THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, July 13, 1996 TAG: 9607130312
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 68 lines
With 72 players still trying to battle the elements, play was suspended in the middle of the second round of the Eastern Amateur on Friday at Elizabeth Manor.
Anticipating adverse weather conditions to continue due to Hurricane Bertha, tournament officials announced that the 72-hole tournament would be reduced to 54 holes for the first time in its 40-year history.
Those still on the course when play was sirened to a stop at 4:45 p.m. will resume play today at 11:30 a.m.
The remaining round will be played Sunday. The field will be reduced to the low 80 and ties.
It appears that first-round leader Jason Buha of Duke will carry a one-shot lead over defending champion Tom McKnight into that final round. The 21-year-old Buha, from Farmington Hills, Mich., has a 5-under 135.
Both Buha, Thursday's leader with 67, and McKnight carded 2-under-par 68s Friday.
The scorecards turned in by the leaders looked very similar. Each had four birdies and two bogeys.
Buha had 35-33 with birdies at the third, 10th, 11th and 15th holes. McKnight shot 34-34 with birdies at Nos. 1, 2, 12 and 15.
Each was an early starter and encountered sprinkling rain and strong wind.
The later starters faced much heavier rain, and the bottom fell out for those still on the course at 3:30 p.m.
But the weather never made the soggy course unplayable. In fact, par took a beating.
Gilberto Morales, one of eight foreign players in the tournament, showed the way as 11 players posted sub-par rounds. Five others among the 95 finishers matched the regulation 70 figure.
Morales, a native of Venezuela and a Nevada-Las Vegas player, registered 34-33-67 to move four shots off the lead.
``The secret was my putting,'' he said. ``I was on the lip or in the hole all day, it seemed.
``I missed a 6-footer when I had my only bogey (at No. 4), but otherwise I putted great. Actually, I was struggling with striking the ball.''
Morales, 20, a 5-foot-10, 190-pounder, won the long-driving contest prior to the start of the tournament.
Other 68s were turned in by the University of Virginia's Lewis Chitengwa, Don Hill of the University of North Carolina, Bryan Jackson of James Madison, Patrick Kinley of Florida Southern and Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech. The 20-year-old Jackson is from Norfolk.
Two other local players, Harry Black of Virginia Beach and Curtis Deal from Chesapeake, and Jamie Conrad of Marshall University, fired 69s. Deal and Conrad are eight shots back overall at 143.
Virginia Beach's Troy Ferris, the State Amateur runner-up, remained in contention at 140 with Chitengwa and Faber Jamerson of James Madison. Ferris added a 71 to his opening 69.
Seemingly the only contender still to finish the second round is Brett Boner of Auburn.
Boner, tied with McKnight for second place in the opening round at 68, still has to play the eighth and ninth holes. He started on the back nine Friday, going 1-under. On the front he birdied No. 1 and bogeyed No. 4 to stand 3-under for the tournament and provisionally in third place.
``There's a lot of water on the course and we probably will get some more,'' said tournament director Galen Hill. ``We may not be able to resume at 11:30 and it could be later in the day. But we want all the players here at that time if we are able to start.'' ILLUSTRATION: L. TODD SPENCER
Jason Buha, the leader at 5-under, eyes his putt on 13 as partner
Faber Jamerson chips. Duke's Buha added a 68 to his opening 67. by CNB