Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 10, 1994 TAG: 9408110022
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In her bid for a record fourth consecutive City-County championship, Dot Bolling was joined atop the scoreboard Tuesday by one of the new faces in area women's golf, as well as one of the most recognizable ones.
Bolling, shrugging off a double bogey on the third hole, carded a 4-over-par 75 at Hidden Valley Country Club and took a two-stroke lead over Audrey Najjum and Neva Price.
Judy Knight shot a 78 and helped Countryside to a four-player total of 316 and a nine-shot lead over Roanoke Country Club for the Fran McCorkindale team trophy. The tournament moves to Countryside today for the second of three rounds.
Bolling, who recently won her 10th Hidden Valley club championship in the past 12 years, was headed for possible disaster at No.3, a 140-yard par-3, when she bladed her second shot from a green-side bunker and sent it across a road and out of bounds.
``I felt I would be OK if I could get out of there with a 5,'' said Bolling, who proceeded to drop a second ball in the trap and blast close enough to the hole to make her putt.
Big numbers also almost derailed Price, who made a triple-bogey 6 at No.3 - her third hole - and then added a double-bogey 7 at No.8. Price was 7-over after eight holes, but was 2-under for her last eight.
``I seem to do that a lot,'' said Price, who has lived in Roanoke since 1987, but did not enter her first local tournament until last year. ``It was a little intimidating when I first started playing, but I really think I'm starting to get over it.''
Price, 38, learned the basics of golf while she lived in Northern Virginia, but gave up the game except for an occasional round after the birth of her two children. She has made swift progress since her return and tied for third last month in the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame women's championship.
No local golfer has had as memorable a summer as Najjum, who won her fourth Virginia Women's Seniors Championship - 16 years after her first title.
``It's got me thinking I can win tournaments again,'' said Najjum, whose last of three City-County championships was in 1978. ``There for a while I was just playing not to get embarrassed, but I can honestly say I'm hitting the ball as well now as I have in the past 20 years.''
by CNB