Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 1, 1995 TAG: 9507030144
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NELLYSFORD LENGTH: Medium
The rest of the Southwest Virginia contingent already had stashed its clubs in the car, set for a long ride home from the 82nd Virginia State Amateur golf tournament.
Standing on the 18th green at Wintergreen Resort's Stoney Creek course late Friday afternoon, Keith Decker, the last Timeslander left, must have been about ready to reach for his car keys, too.
Staring at a 13-foot birdie putt simply to draw even with Richmond's John Rollins, Decker needed no explanation of the circumstances.
``I knew it was either make it or go home,'' Decker said. ``I hadn't made a lot of putts all day. But this one was one of those you sort of feel good over.''
The two-time State Am champion slam-dunked the straight-in, uphill putt to extend the match, then won it on the 21st hole when Rollins made bogey.
``Talk about a long, hard day,'' said Decker, who had to wait out a 45-minute rain delay on the 20th hole.
``I feel fortunate to get through today. I had a guy [Larry Loving] throw an ace at me in the morning, then I had a real tough match with John.
``After all that, now I can look forward to playing David Partridge in the morning. And, right now I think he's the best player in the state.''
Decker, a 37-year-old Fieldale resident, was fortunate to survive against Rollins. The long-hitting Virginia Commonwealth junior erased a two-hole deficit on the back nine with birdies at Nos.13, 14, 16 and 17.
``I gave it a run,'' said Rollins, who led VCU to the Metro Conference championship this past spring. ``I had a feeling, though, that [Decker] was going to make that putt at 18. That's why he's a champion.''
Lexington's David Brogan had hoped to wear that distinction this year. But the 1994 runner-up will have to wait some more after being eliminated by Richmond's Simon Cooke, 1-up in the second round.
Cooke, who stayed in the match with a miraculous par-save from the woods on No.17, took advantage of a Brogan miscue at the final hole.
Attempting to cut the corner on the dogleg 18th, Brogan's tee shot caught a tree, leaving his ball buried in high rough 170 yards from the hole. He blasted out with a 6-iron but lost the match when he couldn't get up and down from 80 yards.
``I hit the tee ball a little skinny,'' said Brogan, 37. ``I can't hook a driver, so I had to hit 3-wood, and I didn't flush it.
``But the killer was No.17. I can't believe [Cooke] found his ball, much less get it up and down.''
Cooke, however, wasn't enamored with his Houdini act.
``It was just a disgusting display of golf,'' the University of Virginia standout said. ``I'm playing awful. Today, I just somehow got it done.''
Brogan had advanced to the second round with a 3-and-2 morning victory over his longtime running mate, J.W. Entsminger.
Talk about the blind luck of the draw. Not only do the two Lexington Country Club members work together, they double up as partners in every team event they can find.
``I couldn't believe it when I called up here last night and found out we were playing each other,'' Brogan said. ``We started to just call over here this morning and say, `Hey, let us play this thing in Lexington and phone in the result.'''
In the unaccustomed role of knocking heads, both players struggled. Still, somebody had to win.
``I had a few more three-putts than he did,'' said Entsminger, 41. ``Oh, well. All we knew was that somebody from Lexington was guaranteed to win.''
``The worst part of all this is we rode over here together. Now I have to stick around the rest of the day.''
Roanoker Adam Harrell stuck around until being dispatched 4 and 3 by defending champion Scott Inman of Springfield. The 1994 Valley Amateur champion had opened with a 4-and-3 romp over Buck Brittain of Tazewell.
``I just didn't play well enough to win against [Inman],'' Harrell said. ``He didn't play that well, either, but he did what he had to do, and that's all that counts.''
Roanoker Ryan Ketron joined Entsminger as the other Timesland-area player bumped in Round One. Ketron lost to Springfield's Dan DeRisio, 1-up in 20 holes.
by CNB