THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 19, 1996 TAG: 9607170137
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER
CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 121 lines
THE TWO TELEPHONE calls Jason Buha placed to his home in Michigan within a three-hour period told the whole story of the 1996 Eastern Amateur golf tournament.
During a rain delay in the final round Sunday, Buha phoned his dad in Farmington Hills, Mich.
``A storm hit the course and we still have three more holes left to play,'' said Buha. ``I'll be teeing off on the 16th, but I'm two shots behind Tom McKnight and he's playing like a demon. I doubt that I have a chance to win. I probably need two birdies, and they are tough holes left.''
Buha placed his second call immediately after coming off the Elizabeth Manor course at the finish. ``Guess what?'' he said. ``I won.''
The 21-year-old Buha, a rising senior and No. 1 player at Duke, became the champion in his first appearance in the 40th annual Eastern.
Hurricane Bertha reduced the tournament from 72 to 54 holes for the first time. Buha posted rounds of 67, 68 and 70 for a 5-under-par 205.
That enabled him to tie McKnight, who shot 68-68-69, and put the title up for grabs in a playoff. After both parred the first hole, Buha won with a par on the second.
Most onlookers left with the feeling that a tough break cost McKnight, a 41-year-old former pro from Galax, Va., a chance to win his second straight Eastern and third title in four years.
On the second playoff hole, a par 4, 330-yarder, McKnight elected to play what he termed ``an easy 9-iron shot'' that left his ball on the fringe. The ball had a heavy splotch of mud on it, a remnant of the storm that had halted play for nearly two hours and on-and-off showers that continued after the tournament resumed.
McKnight's chip shot was short and he two-putted for bogey. Buha then two-putted from 35 feet for the victory.
If McKnight had been on the green, he would have been allowed to clean his ball. But he refused to use the mud as an alibi.
``The mud shouldn't have been there,'' said McKnight. ``It was there because I hit a poor shot one shot earlier.''
McKnight, who was victorious last year in a one-hole playoff after tying Australian Lee Eagleton, pointed out two earlier spots where he might have won the tournament.
``I bogeyed 16 and Jason had a birdie there to pull even. That was the only fairway I missed all day and a par wins the tournament,'' said McKnight. ``Then at 18 I had a 10-foot putt for birdie and if it falls, I win. I thought it was going in. But . . . '' And he shrugged his shoulders.
Buha said he ``felt badly that Tom wasn't able to get the mud off his ball.
``When we started back after the rain I didn't think I could win. Tom is a great player. The weather took a hot putter out of his hands for an hour or so and maybe that helped me.
``I'm so proud to be among some of those outstanding players who have won the Eastern.
``I`m really happy to win. I thought I played well.''
Buha headed for home and is bypassing the Southern Amateur this week. He plans to play in the Porter Cup, then the Western Amateur and then attempt to qualify for the U.S. Amateur.
``And I promise I will be back to the Eastern next year,'' he added.
McKnight is playing in the Southern, deciding to skip the State Open. McKnight, who regained his amateur status in 1984 after a four-year stint earlier as a touring pro, has played in the State Open for about 12 years and is a former champion.
``I expect to play in the Porter Cup and the Cardinal,'' he said.
Most of the top 10 finishers, including McKnight and third-place Lewis Chitengwa, said they will be in the Eastern again in 1997.
Chitengwa, a rising junior at the University of Virginia from South Africa, was four shots behind the leaders at 209. He posted rounds of 72, 68 and 69.
Auburn's Brett Boner was fourth at 211, running into trouble in the stretch after starting the last round only two strokes behind.
Virginia Tech's Curtis Deal, from Chesapeake, Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech and Faber Jamerson of James Madison tied for fifth at 213.
``Some things happened out there for me that shouldn't have happened,'' said Jamerson, who next will play in the State Open. ``You can bet that I will be back next year to redeem myself.''
Jamerson finished with a 73 after rounds of 69 and 71.
The most amazing closing round came from G.W. Cable, a George Mason player from Oakton, who started out with three straight bogeys and wound up birdie, triple bogey, birdie and eagle on the last four holes.
``I thought the wheels came off when I went out of bounds at No. 16,'' said Cable. ``Then I came back with birdie at 17 and the eagle at 18. At 18 I hit a lob wedge into the hole from 40 yards out.
``It was a really strange round.''
He shot a par 70 and finished at 214, in a tie for eighth place.
Next year the Eastern will continue with its July playing date, sandwiched between the State Amateur and State Open. But there no longer will be a conflict with the PGA's Michelob Championship at Williamsburg. The pro tournament is shifting to October. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MIKE WILLIAMS
Elizabeth Manor pro Tim Newsom, standing, and course superintendent
Rob Wilmans pump off the 18th fairway after a rainstorm hit Sunday.
ABOVE: Tourney champ Jason Buha reacts to the putt that set up his
winning shot in the playoff with Tom McKnight.
AT LEFT: Buha hits out of a trap en route to the closing round
victory.
AT RIGHT: McKnight plays the 9th hole Friday, when he shot 2 under
par.
Buha photos by
MIKE WILLIAMS
McKnight photo by
L. TODD SPENCER
The leaders walk down the soggy 16th Sunday. Because of the storm
that moved through the area, the Elizabeth Manor golf course was
riddled with puddles along the fairway on the final day of play.
Staff photo by
LAWRENCE JACKSON
EASTERN CHAMPIONS
TOURNEY RESULTS
[For a copy of the champions and results, see microfilm for this
date.] by CNB