ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701200143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-4 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: GOLF
SOURCE: From Associated Press and staff reports
Chip Sullivan's eventful PGA Tour debut will be punctuated by a trip to the bank.
Although he lost ground to the field with a even-par 72 in Saturday's fourth round of the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic in Indian Wells, Calif., the Roanoke-based professional is guaranteed of cashing his first tour paycheck.
Sullivan's four-round total of 10-under 278 easily survived Saturday's 72-hole cut of the low 70 players and ties for today's final round of the 90-hole event.
"I wanted to make the cut, and now that's out of the way, I feel a lot better,'' Sullivan said.
"You're always scared about coming here and missing the cut the first couple of tournaments. Well, that's all behind me now.''
Mark Calcavecchia leads after shooting a 64 for a total of 27-under 261, matching a 72-hole record set by Ben Hogan more than a half-century ago.
The record against par for four rounds is 27-under, established by Hogan in winning the 1945 Portland Invitational, and equaled by Mike Souchak in the 1955 Texas Open.
Both of them did it in 72-hole tournaments, however, and Calcavecchia, who has a three-shot lead over John Cook, has one round remaining in the five-day event.
And, despite his tear over the four desert courses used for the tournament, Calcavecchia needs to shoot another 64 today to even match the Hope record, Tom Kite's 35-under in 1993. Kite shot a 62 the final day to set that mark, also a tour standard for a 90-hole event.
Cook shot a fourth-round 62, but that was good enough to make up only two strokes on the streaking Calcavecchia. Don Pooley had a 65 and was third at 21-under.
John Daly, coming back strong from a 73 the second day, and Mark O'Meara each shot 66 and were seven strokes off Calcavecchia's blazing pace.
Sullivan, coming off a 6-under 66 in Friday's third round, couldn't keep pace with the low-scoring field Saturday. He had a birdie, a bogey and 16 pars in an uneventful round at La Quinta Country Club.
Now that he's made the cut, the 32-year-old Louisiana native said he plans to gamble in today's final round at Indians Wells.
"I'm going to shoot at the pin all day long,'' he said. "I've got nothing to lose. It's going to be a birdie-fest out there. For me to make some money, I've got to make some birdies.''
Sullivan, who learned Saturday that he was the final entry accepted for this week's Phoenix Open, said he has no complaints about his first run with the big boys.
"I'm happy,'' he said. "If somebody had told me I'd shoot 10-under and make the the cut in the first tournament, I'd have taken it and ran.''
In other golf:
SENIORS: Hale Irwin birdied the final hole to move into a tie for the lead with Gil Morgan after two rounds of the 54-hole MasterCard Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Irwin, who had a 68 to go with his opening 73, and first-round leader Morgan, who had rounds of 72-69, reached the 36-hole mark at 3-under 141.
Bob Charles (69) and Dave Eichelberger (70) were tied for third at 1-under 143 with Al Geiberger, who made one of the day's biggest turnarounds with his 68, at 144. (Scores in Scoreboard. B9)
LPGA: It took 12 holes before Karrie Webb realized her posture was wrong. It then took her only five holes to catch Michelle McGann in the second round of the HealthSouth Inaugural in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
With swirling wind compounding another frosty Florida day, Webb birdied three of the last five holes to shoot a 2-under-par 70 and share the lead with McGann at 6-under 138 heading into the final round. (Scores in Scoreboard. B9)
Webb, wearing heavy mittens between shots, made one of only two realistic chances at birdies on the front nine but slipped two strokes back when she failed to get up and down from the rough on No.11 and three-putted from 35 feet off the fringe at No.13.
``I struggled a little with my posture and didn't notice until the 12th hole,'' said Webb, the defending champion. ``I was turning my shoulder so there was more weight on my left foot. I finished the last few holes very good, so I think I've worked it out.''
She rolled in an 18-foot putt for birdie on No.14, then hit a 9-iron to two feet on No.16 and birdied the 502-yard 17th hole with a 3-wood to the fringe and two putts from about 40 feet.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 linesby CNB