THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 12, 1995 TAG: 9507120525
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
A play-it-safe decision on the last hole proved to be the right choice and provided George Kemp with the First Flight Tournament championship Tuesday at Elizabeth Manor. Kemp, a 45-year-old Virginia Beach sub-contractor, fired a par 70 to top the 194-player field with a 36-hole 143.
He claimed a two-shot win over first-round leader Jack Barrett, who shot 70-75 - 145.
Deadlocked with Barrett as the two played the 537-yard, par five 18th, Kemp elected to lay up on his approach shot.
``It was getting pretty dark out there and I had a good sand wedge shot that normally I might try for birdie. But I couldn't see the hole very good and I figured it was better to lay up and make an easy par.''
He left himself a 2-foot tap-in.
Barrett missed a 12-foot putt that obviously rattled him. He four-putted the hole.
``That's normally my speciality,'' said the dejected Barrett. ``I think my depth perception went bad in the dark.''
Lightning, thunder and an early morning shower delayed the start of the round for 35 minutes. The leaders went off last and finished the 18th in near darkness.
Kemp pulled even with Barrett at the 12th with a par and took the lead with a birdie at No. 13. When he bogeyed the 15th, Barrett regained a share of the lead.
Both players parred No. 16 and had bogeys at No. 17 when each was over the green.
``My putter really kept me in the tournament Monday,'' said Kemp, who is Broad Bay club champion. ``I hung on then. Today I hit 14 greens and just played good golf. It was a nip-and-tuck match that Barrett and I had.''
Charlie Mathis and Stephen Whitfield, both from Norfolk, tied for third at 147. Mathis, a former First Flight winner, rammed in a 25-foot putt on the 18th. Mathis and Whitfield both had 73-74.
Marc Tefft of Chesapeake was fifth with 149.
Four players - Tim Dougherty of Suffolk, Tom Newbern Sr. of Powells Point, N.C., Tom Forchas of Norfolk and Mike Chesson of Virginia Beach - followed at 150.
The low 12 gross scorers qualified for the Eastern Amateur, which starts on Thursday.
Six players tied at 151 for the final three spots. Gary Johnson, a two-time Eastern winner from Chesapeake, Nathan Mitchum of Virginia Beach, and Michael Martin of Chesapeake earned the Eastern berths on a scorecard playoff.
The 151 shooters losing out were Bernie Rull, John Winn and Tom Mihalik. ILLUSTRATION: D. KEVIN ELLIOTT/Staff photos
George Kemp of Virginia Beach shot a par 70 to win Tuesday's First
Flight Tournament at Elizabeth Manor in Portsmouth.
Jack Barrett reacts to a missed putt in the final round Tuesday.
Barrett finished two shots off the lead with a final-round 75.
by CNB