DATE: Friday, October 3, 1997               TAG: 9710030865
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C6   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   41 lines

WHEN IT COMES TO TALK, BUCK STOPS HERE THE DEEP CREEK SENIOR FINISHED HIS GOLF CAREER IN TYPICAL FASHION - QUIETLY.

With one flip through his meticulously arranged home stats book, Deep Creek's Buck ``Buckaroo'' Schwartz can tell you who's hot, who's not and numerous other factoids about the high school golf scene.

He can, but he probably won't. This guy's no babbling Buck. In fact, Hornets coaches say if they had a buck for every word by Buck, they still couldn't make ends meet.

Former Hornets golf coach Ricky Cox estimates he got about 10 words out of Buckaroo in three years. New coach Paul Hughes claims to have had better luck - he says Buckaroo uttered three words during a recent 30-minute drive.

``I don't talk much to coaches,'' Buckaroo said.

Or teammates, either, apparently. They got an earful once when they tried to tune out his country music station. But when it comes to casual conversation, Buckaroo usually remains mum.

``I really don't know what his voice sounds like,'' Hornets teammate Chris Peterson said.

Ironically, Buckaroo really gets gabby at home, according to Buddy Schwartz, his father. Has a real passion for football, too, and keeps stats on that sport as well. Is proud of cutting nearly 30 strokes off his game over the past year. Even smiles when discussing, albeit briefly, the career-best 85 he shot earlier this season.

But the personality behind Buckaroo remained hidden from the other Southeastern District golfers Thursday, as the senior wound up what he said was probably his last competitive round of golf ever in typical Buckaroo style - a slow walk behind the rest of his group to the 18th green, putting woes leading to a triple bogey, and another slow march off the course.

Bye-bye, Buckaroo. We hardly knew ya. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

Deep Creek's Buck Schwartz, who likely finished his competitive golf

career Friday, isn't much for words on the course.

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