THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 21, 1994 TAG: 9409210527
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines
It would be fair to say Jack Shick was razor sharp last week.
Shick, a senior at Tallwood, sent officials scurrying to the record books when he shot a 6-under-par 64 at Kempsville Greens in a match against Green Run.
As far as anyone can determine, Shick's 64 is the lowest round by an area high school player in competition. Curtis Strange once shot 65 during his days at Princess Anne and Maury's Conlin Giles shot 65 last year, both on par-72 courses.
A great round by Shick should come as little surprise. He lost the Beach District title last season to Cox's Jason Quinter on the third hole of a playoff. This summer, the 17-year-old won the Virginia Beach Junior and the Meadowbrook Invitational in Richmond. And he's been medalist this season in four of Tallwood six matches.
But to take a round that far under par was something special. And Shick bogeyed the 18th hole.
``It still hasn't sunk in,'' Shick said of his accomplishment, which earned him The Virginian-Pilot and The Ledger-Star's boys athlete of the week award.
``I started to think to myself, `Hey, 64, that's no big deal.' Then I go, `Wow, I shot 64.' ''
Shick, whose previous best round was a 67 in practice, shot 2-under 34 on the front. He birdied the par-5 fifth hole after reaching the green with his second shot and two-putting from 10 feet. He birdied the par-4 eighth when he chipped in from 20 feet.
A 10-footer for birdie fell at the par-4 10th, then things began to really heat up at the par-5 13th when he hit 5-iron to within 10 feet on his second shot and sank the putt for eagle-3.
At the par-4 15th, he drained a 25-foot putt for birdie. At the par-3 17th, he chipped in from 30 feet to get to 7-under.
Parring the 18th would have meant not only a 63, but a back-nine 29.
``It was a total mental error,'' Shick said of his second shot at the par-4 18th. ``I had 145 yards to the pin and hit 8-iron. I usually hit my 8-iron 150 yards. I just pulled the wrong club and hit it over the green.''
After chipping back to 12 feet and missing the putt, Shick had to settle for 64.
It was still enough ammunition to floor his parents when he got home.
``My dad always asks what I shot and I calmly told him when I got home,'' recalled Shick, who aspires to play at Old Dominion University, James Madison or Maryland. ``He basically had a cow, almost freaked out and just about fainted. Mom did the same thing.'' ILLUSTRATION: Jack Shick
by CNB