Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 25, 1993 TAG: 9308250037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I've never been able to get off to a start like that before," said Ketron, who began his round in miraculous fashion, going birdie, eagle, par, birdie.
"Four under after four holes. Whew, I had a chance to shoot a really low score. It could have been a good one."
Dare say, nobody else in the 57-player field felt sorry for the William Byrd senior. Only two others broke par - Franklin County's Chad Foutz, who birdied the final two holes for 69 and Glenvar's Nick Varney, who shot 70.
Varney, who witnessed Ketron's act, said he felt fortunate to be only two shots back entering today's final round at Blue Hills.
"When Ryan got to 4-under on the front, I thought he'd shoot 7- or 8-under," Varney said. "He's proved he's the best. He deserves the attention if he plays that well."
Ketron, who is bidding to become the Metro's first repeat winner, has dominated the local junior scene in the past year.
"The big difference now is that I'm shooting in the 60s more often," he said. "I feel like I can shoot some really low numbers now."
He'll never get a better chance than Tuesday. Playing from Countryside's white tees - made even shorter by the recent bone-dry conditions - Ketron was even-birdie when he stepped to the fifth tee.
He birdied No. 1 from 15 feet, hit a sand wedge into the par-5 second and made eagle, parred the par-3 third, and then birdied the 350-yard fourth, two-putting after driving the green, thanks to a big kick off the rock-hard fairway.
"I couldn't believe my ball made the green," said Ketron, marveling at his prodigious shot at No. 4.
He fell back to 3-under with a bogey at the par-5 seventh.
After birdieing No. 10, bogeying 11 and birdieing 12, Ketron was 4-under heading to the par-3 16th, where he chunked a 9-iron short into the water and took a double bogey. He birdied 18 to get to 3-under.
"No. 16 is killing me," Ketron said. "I knocked one in the water there in the Valley Am last week."
Ketron's round led defending champion Byrd to a sparkling 10-over 294 total and an eight-shot lead in team play.
The Terriers' other three counters - Kevin Divers (74), Evan Maxey (76) and Chris Turner (76) all toured the back side in 2-under 33.
Northside, which was led by Brian Agee's 74, and Franklin County, paced by Foutz and David Hudson's 74, are tied for second at 302.
Benjy Kitts of Roanoke Valley Christian, which is competing in the 10-school tournament for the first time, is fourth individually at 73.
by CNB