
                         THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
                 Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 22, 1994                    TAG: 9406220576 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C7    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940622                                 LENGTH: PORTSMOUTH

EASTERN AMATEUR SET FOR JULY 18-24

{LEAD} The Eastern Amateur will not butt heads with the PGA Tour's Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic this year. It's moving back two weeks.

``We haven't been able to move the tournament because there are so many other amateur tournaments around the country, we were going to have to step on someone else's tournament,'' said Eastern Amateur director Galen Hill. ``And then it happened to us.''

{REST} The Rice Planters, a top amateur tournament in South Carolina, moved to the week in which the Eastern Amateur is typically played. The Eastern Amateur tournament committee then chose to move its event to the week of July 18-24. The annual First Flight tournament, from which the top 12 players advance to the main tournament, will be played July 18-19.

``This way, we've gotten away from the July 4th holiday and the Anheuser-Busch (to be played July 7-10),'' Hill said.

Unfortunately, the change in dates has the Eastern Amateur competing for players with the Southern Amateur. The Eastern has lost one notable state player - University of Virginia standout Simon Cooke - and some ACC college players to the Southern.

But that's about all. The field again rivals that of past years.

A strong local contingent includes state high school champion Conlin Giles of Norfolk, Chesapeake's Curtis Deal, who is coming off a solid year at Virginia Tech, Norfolk's Troy Ferris, Chesapeake's Scott Moore and two older players from Chesapeake who should threaten the leaderboard, J.P. Leigh and Jay Rickles.

As for top players from around the country, South Carolina's David Seawell, Northwestern's Scott Rowe, Penn State's Andrew Achenbach, Southern Methodist's Christian Chernock and Wake Forest's Kevin Kemp are among the more notable. The most recognizable name might be Ohio State's Eric Weiskopf, son of Tom Weiskopf.

As for the Elizabeth Manor course, it is in excellent shape, though it will be asked to beat the heat for two more weeks than usual. ``We think it's in the best shape it's been in in the last 30 years,'' Hill said. ``(Course superintendent) Cutler Robinson has done a wonderful job.'' by CNB