THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, October 24, 1995 TAG: 9510240402
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GAINESVILLE, VA. LENGTH: Medium: 55 lines
Cox players dejectedly looked on as late-finishing Mike King of Mills Godwin posted a 2-over-par 74 to knock the Falcons out of the opening round lead in the Group AAA State Golf Tournament Monday at Virginia Oaks Golf Course.
King's round, the lowest registered among the 72 players, gave the defending state champions a team total of 314.
Cox, sparked by team captain Troy Cummings with a 75, fell three shots behind.
The 36-hole tourney concludes today over the hilly 6,468-yard 2-year-old course. And it should be a two-team battle.
Third-place Hylton stands 19 strokes behind Cox at 336.
The teams played the back nine first, and Cox charged out to a 3-shot lead at the turn.
However, Cox's No. 1 player, Matt Paulson, scrambled to a 45 on the incoming front side to finish at 83. Paulson won medalist honors in last year's tournament, when Cox lost to Godwin by one shot.
``We're three shots back, but we can make that up on one hole,'' said Cox coach Stuart Holland. ``We've come too far to fold our tents now. We just have to get fired up for that second round.''
Godwin coach Tommy Hoy didn't view the lead as secure either. ``We're not even a 3-wood up,'' he said. ``Just say we're up by a putter.''
King, who finished 13 shots behind Paulson last year, parred the front side with his 36-38-74.
Cummings had 38-37. ``I was pleased with the way I played,'' he said. ``I had one birdie and set that up with a good chip shot from the trap on the (par 5) third hole.''
``This is a tough course but we can make up three shots.''
Ryan Roebuck added 38-39-77 for Cox and moved into a tie for third place with Woodson's Steve Marino.
``It could have been an even better round,'' Roebuck said. ``I had four 3-putt greens.''
Perhaps the most disappointed player was Kellam's Adam Dixon, the Eastern Region medalist.
Dixon was breezing along 1-under par after seven holes. He then carded a 10 on the par-4 17th and a 9 on the par-5 18th, going on to 40-45 - 85.
Granby, the Eastern's other team entry with Cox, fell into eighth place at 360. The Comets had an 85 by Gary Crutcher, but four of the other five team members failed to break 90.
Adam Nielsen of Kellam led the six Eastern players from nonqualifying teams with 36-44-80. He's in a five-way tie for eighth place. by CNB