and Pat Tallent of Vienna.
The six at 70 included 1993 champion Vinny Giles of Richmond, a seven-time former State Amateur champion; two-time State Amateur winner Keith Decker of Fieldale; and amateur J.P. Leigh of Chesapeake.
Also at 2-under were three pros: Sam Stein of Richmond, Rob McNamara of Charlottesville and Gil Lintelman of Reston.
At 71 were pro Craig Gunn of Danville - the 1992 champion - and amateurs Curtis Deal of Chesapeake, Mike Pratt of Richmond and David Brogan of Lexington. Deal was a member of Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament team this year, and Brogan was runner-up in this year's State Amateur.
The field will be cut to the low 80 and ties today after the second round.
Playing the back nine first, Wood birdied the 10th hole from four feet, the 12th from inches, the 13th from 12 feet, the 16th from inches and the 18th from four feet.
His only birdies on the front nine were from 12 feet on the second hole and four feet on the eighth.
``I've been playing pretty well,'' said Wood, who avoided bogeys on the fifth and 14th holes by making putts of more than six feet.
After a bogey on the third hole, where he overshot the green, McKnight birdied the fourth from six feet, the sixth from five feet and the seventh from 35 feet. He bogeyed the par-5 eighth when he went for the green in two and hit into the water.
On the back nine, McKnight birdied the par-5 12th. He also birdied the 14th from six feet and the 16th from 15 feet.
``I enjoy the golf course; I play pretty well here,'' McKnight said.
Each of the four golfers at 69 had four birdies and one bogey. In the case of Partridge, the 1993 State Amateur champion, the bogey came on the 18th hole, when he found a trap and missed a seven-foot par putt.
``I made a lot of birdies [six],'' said Giles, 51. ``I missed four greens and made four bogeys.''
But Giles, who was second low amateur in this year's USGA Senior Open, said ``I drove the ball well and I putted the ball well. I feel more positive than I have in a long time.''
by CNB