ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, July 2, 1996 TAG: 9607020065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HOT SPRINGS
SOURCE: Associated Press
ONLY THREE PLAYERS broke par on the first day of qualifying for the VSGA Men's State Amateur Championship at The Homestead in Hot Springs.
Pat Tallent and G.W. Cable each shot 2-under-par 68s on Monday to grab the first-round qualifying lead in the 83rd VSGA Men's State Amateur Championship.
Tallent, a 42-year-old financial officer from Vienna, and Cable, 19, of Oakton, lead the field by one shot heading into today's second and final round of qualifying on The Homestead's 6,566-yard Cascades Course.
Springfield's Scott Inman, who won the title in 1994 and was runner-up last year, was the only other competitor in the 106-player field to break par, shooting 69.
The course was no pushover in the first round, Inman said. ``I played as good as I can play. I thought the course played very difficult,'' said Inman, 34.
The only player at par was Jimmy Flippen Jr., 23, of Danville, last year's medalist and a Virginia graduate who plans to turn pro in August.
Tied at 71 were Charlie Green of Tazewell and 1994 runner-up David Brogan of Lexington. Robert Nussey of Midlothian, Bill Murphy of McLean, Conlin Giles of Norfolk and Michael Harvey of Newport News had 72s.
The low 32 players after today's second round of medal play advance to Wednesday's start of match play. The tournament concludes Friday with a 36-hole final.
Defending champion David Partridge, who won his third consecutive Richmond city title Sunday, is in jeopardy of making match play after a first-round 76. Thirty-six players shot 75 or higher Monday.
A pair of two-time champions, Keith Decker of Fieldale and Sam Wallace of Williamsburg, shot 73s. Another winner, Allen Barber of Yorktown, was at 75. Tied with Partridge at 76 were former champions Ned Baber of Roanoke and Hank Klein of Richmond.
Josh Points led the Roanoke contingent with a 73. Scott Hunter and Ryan Ketron fashioned 74s, while Jeff Lynch posted a 75.
Tallent, a former George Washington University basketball player, birdied the last two holes. He missed an ace at the par-3 18th hole by inches.
Cable birdied the first hole from three inches and missed a hole in one by an inch on the par-3 eighth. He ran in a 30-foot birdie putt on the 13th and had a 10-foot birdie on the 17th. He bogeyed the 12th and 18th.
LENGTH: Medium: 52 linesby CNB