ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, January 18, 1997 TAG: 9701200124
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: INDIAN WELLS, CALIF.
SOURCE: From staff and Associated Press reports
A FAST START vaults Chip Sullivan into 18th place in his first PGA tournament.
Obviously, Chip Sullivan didn't get the message. He wasn't supposed to do this. Not in his PGA Tour debut.
Continuing to quickly introduce himself to the rest of the tour, Sullivan fired a course-record 6-under-par 30 on the front nine Friday at Indian Ridge Country Club en route to a 66 that catapulted him from 57th place to a tie for 18th in the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic.
The Roanoke-based club professional stands at 10-under 206 through 54 holes. Mark Calcavecchia, who had a 66 on Friday, leads the 90-hole event at 19-under 197.
Barring a mini-disaster today, Sullivan should survive the cut for Sunday's final round. The projected 72-hole cut line for the low 70 players and ties is 7-under.
Sullivan, 32, an unknown to most of the other competitors, supplied one of Friday's major stories in the tour's season opener. The Hanging Rock Golf Club teaching pro had five birdies and an eagle while touring Indian Ridge's front side in record fashion.
``It was the greatest nine holes I've ever played,'' Sullivan said.
After canning 8-foot birdie putts at Nos.2 and 3, Sullivan gave a shot back when he missed the green at the par-3 fourth and failed to get up and down. After short putts for birdies at Nos.5 and 6, he reached the par-five seventh in two shots and drained an 8-foot eagle putt. He made a 20-footer for birdie at the par-3 eighth, then parred No.9 for 30.
``Unbelievable. I was hitting everything right at the stick,'' Sullivan said. ``I had been having problems with my driver the first two rounds, but I slowed my tempo down on the range before the round, and it clicked. I hit it great all day long.''
Sullivan got to 7-under for the day and 11-under for the tournament with a birdie at No. 14. He settled for par-36 on the back after three-putting from 6 feet on No. 15.
Sullivan, who earned his 1997 tour card as a long shot in qualifying school, finds himself leading such notables as Mark Brooks, Craig Stadler, Fuzzy Zoeller, Curtis Strange and Tom Kite. The obscure club pro doesn't sound intimidated. Not one iota.
``I'm going to try to go out and shoot another 66 [today],'' he said. ``Heck, let's have some fun while we're out there.
``What happened today surprised the heck out of me. But that's golf. Sixty-six! Wow! I guess the best thing about it is it gives me a little cushion [today]. At least now I know I won't have to go out and shoot lights out in order to make the cut.''
Calcavecchia birdied five of his final six holes to shoot 66 and take a one-shot lead on Jay Don Blake.
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