THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 25, 1995 TAG: 9506240074
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines
The U.S. Open golf champion of 2000 might be coming to Elizabeth Manor for next month's Eastern Amateur.
And five years from now nobody might remember it.
The change in amateur golf through the years has prompted a lot of folks to say the Eastern no longer brings in name players.
It causes tournament chairman Dave Whitener and tourney director Galen Hill to do a slow burn.
Said Hill: ``When I was at the recent U.S. Open (he served as a rules official) I was in the locker room with the players and I couldn't help but think about how many of them had played in the Eastern Amateur.
``There were some of our former champions like Curtis Strange and Ben Crenshaw and such players as Scott Hoch, Hale Irwin, Tom Kite, John Mahaffey, Kelly Mitchum and Jim McGovern.
``And there was Corey Pavin.''
Pavin won the Open, pocketing $350,000 and raising his career earnings to nearly $6 million. Last year, Pavin won $906,000. In 1991, he was the leading money winner in professional golf.
Corey Pavin played in the 1980 Eastern Amateur, and who remembers?
The former UCLA player was among the also-rans.
``We've had a lot of players who went on to become big money winners and never were particularly successful in the Eastern,'' recalled Hill.
``When they came to Elizabeth Manor, how many of us had heard of players like Mahaffey or Hoch?
``That's why I find it irritating to hear people say the Eastern no longer draws name players. The face of amateur golf has changed. Back at the start of the Eastern, amateur golfers were well known. Everybody knew the Walker Cuppers who came in. The Bill Campbells were as recognizable as the pros.
``Nowadays college golf has so many outstanding players it's difficult even to determine who the best players are. But I can tell you there is no comparison in the players now and those from 20 years ago. The quality of players from top to bottom today is so much better than it was then.
``We hear a lot about (U. S. Amateur champion) Tiger Woods right now. How many folks know who Trip Kuehne is?
``Kuehne was the runner-up to Woods in the U.S. Amateur last year.
``Woods was fifth in the last NCAA Championships. Who can name the four players who finished ahead of him?
``My point is that one-third of our Eastern field this year will have players who are in the starting five at major colleges. We have players who went to the NCAA finals. We have a quality field that could even include another future U.S. Open champion.
``Since college golf now has more of a tournament format that the two and three-team matches of the past, there really isn't the need for major summer tournaments for the players any more.
``But we believe the Eastern can still get an outstanding field with the top state players and many of the rising young players across the country.
``And if people come out and watch the tournament, they'll see what a talented group we really have.'' ILLUSTRATION: AP PHOTO
Corey Pavin, winner of the 1995 U.S. Open, played in the 1980
Eastern Amateur at Elizabeth Manor.
by CNB