ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, August 16, 1996 TAG: 9608160052
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
D.A. Weibring, whose triumph in the Greater Hartford Open six weeks ago was one of the most compelling stories this season on the PGA Tour, will be teeing it up in Roanoke.
Weibring will be the guest professional for the 15th APB-Whiting Oil-Shell's Prevent Blindness of Virginia tournament Sept.24 at Hunting Hills Country Club.
Weibring, 43, owns five PGA Tour victories, but none was as important as his Greater Hartford triumph. The victory ended a nightmarish period for Weibring, who had played in only seven 1996 events because of bouts with walking pneumonia and Bell's palsy.
Weibring learned in March he had Bell's palsy, a rare disease that paralyzes nerves in the face. At one point, Weibring couldn't close his right eye by himself for seven weeks.
``He's a great story,'' said Ralph Foster, the tournament committee chairman. ``We think the folks will love D.A. Sports Illustrated listed him as one of the best values for the money for these type of clinics.''
Weibring will play a round with 10 area club champions, who will be competing for the Gordon C. Willis Champion of Champions Cup.
Following the round, Weibring will conduct a clinic on the 10th tee at 5:30 p.m. A $5 contribution to Prevent Blindness ($7.50 at the gate) entitles spectator to watch Weibring play with the area's best and participate in the clinic.
In addition to the Champion of Champions competition, a field of 136 players will compete for $25,000 in prizes in a four-man captain's choice event. The entry fee is $150 per player and includes a continental breakfast with Weibring, box lunches, Weibring's clinic and the post-clinic awards ceremony-cocktail reception.
Previous tournament guests have included Billy Ray Brown, Mark McCumber, Fuzzy Zoeller, Ken Venturi, Peter Jacobsen, Johnny Miller, Tom Kite, Bruce Devlin, Curtis Strange and Chi Chi Rodriguez.
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