Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, August 16, 1994 TAG: 9408160040
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BY RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
For the second straight year, Hill leads the RVGA pack heading to Countryside. This time, the 17-year-old Northside senior will be counting on a few more hospitable bounces from his home course.
"Hopefully, Countryside will be a little better to me this year," Hill said. "It beat me up pretty bad last year when I was in this same situation."
Hill soared to a final-round 79 on his home course last year, costing him the 16-17 age-group title to Floyd's Timmy Bower.
Same script, different ending this year, Hill hopes.
"If I hit the ball the way I did today, I won't have too much to worry about," Hill said.
Another 3-under 68 should do. That's the number Hill threw at Blue Hills on Monday from the white tees.
"That's my best round of the summer," said Hill, who made his hay on Blue Hills' short par-5s, birdieing all four.
"I was thinking 66 or 67, but I'll take 68. That's a good score."
Good enough to lead Glenvar standout Nick Varney by one and Northside teammate Justin Young by two.
Varney, who won the event's 13-15 age group title in 1991 and '92, wasn't at all enamored with his 69.
"I'm used to playing the blue tees and little tougher courses," Varney said.
"I was thinking I could really shoot a number today, but I just didn't hit the ball very well.
"It felt like par was 68 or 69 out there because the par-5s are so short from the whites. I didn't make a putt and still shot 69."'
Young, who last month torched Roanoke Country Club with a 64 in State Junior qualifying, birdied the final two holes to salvage a 70.
Cave Spring senior Kris Montgomery and Lord Botetourt senior Mark Sweeney each shot 71.
"Nothing a little 66 won't take care of tomorrow," Sweeney noted.
In the 13-15 division, Northside sophomore Jason Orlando shot 72 to take a one-stoke edge on North Cross ninth-grader Brandon LaCroix.
Orlando, 15, had two birdies and three bogeys despite doing little right.
"I couldn't get off the tee and I couldn't make a putt," he said. "I've got the yips or something."
LaCroix, 14, wasn't doing backflips over his 73, either. Three bogeys in four holes from Nos. 11-14 escalated his score.
"I missed a lot of short putts," said LaCroix, coming off a strong third-place finish in his age group at last week's Scott Robertson Memorial.
"This is only the second time I've ever played this course. I didn't have much luck on the greens."
Twelve-year-old Matt Chandler of Rocky Mount fired even-par 38 from the back-nine ladies' tees to take a commanding nine-shot lead in the 10-12 Midgets division.
Nine-year-old Michael Kidd of Roanoke played four 150-yard holes in 17 shots to take a one-stroke lead in the under-10 PeeWee division.
by CNB