Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, June 26, 1995 TAG: 9506260166
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHRIS KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
He was forced to come from behind, to hold a lead and to cope with a lost lead. But his position at the end was that of champion.
Linkous drained a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to win the title at the Blacksburg Country Club. Linkous, who received $900 for his efforts, had a two-day total of 137, tying Mike Grant's tournament record.
``This is probably the best'' of his three GBO titles, Linkous said. ``I was forced to come from behind, I took the lead, I lost it. It was an emotional roller coaster. I had to stay focused for 18 holes, and that is special for any tournament golfer.''
After the birdie on the 17th hole, Linkous parred the final hole to hold off his playing partner, David Havens, who finished one stroke back. Havens, a member of Virginia Tech's golf team, entered the day as a long shot.
That changed when the Wytheville resident birdied holes 10, 13 and 14 to tie Linkous at 6-under-par. The 21-year-old then parred the last four holes and left his mark on the tournament.
``I'm very impressed with him,'' Linkous of Havens. ``He is very decisive and talented. That is what you like in a young golfer.''
Havens was no less effusive in his praise of Linkous.
``I just enjoyed watching him play,'' Havens said. ``He is a great putter and he made them when they counted most. The best man definitely won.''
Despite starting the final round four strokes off the pace, Linkous quickly made up ground. The Roanoker was 6-under after 10 holes and erased first-round leader Chip Sullivan's cushion.
With the two tied at 8-under, Linkous bogeyed the 12th hole and Sullivan birdied the 11th to regain a two-stroke lead. But the 12th hole proved disastrous for Sullivan, who had navigated the tournament's first 29 holes without a bogey.
Sullivan was forced to take two penalty strokes and knocked a ball into a creek en route to a triple-bogey 7 on the course's most difficult hole. Sullivan finished two shots off the pace at 5-under.
``The triple [bogey] kind of set a bad tone, and I never recovered,'' Sullivan said. ``You have to give Dicky credit. He played well. He was in front of me, and I knew what I had to do. I just didn't do it.''
In addition to finishing second in the overall competition, Havens easily captured the low-amateur crown. Jack Allara finished second with a 2-under score of 142, four strokes behind Havens. The first-round leader for amateurs, Jeff Lynch, struggled to a 79 and finished at 147.
Maurice Oakes shot a final-round 78 to win the Seniors (55 and older) competition. Oakes defeated Ned Baber, who shot 74 to put himself in contention.
For the second day in a row play was interrupted by thunderstorms, this time for an hour.
by CNB