Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, June 18, 1995 TAG: 9506210021
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E-9 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
``Has anybody seen Dicky Linkous?'' more than one asked.
Well, there has been a Dicky Linkous sighting. The 37-year-old Roanoker, who dominated the local amateur scene before turning professional in 1992, resurfaced during the June 10-11 weekend in, of all places, Paintsville, Ky.
Competing against a 40-player field of assorted PGA Tour castoffs and current mini-tourists, Linkous shot 67-69-67 to win the 54th Paintsville Pro-Am.
The victory was worth $2,000, the largest paycheck of Linkous' pro career. It was an unlikely windfall for Linkous, who had played in one tournament since the summer of 1994.
``It came out of nowhere,'' Linkous said. ``I played in one tournament - at Beckley, W.Va [where he was third] - last year.
``About all I've been doing is working and going to Charlottesville,'' where his wife, Tana, has been undergoing treatment for epileptic seizures.
Obviously, Linkous hasn't lost the game that made him of Roanoke's best amateurs ever.
``I really played well,'' he said of the Kentucky victory. ``I shot 7-under on a pretty good course, didn't make a bogey the last day and made a six-footer on the last hole to win by one. It doesn't get much better than that.''
Linkous, admittedly frustrated by the lack of regional competition for non-club pros such as himself, said he has entered this week's Greater Blacksburg Open.
``They've made it really attractive,'' Linkous said. ``It pays $900 if you win both ways [the pro division and overall titles].''
Linkous also hopes to qualify for the AMF-Signet Open of Virginia, which will be played July 20-23. Five spots will be on the line July 7 in on-site qualifying at Willow Creek Country Club in Richmond.
``It's nice to get out and play again,`` Linkous said. ``I guess a lot of people figured I had given up the game.''
Linkous now sports a full beard, which might make him unrecognizable to some.
''I've gone undercover,'' Linkous said. ``That's the reason for the beard.
``Dicky Linkous? Who's that?''
FAME LEFTOVERS: Roanoke Country Club's 33-shot romp in men's team play set a record for winning margin, but its 1,304 total came up 15 shots short of the standard of 1,289 fired by Hidden Valley in 1979. ... Hanging Rock's top final-day total of 7-over 433 was a whopping 43 shots better than its eighth-best first-round total. ... Bill Burton's final-round 69 matched the tournament course record, owned by six others. ... Scoring averages decreased each round from The Waterfront (81.88) to Hunting Hills (78.01) to Hidden Valley (77.77). ... The tentative '96 course rotation includes Countryside, Ole Monterey and Roanoke Country Club.
OLDIES BUT GOODIES: The group of 35 or so retirees who tee it up every Tuesday and Thursday at Blue Hills had quite a day on the course June 1. Collectively, the old-timers recorded two holes in one, two eagles and 37 birdies. Sam Griffin and Jess Chitwood had the aces.
GBO ON THE GO: A $7,000 prize pot, enhanced by a $4,000 donation by sponsor First National of Blacksburg, has sparked renewed interest in the Greater Blacksburg Open, scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Blacksburg Country Club.
The field had drawn 95 entries as of Friday night. Late entries should take the field to the limit of 144. The pro division's stout field includes former winners Linkous, David Tolley, Mike Grant and Jimmy Williams, plus Tim Holbrook and Chip Sullivan.
SAND BLASTS: Roanoker Billy King will be among 30 players competing Monday at Richmond's Meadowbrook Country Club for one qualifying spot in the field of the June 29-July 2 U.S. Senior Open. ... Teen-ager Lee Shirley will attempt to defend her title in the Virginias Womens Stroke Play Championship on June 27-29 at Brandermill Country Club in Midlothian. Dot Bolling, runner-up to Shirley at the Hall of Fame, also is in the field. ... William Fleming High School and Virginia Tech graduate Chuck Cooke is the new course superintendent at Botetourt Country Club. ... Speaking of Botetourt, the club recently has been spruced up by a full-course irrigation system and beautiful granite tee markers. ... Assistant pros Thad Fields, formerly at Roanoke Country Club, and Mark McKee have joined Holbrook's staff at Hidden Valley. ... Dale Reid and Jim Tuttle shot 74 to capture the recent Roanoke Valley Golf Association's Blind Draw tournament. Dave Felts and George May were second with 76.
by CNB