Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, July 16, 1995 TAG: 9507170042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
After last year, when at age 66 she won her fourth title, anything seems possible when it comes to the golf exploits of the Roanoker.
``It has to be the topper,'' Najjum said of the 1994 title. ``Quite frankly, I never thought I had a chance of winning. But, you know, I've never been one to do what she's supposed to do.''
With that in mind, don't count out Najjum when the 38th women's Senior Am runs Monday through Friday in Hot Springs.
Najjum, who beat a much younger opponent in Chris Epperly 4 and 3 in last year's final, will be seeking a record fifth title. The late Doris O'Brien is the only other four-time winner.
``Another one would be nice,'' said Najjum, who also won in 1978, '80 and '82.
While Najjum tries to work more magic, fellow Roanokers Lee Shirley and Dot Bolling also will be part of the local contingent in the 67th women's State Amateur.
If Bolling is going to make her mark in this tournament, this could be the year. The three-time Roanoke City-County champion is playing some of her best golf, coming off a strong fourth-place showing in the State Stroke-Play tournament.
The State Am field will include 94 players, the largest in a few years, according to Kathy Hull, the tournament director.
LEAVE IT TO THE PROFESSIONALS: Ridgeway's Jerry Wood will attempt to defend his title this week in the AMF Signet Open of Virginia at Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond.
Wood, who has been playing on the Hooters Tour, shot an opening-round 65 last year and never looked back in beating 1992 champion Craig Gunn of Danville and the low amateur, Keith Decker of Fieldale, by two shots.
The odds strongly favor a professional. Since the event evolved from a merging of the opens of the Virginia State Golf Association and Virginia representatives of the Middle Atlantic PGA in 1985, eight of the 10 winners have been pros. The two exceptions were Tom McKnight of Galax in 1985 and Vinny Giles in '93.
McKnight, who failed to qualify for match play in the recent State Amateur, has a superb Open record. He has finished in the top five eight times and out of the top 10 only once. He has been the low amateur six times.
The 162-player field is split evenly between pros and amateurs.
Besides Wood, McKnight and Decker, top area contenders include Blue Hills head professional Billy King, Hanging Rock teaching pro Chip Sullivan, Roanoke Country Club assistant Mark Fry and Lexington amateur David Brogan.
Roanoker Dicky Linkous, winner of the recent Greater Blacksburg Open, will be among those attempting to win one of the final five spots in the field in a qualifier Monday at Richmond's Stonehenge Golf & Country Club.
EASY RIDER: J.C. Snead, enjoying his best season in 28 years of pro golf, has picked up a new toy. The PGA Senior tour's fifth-leading money-winner in 1995 recently was seen cruising the hills of Bath County on a motorcycle.
``He had the dark glasses and everything,'' said Johnny Gazzola, Snead's longtime friend. ``I didn't even recognize him until he drove up to me and said, `Hey, it's Carlisle [Jesse Carlisle Snead].'''
Snead should be able to afford the motorcycle. With his $48,600 fourth-place check from the Kroger Senior Classic, which ended July 9, he had banked a career-high $601,047.
SHOOT-OUT DATE: Mark Tuesday, Sept.19, on your golf calendar. That's the date for 1995 Merrill Lynch Senior PGA Tour Shoot-Out Championship at the Cascades.
The 10 qualifiers for the $500,000 nine-hole event, which will be taped by PGA Tour Productions and shown on ESPN on Christmas Day, will tee off at 11 a.m. Players eligible include the tour's top four 1995 money-winners, the top three money-winners from the year-long Shoot-Out series and three wild-card entries players selected by Merrill Lynch.
Wayne Nooe, golf director at The Homestead, said admittance to the course grounds will be free. However, there will be a $10 fee per car for parking. Spectators will be shuttled back and forth from the parking lot to the course.
Nooe said there are special corporate packages available that include admittance to the private upstairs portion of the Cascades' clubhouse and guaranteed course tee times for Sept.20. Nooe added that he is seeking volunteers who would like to serve as course marshals. Those interested can call Nooe at (703) 839-7506 or Debbie Anderson at (703) 839-2323.
CHARITY BASH: The 12th Juvenile Diabetes Foundation/Cox Cable Roanoke charity tournament will be held Aug.7-8 at Hanging Rock.
The captain's choice tournament has helped the Roanoke Valley Chapter of the JDF raise more than $1 million for research in the past 11 years.
The entry fee for what organizers bill as Southwest Virginia's most popular tournament is $270 per team or $67.50 per person. Entry deadline is Aug.2.
SAND BLASTS: Two-time national long-drive champion Art Sellinger will conduct a clinic in conjunction with the Scott Robertson Memorial tournament. Sellinger's free clinic for players and fans will be at 6 p.m. Aug.8 at Roanoke Country Club. ... Nothing is official yet, but it appears the Anheuser-Busch Classic finally will get a break in the PGA Tour schedule for 1997. The Williamsburg tournament, which has been unable to attract many of the tour's top players through the years because it was played the week before the British Open, likely will be moved to September or October starting in '97. An official announcement likely will come in late August or early September ...
Roanoke native Ed Sneed cashed his largest Senior PGA Tour paycheck to date, taking home $36,000 for a sixth-place finish July 9 in the Kroger Senior Classic. Sneed stands 38th on tour's '95 money list, with $148,669, which is $499 more than he took home in his best year on the PGA Tour (1982). ...
Defending champion Brian Hill and his Northside High School teammate, Jason Orlando, head a field of 50 players for the Commonwealth Games of Virginia junior tournament to be held Monday and Tuesday at Hanging Rock. ... George May recorded a 12-under-par 61 to capture the Roanoke Valley Golf Association's ``String'' tournament July 9 at Hanging Rock. Dale Reed (62) was second and Matthew Weeks (65) third.
by CNB