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

DATE: WEDNESDAY, June 29, 1994                    TAG: 9406290538 
SECTION: SPORTS                     PAGE: C5    EDITION: FINAL  
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: 940629                                 LENGTH: VIRGINIA BEACH

JUNIOR GOLF TOURNAMENT PLAYS NO FAVORITES AS TOP SEEDS FALL

{LEAD} It didn't pay to be a favorite Tuesday in the opening two rounds of the Virginia State Golf Association Junior Match Play Championship at Princess Anne Country Club.

The top seven seeds fell in a day of upsets, leaving John Selbach of Richmond as the highest remaining seeded player.

{REST} Tournament medalist Jay Fisher, regarded by many as the top junior in the state, couldn't avoid the upset bug as Charlottesville's Kevin Crisp posted a 1-up victory in the second round. Fisher, a rising senior at Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, had a chance to send the match into extra holes but missed an eight-foot par-saving putt at the 18th hole.

``That's why I love the idea of match play,'' Crisp said. ``I obviously didn't want to play the top seed. He'd shot (1-under) 70 in qualifying and I'd shot 80. But anything can happen once you get on the course.''

Second seed Nick Varney didn't last past the morning matches, falling to 14-year-old Kevin Miller, who came into his own as a tournament player on this hot, sunny day. Miller, a long-hitting rising freshman at Virginia Beach's Salem High, throttled Varney, 5-and-4.

``I birdied the first hole and led all the way,'' said Miller, who was 3-under when his morning round ended. ``I liked being the 31st seed. When you're the second seed, you're expected to win.''

Miller, however, was a victim of Jason Andrews' hot putter in the afternoon as Andrews, from Petersburg, ended his round by sinking three lengthy putts, including a 12-footer for birdie at the 18th, to post a 1-up victory.

``I can't be disappointed,'' said Miller, who didn't get a chance to tie the match although he had a six-foot birdie putt of his own at 18. ``I've got three more years to try and win it. He's 17.''

Miller's exit left Chesapeake's Robbie Twine as the only local still standing. Twine beat Joshua Hayes in the afternoon, 2-and-1, as every tense afternoon match made it at least to the 17th hole.

Twine, 17, would be the second Great Bridge High golfer in four years to win the title. Curtis Deal won the state's initial Match Play title in 1991.

``(Hayes) kept making mistakes and so did I,'' said Twine who was 6-over in his afternoon match. ``His mistakes were just more costly.

``Look at all the top players who fell. This thing is anybody's game now.'' by CNB