ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, September 24, 1996 TAG: 9609240076
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: IN THE REGION
SOURCE: FROM STAFF REPORTS
PGA Tour professional D.A. Weibring will be the guest for today's 15th annual Tee Off For Sight tournament at Hunting Hills Country Club.
Weibring, a five-time winner on the PGA Tour, will play 18 holes with 10 area club champions. Following the round, Weibring will conduct a clinic on the 10th tee at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Weibring, 43, has won more than $4 million since joining the PGA Tour in 1977. His best season was 1995 when he won the Quad City Classic for the third time and banked $517,065 in earnings.
This year, Weibring currently ranks 38th on the PGA money list with $433,695. The bulk of that total came via his victory in the June 27-30 Greater Hartford Open.
The Hartford triumph capped an emotional period for Weibring. He admitted to wondering if he'd win again after he was afflicted by Bell's palsy in early March. The illness left the right side of the golfer's face paralyzed for some 21/2 months.
The list of club champions competing today for the Gordon C. Willis Cup include: Jake Allison (Roanoke Country Club); Bill Burton (Hanging Rock); Steve Firkins (Ole Monterey); Barry Graham (Hidden Valley); Danny Hopkins (Botetourt Country Club); Tony Montgomery (Westlake Country Club); Hunter Morrissette (Blue Hills); Dwayne Robinson (Waterfront); and Marvin Thews (Hunting Hills).
Allison captured the event last year.
Gallery tickets for today's 18-hole round and exhibition are $7.50. All proceeds from the tournament go to Prevent Blindness of Virginia. The tournament is sponsored by APB Whiting Oil-Shell.
In other news in the region:
*Two area twosomes are tied for 24th after one day of the 1996 Titleist/Footjoy Middle Atlantic PGA Professional-Assistant Championship at Two Rivers Country Club in Williamsburg.
The teams of Billy King and Jeff Sprinkel of Blue Hills and Jay Hardwick and Billy Good of Virginia Tech Golf Club both shot 1-over par 73s. Charles Briggs and Evan Belcher of Burning Tree Golf Club in Maryland lead after the first round, thanks to their 5-under 67. The final round will be played today.
nRadford's Phil Bowers shot an opening round 71 for the low score in the first day of the State Div. I Intercollegiate Golf Championship at the Homestead.
Radford is third in the team competition with a 306, behind leader Virginia Commonwealth (300) and Richmond (303). VMI is last with a 378.
Former Northside star Brian Hill shot an 83 for Radford and former Glenvar star Tommy Lesperance had an 85 for George Mason.
nSonny Smith, the amiable men's basketball coach at Virginia Commonwealth University, wil be the guest speaker at the next meeting of the Roanoke Valley Sports Club on Monday, Sept.30. A social begins at 5:45p.m. and will be followed by dinner at 6:15 at the Salem Civic Center.
Smith, known for his comedic wit, has coached at VCU since 1989. He was an assistant at Virginia Tech from 1971-75 and also coached Charles Barkley at Auburn.
Cost of the dinner meeting is $10 for members and $20 for each guest. RVSC memberships for 1996-97 are still available for $35. For more information about the meeting or memberships, call Nancy Wooldridge at 540-366-3946. Reservation deadline is Wednesday, Sept.25.
nThe 1996-97 Virginia women's basketball team will play six teams this season that competed in last year's NCAA Tournament. Besides two games each with ACC opponents Duke, N.C. State and Clemson, the Cavaliers will face NCAA runner up Georgia on the road and will meet St.Francis (Pa.) and Vanderbilt in Charlottesville. (Complete schedule in Scoreboard. B3)
The Cavaliers have two exhibitions on Nov.7 and Nov.13 against the Australian All-Stars, which will be a doubleheader with UVa's men's team.
*Megan Brooks scored the lone goal for Radford as South Carolina downed the Highlanders 6-1 in a women's soccer game in Columbia, S.C.
Weesie Glendening scored the game's only goal as Hollins College defeated Warren Wilson College 1-0 in women's soccer in Asheville, N.C.
Freshman Elizabeth Adams scored two goals as Ferrum's women's soccer team defeated Randolph-Macon Woman's College 3-1.
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB