THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 22, 1994 TAG: 9407220689
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
There may be longer hitters off the tee in the Eastern Amateur than Ryan Parnell. But Parnell reigns as the tournament's first Tim Newson long-driving champion.
Twenty-four players competed in a pre-tournament driving contest, hitting into a 20-mile per hour wind off the tee at the 573-yard third hole.
The field was trimmed to five for the final competition and Parnell, a University of North Carolina player from Atlanta, won with a poke measured at 274 yards. He won three dozen golf balls and a dozen gloves.
Runnerup was Richard Son, another Tar Heel player. Son, from Carrboro, N. C., had a 268-yard drive. He led the qualifying round with a 273-yard smack.
The other finalists were Furman's Scott Summers, New Mexico's Doug Labelle and 50-year-old Greg Shelton of Bainbridge, Ohio.
The driving contest, sponsored by Titleist and slated to become an annual tournament feature, is named for the Elizabeth Manor pro, who once qualified for the national long-driving finals with a 342-yard tee shot.
BACKED'' OUT: Brett Pendergast, a South Carolina player from Virginia Beach, had to withdraw when he pulled a back muscle in first-round play Thursday.
He managed to play only nine holes.
``But I want tournament officials to know I'm hurting and not quitting. I intend to be back next year,'' said Pendergast.
COMEBACK: Another South Carolina player, Steven Waters, battled his way to a 5-over-par 40 when he played the back nine first. He then shot a 3-under 32 on the front side.
FOUNDER'S SON: George Skinner of Newport News competed in the First Flight tournament, the Eastern Amateur preliminary qualifier for the first time. He had rounds of 79 and 73, though the latter round was washed out when later players failed to finish.
Skinner is the son of the founder of the Eastern Amateur. His dad, who died in 1982, originated the tournament in 1957.
PRO FOR A CADDIE: Steve Liebler, the 1981 Eastern champion who spent a dozen years as a pro before regaining his amateur status in June and took the lead Thursday with a 2-under 68, had the only ``pro'' caddie.
Older brother Butch, the pro at the Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club in Virginia Beach, carried Steve's clubs as he made a great start in his first Eastern since '81.
WARD'S ROUND: First Flight champion Dan Ward of Virginia Beach shot a 37-37-74, 4-over par, for the first round.
``I didn't play quite as well as I did in the First Flight tournament,'' Ward said, ``and the wind made the course much tougher today.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff
Ryan Parnell, who hit a 274-drive earlier to win the Tim Newson
long-drive contest, lets his tee shot rip at No. 15.
by CNB