THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 15, 1994 TAG: 9409140172
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOHN GORDON SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 98 lines
It was the first time that a Suffolk resident has ever won the Suffolk Invitational Golf Tournament, but last Sunday two Suffolk players named Robertson had to battle for the title in a playoff.
After 36 holes of medal play over two days, Dennis and Wayne Robertson (no relation) were tied with 147's at the par 72 Suffolk Golf Club. It was the same score that defending champion J.P. Leigh had to win the tourney last year, but Leigh who has won six times, was not around to defend his crown this year.
Ironically, Dennis had placed second to Leigh last year by scoring a 148 although Dennis was not in the championship flight and had taken the first flight handily.
This year, Dennis was in the championship flight and captured the trophy by shooting a par on the third playoff hole as Wayne had a bogey.
``It was absolutely the biggest tourney win I've ever had,'' Dennis said. ``I've won different flights before, but this is my first time to win a championship flight.''
An engineer and technician supervisor with the Department of Defense in Norfolk, Dennis took up golf in 1976 when he was 25. He played for about three years, but ``retired'' to coach his sons in football and baseball.
``Then in 1985, after they were through playing, I picked it up again, and joined the association in 1989,'' Robertson said. ``In recent years, my handicap had dropped from a 5.8 to a 2.3.''
However, in the past four weeks, injuries made his golf game a nightmare. He pulled a muscle and sprained his wrist among other ailments, but everything came together in the nick of time.
``I was real nervous going into the tournament,'' he said. ``It's one thing to play with guys that you play with all the time, but there were a lot of strangers out there this past weekend.''
Robertson birdied the first two holes, relaxed and proceeded to register a double bogey on the third hole to put him back to par. He wound up with a 1-under 71 on Saturday and held a two-stroke lead.
``I had confidence Sunday, but I was so tight, I was having a tough time getting off the tee,'' Robertson said. ``They had made the course tough for this tournament by letting the grass grow in the rough.''
As he was going down the 18th fairway, though, he received word that a par would win the tourney. So Robertson played it safe and got his par.
``I carried two drivers with me and left my two-iron behind,'' he said. ``It turned out that I needed it because my three-iron shot left me about 65 to 70 feet from the hole.
``My first putt was six feet short, and my second one stopped on the lip of the cup and then tipped over,'' said Robertson. ``That was my par and I thought I had won.''
But he hadn't. He had received wrong information.
Wayne Robertson had birdied the 18th and finished with a 147. He thought he had won - until Dennis came in.
``When they told me there would be a playoff, it hit me like a tractor trailer truck,'' Dennis said. ``I regretted that I didn't charge to win.
``I had a totally different mind set going into the playoff. I decided I was going to give it everything I have.''
The adrenaline really started popping and both Robertsons shot par on the first two playoff holes. On the third one, though, Dennis had a par while Wayne had a bogey and it was all over.
``I felt sorry for him,'' Dennis said. ``I almost didn't want to win.''
The tourney attracted 62 players, which is about the same as usual. And this weekend, the club will play host to the annual member-guest event. About 120 are scheduled to try and wrest the championship from Bobby Bleiler and Dale Pinchbeck.
Official results from the Suffolk Invitational:
Suffolk Amateur
Championship flight: 1. Dennis Robertson, 71-76 - 147; 2. Wayne Robertson, 75-72 - 147; 3. Walter Moore, 76-73 - 149; 4. Chris Tuttle, 73-77 - 150; 5. Gary Brinley, 73-77 - 150; 6. Jay Fisher, 80-71 - 151; 7. Bobby Bleiler, 73-79 - 152; 8. George Owens, 75-77 - 152; 9. Keith Parker 74-79 - 153; 10. Brian Auesburger, 77-78 - 155; 11. Lee Hughes, 73-83 - 156; 12. Jason Drewry, 75-81 - 156; 13. Billy Hannah, 78-80 - 158; 14. Chip Cutrone, 79-80 - 159.
First flight: 1. Richard Harmon, 76-77 - 153; 2. Michael Browning, 76-79 - 155; 3. Dale Pinchbeck, 76-79 - 155; 4. Mark Casper, 75-81 - 156; 5. Jim Harrington, 75-81 - 156; 6. Henry Chaney, 77-83 - 160; 7. John Blanchura, 81-80 - 161; 8. Adrian Robertson, 83-80 - 163; 9. Benji Chaney, 80-83 - 163; 10. Mark Gerasch, 84-80 - 164; 11. Alec Phillips, 85-82 - 167; 12. Mike Kelly, 81-86 - 167; 13. Daniel Isbell Jr., 86-82 - 168; 14. Timmy Dougherty, 85-88 - 173; 15. James Wolk, 85-88 - 173; 16. Ryan Lambert, 87-92 - 179.
Second flight: 1. Charlie Mathis, 73-78 - 151; 2. Larry Lewis, 73-79 - 152; 3. Jimmy Holland, 79-77 - 156; 4. Rick Altman, 79-80 - 159; 5. Eddie Bagnel, 84-79 - 163; 6. Chris Compton, 79-85 - 164; 7. Michael Felton, 83-81 - 164; 8. George Callis, 87-78 - 165; 9. Gordon Thune, 84-86 - 170; 10. Todd Andrews, 84-86 - 170; 11. Sean Dougherty, 84-93 - 177; 12. Kelly Simpson, 84-94 - 178; 13. David Baker, 88-92 - 180; 14. Greg Lassiter, 91-89 - 180; 15. Allan Holland, 84-98 - 182.
Third flight: 1. Mitchell Mills, 86-86 - 172; 2. Herb Harvey, 83-90 - 173; 3. George Schmidt, 92-83 - 175; 4. Marvin Wise, 88-88 - 176; 5. Helmick Benton, 84-92 - 176; 6. Bernie Combs, 87-91 - 178; 7. Michael Mungin, 94-84 - 178; 8. Mike Scotece, 84-96 - 180; 9. Dan Holly, 93-88 - 181; 10. Raymond Cash, 90-91 - 181; 11. Bill Callis, 95-91 - 187; 12. Paul Perdue, 96-93 - 189; 13. Charlie Hogue, 99-98 - 197; 14. Paul Bishop, 99-102 - 202. by CNB