Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408080030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
In one of the busiest weeks in recent memory, approximately 450 golfers from near and far will tee it up in one of three tournaments - the 94th U.S. Women's Amateur, the Scott Robertson Memorial Junior and the Roanoke Valley Women's Golf Association's City-County championship.
A preview of the week:
In Hot Springs, 147 of the nation's and world's best amateur players already have converged for Monday's start of the 94th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship on the Cascades course.
The field is stronger than ever, and it includes all 16 players - eight from the United States team and eight from the Britain-Ireland squad - from last week's Curtis Cup matches.
The international contingent is led by 21-year-old Janice Moodie of Glasgow, Scotland, who won the final match to enable the Britain-Ireland squad to tie the Americans 9-9 and retain possession of the Curtis Cup.
Defending champion Jill McGill, 22, of Denver, Colo., heads the American entries. It could be the final amateur start for McGill, who reportedly plans to turn professional soon.
Other top American entries include last year's runner-up, Sarah LeBrun Ingram, 27, of Nashville, Tenn.; Hollins College graduate and 1973 winner Carol Semple Thompson, 45, of Sewickley, Pa.; Wendy Kaupp, 26, of Los Altos, Calif.; 1994 NCAA champion Emilee Klein, 20, of Studio City, Calif.; Ellen Port, 32, of St. Louis; Stephanie Sparks, 21, of Wheeling, W.Va.; and '94 NCAA runner-up Wendy Ward, 21, of San Antonio.
Also among the 34 players exempt from qualifying is 17-year-old Kelli Kuehne of McKinney, Texas, who recently won the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship.
The remainder of the field earned their spots at 17 qualifying sites across the nation from July 25-27. Three Virginians won spots, including 18-year-old Lee Shirley of Salem, who won last week's Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame women's title.
The USGA received a record 451 entries for the second Women's Amateur to be held at The Homestead Resort. Glenna Collet won the third of her five Women's Amateur titles in 1928 at the Cascades.
This is the sixth time in 66 years that the USGA has held one of its national championships at the 218-year-old resort. Besides the 1928 Women's Amateur, the '66 Curtis Cup, '67 U.S. Women's Open, '80 U.S. Senior Amateur and '88 U.S. Amateur were at the Cascades, long considered one of the nation's foremost mountain layouts.
Qualifying rounds Monday and Tuesday will trim the field to 64 players for Wednesday's opening round of match play. Two rounds of match play each day on Thursday and Friday will pare the field to two players, who will meet in the 36-hole final Saturday.
The field should find the Cascades a most difficult test. The 5,998-yard, par-71 course is playing longer than ever because of heavy rain in the area the past 10 days.
Spectators are welcome to attend the tournament free of charge.
At Roanoke Country Club, the Robertson tees off Tuesday with entries representing 36 states and Canada.
The 244-player field includes two boys' divisions - ages 15-18 and 13-14 - and a girls' open class.
Although it lost several top entries to this week's regular American Junior Golf Association stop in Greensboro, N.C., the Robertson field still includes plenty of talent. Only four players from the 500 entries listed handicaps in double figures.
Mike Meade of Bluefield, W.Va., who beat Maryland's Miguel Rivera in a playoff last year, will attempt to become the first player to win back-to-back Robertson titles.
Other possible boys' 15-18 threats include Rivera and recent Peyton Memorial winner Robby Rasmussen of Chesapeake. Ryan Ketron and Nick Varney head the local contenders' list in the 15-18 group, and Roanoke Country Club's Lee Taylor figures as a serious threat in the 13-14 division.
The girls' field includes a record 49 entries, led by Chesapeake's Heather Jeffries and Midlothian's Anne Cardea.
Action begins Monday with a 18-hole special qualifying round for players not automatically accepted into the field. Seventy-five players will compete for 27 open spots in the boys' 15-18 divisions, and 14 will play for nine available berths in the 13-14 boys' class.
As as added highlight, PAGE Tour professional Robert Wren of Richmond will conduct a clinic Tuesday at 6 PM. The clinic is open to all players, sponsors and golf fans, free of charge.
The Roanoke area's oldest women's event, the RAVAGE City-County, runs Tuesday through Thursday at Hidden Valley, Countryside and Hunting Hills.
Salem's Dot Bolling, coming off an excruciating loss in last week's Hall of Fame, will be trying for her record fourth consecutive RAVAGE championship. A victory would be Polling's fifth in the City-County, matching the record held by current Arizona club pro Liz Wryneck.
Other former champions in the 70-player field include Marilyn Bustle, Sara Cole, Penny Stallions and Audrey Notum.
SAND BLASTS: Roanoker Mike Smith will attempt to make the U.S. Men's Amateur for the second straight year in a 36-hole qualifier Monday in Richmond. ... Speaking of Smith, the 33-year-old insurance broker has been appointed the VSGA sectional chairman for the Roanoke area. As sectional chairman, Smith will assist in business between the VSGA and area clubs. ... Dan Kafir and Charley Kafir shot a 1-under 70 to tie for second overall in the recent Tommy Galloway Father-Son Tournament at Richmond's Hermitage Country Club. ... By winning the Junior and Women's team events in last week Hall of Fame, Countryside tied Roanoke Country Club for most overall team titles in tournament history with 16. Countryside has won a record six Juniors and eight Women's titles. Blue Hills, which won its record fourth Seniors team event, is third overall with 12 team titles.
by CNB