THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 21, 1995 TAG: 9506210679
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Defending champion Steve Liebler heads a field that will include players from 41 colleges and universities across 22 states in the 1995 Eastern Amateur golf tournament.
The 39th annual Eastern will open a four-day run July 13 at Elizabeth Manor, preceded by the 36-hole First Flight tournament on July 10-11.
Chairman Dave Whitener anticipates a field of 168. At the Eastern's annual media day Tuesday, Whitener said 150 confirmations are in from players who have been invited.
``We are awaiting word from others but we already have 25 on the standby list for any who will not come,'' Whitener said.
Liebler, a Portsmouth native and golf coach at the University of South Carolina for 10 years, will become the state of North Carolina's first director of junior golf at the end of this month. He won his second Eastern crown last year with a 72-hole, 4-under-par 276.
Liebler earned his first Eastern title in 1981.
Six of last year's top 10 finishers are returning. These include Auburn's Brett Boner, Tom McKnight of Galax, Furman's Scott Summers, David Hall of Grosse Pointe Shores, Mich., and Ryan Parker of the University of North Carolina.
``People talk about the Eastern not having the name players anymore, such as the Ben Crenshaws or the Deane Bemans,'' said Eastern tournament director Galen Hill. ``I've gone back and looked through old programs and results. And I can tell you there is no comparison. The quality of the players from top to bottom today is so much better than it was 20 years ago; there really is no comparison.''
Hill pointed out that one-third of the '95 field will be players in the starting fives at major colleges and universities.
``We have the rising young stars, too,'' he added. ``The four top recruits at colleges in Virginia from the high school ranks will be in our tournament.''
The youngest in the field will be 16-year-old Matt Paulson, the state junior champion from Virginia Beach who recently was among the qualifiers for the State Amateur. He is a rising junior at Cox High School.
The oldest will be 64-year-old Bill Harvey of Greensboro, who has played in every Eastern except the first. ``And that was because I didn't know it was starting,'' Harvey said.
This year Harvey's two sons, William and Scott, will play. William is on the West Florida team. Seventeen-year-old Scott plays to a 1-handicap.
``Bill Harvey has been among our top finishers many, many years,'' Whitener sai. ``He tied for third in 1977 and was fifth in 1980. And his sons just might be better players.''
In addition to Liebler, two former champions have entered. McKnight, a three-time State Amateur champion and former State Open winner, became in 1993 the oldest player ever to win at the age of 38.
J.P. Leigh, the ex-ODU All-American who grew up on the golf course and now lives in Suffolk, won in 1983.
Among the collegiate standouts entered are Virginia's Simon Cooke, Virginia Tech's Curtis Deal from Chesapeake, Anderson's Conlin Giles from Norfolk, Clemson's Joey Maxon, Paul Carpenter of UNC Charlotte, North Carolina State's Billy West, Texas' Jason Hebert, UCLA's Kevin Rhoads, South Carolina's Brad McFadden and Ohio State's Bret Rhodes.
Former U.Va. star Jimmy Flippen, a ninth-place finisher two years ago, is returning.
Other top area players entered include Troy Ferris of Norfolk, Billy Judah and Jay Rickles of Chesapeake, and Billy McClanan, Harry Black and Virginia Tech's Robby Rasmussen of Virginia Beach.
Nine Old Dominion University players will compete.
Two players - Jeremy Julie, a member of the U.Va. team, and ODU's Tim Vandolder - are from Canada. Another player, Lee Eagleton, is from Australia. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Staff file
Matt Paulson, 16, the state junior champion from Virginia Beach, is
the youngest golfer in the Eastern Amateur field.
by CNB