Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, July 4, 1994 TAG: 9407040011
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: GAINESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
The two will play 36 holes of match play today for the championship over the 7,238-yard, par-72 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club course, where last fall Inman tied for second in the VSGA's Mid-Amateur event.
The finalists offered contrasting reasons for their success.
Inman said the course suited his game; Brogan said he was simply lucky.
"I wish I could bottle the golf course," said Inman, a 32-year-old real estate appraiser who went 22 holes Sunday to beat two-time former champion Keith Decker of Fieldale in the semifinals.
"I think this year I was fortunate," said Brogan, a 36-year-old building contractor who beat veteran J.P. Leigh of Chesapeake 2 and 1 in the semifinals.
"I was lucky," Brogan said. "The draw I had was fortunate."
In the morning quarterfinals, Leigh was 3 under in a 2-up decision over defending champion David Partridge, who was 1 under.
Brogan beat retired Navy man Jack Barrett of Virginia Beach 4 and 3 in the quarters. Inman was a 6-and-4 quarterfinal winner over 1990 champion Hank Klein of Richmond. Decker advanced to the semifinals with a 3-and-2 win over Scott Shingler of Woodbridge.
"His [Leigh's] play this morning was more vigorous than mine," said Brogan, who won the first two holes when Leigh three-putted and never looked back.
Brogan's lead dropped to one hole only twice after that as Leigh struggled to a 6-over-par round.
It's the first time Brogan, playing in the State Amateur for the first time since 1990, has advanced past the second round of match play.
Inman trailed Decker, a 34-year-old furniture company executive, through the first nine holes. Decker birdied the first and won the seventh with a par before Inman took the eighth with a par and the 10th with a birdie.
A 5-foot birdie putt on the 11th gave Inman his first lead, but he bogeyed the 17th and they halved the next four holes.
On the par-3 22nd, Decker was short left, chipped to 5 feet above the hole and missed his par putt. Inman got up and down from the left fringe to win.
"It's tough to get in the right spot to make birdies on this golf course so I play mostly for pars," said Inman, who was 1 over for 22 holes. Decker was 2 over.
Inman reached the semifinals in 1983 before losing to eventual champion David Tolley of Roanoke. He lost in the first round in 1984 but failed to qualify for match play in 1992 and 1993.
Decker, who had played 24 holes Saturday without a bogey, had three bogeys against Shingler, but he also had two birdies. He was never caught after winning the fourth hole with a par.
Brogan said his match with Barrett "wasn't pretty. We both started off bad. I just finished better."
After bogeying four of the first five holes, Brogan parred every hole after that. He had a birdie on the fourth.
by CNB