Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 17, 1993                   TAG: 9308170112
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

JUNIOR GOLFERS HAVE BIG HILL TO CLIMB TODAY

Hill, a good player who has been shadowed most of the past two years by such area stalwarts as Ryan Ketron, Scott Griffin and Nick Varney, left the favorites in the dust Monday at Blue Hills, firing an even-par 71 to take the lead in the Roanoke Valley Golf Association Junior championship.

"Guys like Ryan and Scott are hard to beat," Hill said. "I knew I would have to shoot a real good number because I figured they were capable of shooting under par."

`Hey, they deserve all the attention they get. They've been winning most of the tournaments. I look at this as a good chance for me to get some notice."

Hill, 16, isn't exactly an unknown. The rising Northside High junior won the!15-16 age group in the Commonwealth Games of Virginia competition, beating Griffin and Varney. He also finished in a tie for second behind Ketron in the Hall of Fame Juniors.

"I've been playing really well this summer," Hill said. "It would mean a lot to win this tournament. Going back to Countryside (his home course and site of today's final round), I feel real confident."

Hill, who had five birdies, undoubtedly will need more today to fend off Ketron, defending champion Griffin and Floyd's Tim Bower, who share second in the 15-17 age group at 72.

Ketron shot 1-over despite fighting a bad case of the hooks. Ketron headed to the practice tee after his round to try and iron out the kinks.

Nick Varney, winner of the 13-15 division the past two years, struggled to a 75.

In the 13-15 division, 14-year-old Jason Orlando shot 1-under on the back nine to card a 1-over 72, good enough for a one shot lead on Daryl Byrd and Mark Baldwin.

Orlando, a rising ninth-grader at Northside High, will be gunning for his third title of the summer today. He earlier won his age group in the Smith Mountain Lake Junior Open and in the Commonwealth Games of Virginia tournament.

Orlando, who has been playing golf for only four years and has had just one lesson from a pro, attributed his success to hard work.

"I'm at the golf course 10 hours a day, six days a week," said Orlando, a 3-handicapper at Countryside. "I have a lot of fun playing golf ... unless I shoot 80 or something."

"I should have had 71 today. I didn't even hit the hole on a 3-footer for birdie at No. 18. I would be smiling a lot more right now if I had made that one."

Three players are tied for fourth at 74, including Tommy Lesperance and Cave Spring High teammates Doug Kenney and Josh Points.

Lesperance's round was highlighted by his first ace. The rising Glenvar High sophomore holed a 7-iron on the 140-yard fourth.

In the Midgets division, Justin Shirley fired a 2-over 38 from the back-nine red tees to take a three-shot lead on Ryan Patterson. Lee Taylor, who won the VSGA State Juniors 10-11 crown last week, is tied with Matthew Chandler for third.

Phillip Ingram and Jamie Young each had 17 for four 150-yard holes to tie for the lead in the Pee Wee division.