DATE: Monday, June 16, 1997                 TAG: 9706160154

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C10  EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH                    LENGTH:   45 lines

DEAL TAKES TIDEWATER AMATEUR

Like thousands of other sons around Hampton Roads Sunday, Curtis Deal played a round of golf with his dad on Father's Day.

But Deal had more on his mind than a family outing. The Great Bridge High and Virginia Tech graduate won the championship flight of the Tidewater Amateur.

Deal followed Saturday's 63 - which tied the Stumpy Lake course record - with a 69 Sunday to win by six shots over second-place Skip Zobel (67-71-138) of Virginia Beach. Bryan Augsburger finished third at 141, nine shots off the leader.

Deal began the day with a four-shot lead and Zobel never got any closer. Deal made the turn at 5-under-par 31 after making an eagle at the 535-yard No. 9.

``That's got to be some of the best golf I've played, at least for 27 holes,'' Deal said. ``I felt comfortable over every shot and felt like I could make some putts.''

Deal, who works part-time in the Stumpy Lake clubhouse, stumbled a bit on the home stretch with a 38 on the back but had a sufficient enough cushion that Zobel never really threatened.

``He was real steady,'' Zobel said of Deal.

Deal, who graduated from Virginia Tech last month, is planning to turn pro this summer. He said he will attempt to qualify for the PGA Tour in the fall.

If Deal is unable to earn his playing card, he plans to play the Florida mini tours this winter.

Deal was happy to have his dad along to witness his first victory of any tournament since the 1995 Sleepy Hole Amateur. Morris Deal shot a 69 Saturday to earn a spot in the final foursome with his son, and although he slipped to a 78 Sunday the father seemed to relish in his son's success.

``That was perfect timing, on Father's Day, no less,'' Morris Deal said. ILLUSTRATION: NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Curtis Deal hits out of a bunker on the 13th hole at the Tidewater

Am on Sunday.

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Skip Zobel, who finished second to Curtis Deal in Sunday's Tidewater

Invitational, reacts after barely missing a putt on the 12th green.

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