Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9508010010
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In two of the best finishes in Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame tournament history, Foster charged from behind to win the Seniors title, while Varney held on to capture the Juniors crown.
Neither winner traveled an easy road.
After punctuating a 4-under back nine by finishing birdie-eagle, Foster couldn't celebrate until Dan Keffer's 8-foot birdie putt on the final hole lipped the cup and steered out.
Varney, meanwhile, had to drain a pressure-packed 5-foot birdie putt at the 18th to stave off charging Mark Sweeney by one shot.
Foster, three shots behind Keffer after a first-round 74 at Hanging Rock, had a 3-under 68 Friday to finish at 1-under 142. Keffer, thanks to an uncooperative putter, settled for a 72 and a two-day total of 143. (Scores in Scoreboard. B4)
With nine holes to play, Keffer looked like a lock. He hadn't missed a green in regulation and had a four-shot cushion on Foster.
``I figured I was playing for second place,'' said Foster, 56. "But then I chipped in for eagle at 14 [510-yard par-5]. Suddenly, I said to myself, `Hey, something might be happening here.'''
After bogeying No.16, Foster canned a 6-foot birdie at the par-3 17th. He then laced a 4-iron to 10 feet at the par-5 18th and made eagle-3.
Keffer, playing an hour behind, knew the situation. But he couldn't answer. He burned himself by three-putting for par at the par-5 14th and missing makable birdie putts on each of the last four holes.
``If somebody had told me I'd hit 17 greens today, I would have sure liked my chances,'' said Keffer, a runner-up for the second straight year.
``The putter killed me. It felt good, but nothing went in. I had three three-putts and it cost me.''
Foster and Keffer, combined with third-place finisher Don Ragland (71-146), paced Blue Hills to a record third straight team title. Blue Hills finished at 1-under 438 for the tournament - another record - to outdistance second-place Roanoke Country Club by a whopping 21 shots.
While Foster played from behind most of the day, Varney had the opposite task of trying to maintain a lead.
Sweeney, who entered the day three shots behind Varney, made it more than interesting, finishing with three straight birdies.
After hitting the par-5 18th in two with a driver and 8-iron, Sweeney left his eagle putt short and tapped in for birdie.
That left it up to Varney. After exploding from a green-side trap to 5 feet, Varney rolled in the decisive birdie.
``It didn't surprise me that Nick made it,'' said Sweeney, who had a final-round 68. ``He always does, doesn't he? I thought maybe there was a chance he'd miss, but not much of one. Hey, I did all I could do.''
Unlike many of his previous triumphs, Varney said he will always remember this one.
``It's nice because I was under the gun out there,'' he said. "I responded to it and that's pretty much the first time I've been able to do that.
``Some of the other wins weren't this close. This was really the first time I've been put to the test under that much pressure. It feels good to be able to handle it.''
Varney had a final-round 70 to finish at 4-under 139. After Sweeney at 140 came Jacob Jarrett at 143.
Roanoke Country Club, behind Jarrett's 72, 13-year-old Lee Taylor's 71 and Mark Baldwin's 68, shot 2-under 211 to defeat Hanging Rock for its first Junior team title since 1980.
by CNB