Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, August 12, 1993 TAG: 9308120079
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Scott, who had to settle for a second-place tie last year when rain forced the cancellation of the final round of the Scott Robertson Memorial, said he was going to ask for only one thing before hitting the sack Wednesday night.
"No rain [today], that's all," Scott said. "All I want is a chance to play this time. If this thing gets rained out again, I'll go nuts."
If the weatherman is right, Scott should get a dry run today at a title he came up one shot short of last year. The 18-year-old Pinehurst, N.C., native enters the final round tied for the boys' 15-18 lead with 16-year-old Miguel Rivera of Joppa, Md.
Scott was the only player among the 120-member boys' 15-18 field to beat Roanoke Country Club from the back tees Wednesday, firing a 1-under-par 70. Scott and Rivera, who had a second-round 73, are deadlocked through 36 holes at 2-over 144.
The day's other 70-shooter - from the shorter white tees - was 14-year-old Ben Keefer of Richmond. Keefer used a career-best seven birdies to overcome two double bogeys and a pair of bogeys to open a four-shot cushion on South Carolinian Kyle Thompson in the boys' 13-14 division.
In the girls' division, first-round leader Kristen Register of Roswell, Ga., fired a solid 1-over 74 to maintain a one-stroke lead over Floridian Laura Philo.
Scott, who fired the lowest winning score in 20 years in taking the North Carolina high school title this year, realizes this is his last shot at the Robertson. He leaves for Rice University on a golf scholarship on Saturday.
"I'd like to win it after what happened last year," he said. "Last year, I had shot 69 in the second round and was only one shot back, but then I never got to pick up a club the last day. Believe me, I've thought about that more than once."
Rivera also has an ulterior motive driving him this week. The 1992 Maryland State Juniors champion was not overly amused last year when his Robertson entry wasn't accepted.
"I didn't even get asked to qualify," he said. "Yeah, it upset me a little bit. I would have loved to have been here last year. For all that and more, I'd love to win it this time."
If Scott or Rivera or both falter, there's plenty of traffic behind them. Three players - first-round co-leader Joshua Brewer of Brownstown, Ind., Mike Meade of Bluefield, W.Va., and David Mandulak of Raleigh, N.C. - are two strokes back at 146. Verona's Chip Glover, the 1992 Virginia Juniors champion, and Maryland's Joshua Hartman are at four back at 147.
Register, 16, who fired a girls' record-tying 71 on Tuesday, birdied the last two holes to finish with a 74. She stands at 1-under 145 heading into today's final round.
"I'm real happy with 74," Register said. "I wasn't quite as close with my approach shots as [Tuesday]. But it's a good score. Now it's just a matter of going out and playing [today] and trying not to get too nervous."
Philo, 17, who is headed to Wake Forest on a golf scholarship in September, was 3 over for the day until she eagled the 373-yard par-5 17th for the second consecutive round, draining a 45-foot putt.
Lee Shirley's hopes of winning a second consecutive girls title faded with a second-round 80. The Roanoke golfer is seventh, 11 shots back.
by CNB