THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 14, 1995 TAG: 9507140578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: Short : 49 lines
There are usually snickers when Erik Bertrand pulls his driver out.
``They always laugh when my driver comes out,'' said Bertrand. ``It's a steel-shafted Japanese model that is about five years old. But I use it because I prefer its feeling. And I hit the ball lower than with a metal-headed club.''
But nobody laughs after Bertrand hits the ball.
The Duke University rising junior won the second Tim Newsom Long Driving Contest, a pre-Eastern Amateur feature.
Bertrand topped a field of seven finalists with a poke of 286 yards at the third hole. He had a 3-yard edge over runner-up Scott Summers.
Summers, a magna cum laude graduate of Furman this year, led the qualifying round with a drive of 291 yards.
The contest is named after the Elizabeth Manor pro, who is one of the area's longest off the tee.
And the prize Bertrand won? A driver, of course.
``But I'll still be hitting with this old one as long as it holds up,'' said Bertrand, who had a 1-over-par 71 in the first round of the tournament.
WHAT'S IN A NAME: Twenty-nine of the 33 individuals who have won the Eastern Amateur have had different first names, including the last 13.
First-round co-leader Lee Eagleton was delighted to hear that no one named Lee has ever won.
This year's field includes 11 Mikes and nine Steves, including defending champion Steve Liebler.
Tom (6), Dick (2) and Harry (1) also are competing.
A WEIGHTY PROBLEM: Eagleton, from Melbourne, Australia, says his summer tour of the United States will cost $6,000. It is his third visit to the country.
``My dad and grandma are helping me out,'' he said. He plans to play in the Southern, the Porter Cup and the Western.
He's already learned to convert yards to meters in determining the distances on American courses.
And how much does the 6-foot-1 Eagleton weigh?
``I weigh 83 kilograms,'' he said.
And what is that in pounds?
``I have no idea,'' he said. by CNB