Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, July 28, 1995 TAG: 9507280096
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After firing a 1-under-par 71 Thursday at Hanging Rock to take the lead, Keffer hopes to keep the hammer down today at his home Blue Hills track.
"I really want to win it,'' Keffer said. "I've finished second in this thing, second in the Roanoke Valley Amateur, second in the State Amateur. Yeah, it would be nice to win something besides a club championship.''
If Keffer is to win, he will have to deal with a bunch of his running mates. Blue Hills' Rufus Spiers is one shot back at 72, while clubmates Don Foster and Gibby Wingfield are lurking three shots off the pace. (Scores in Scoreboard.)
"Just making the [six-man] team at Blue Hills is a problem,'' said Keffer, whose 67-68 led qualifying at the northeast Roanoke Club.
"Now beating 'em all in the tournament presents yet another problem.''
Keffer, 57, suffered an excruciating loss in this event last year, missing a 2-footer in a playoff and handing the title to Roanoke Country Club's Ned Baber.
"Just another reason I'd like to win,'' he noted.
Spiers shook off his 72, saying "I'm just lucky to be here.''
"The only reason I'm in the tournament is that one of my friends shanked a ball out of bounds on the last hole of qualifying, letting me beat him by one shot,'' Spiers said. "If I win this thing, it will set golf back 30 years.''
Tom Hofelich, a transplanted New Yorker, is third at 73. Hidden Valley's John Rice and Hanging Rock's Calvin Sisson join Foster and Wingfield at 74. Baber opened with a disappointing 76.
In team play, Blue Hills takes a commanding eight-shot lead back home in search of a record fifth title.
In Juniors competition, Nick Varney fired a 3-under 69 on his home turf to take a two-shot lead on RCC's Jacob Jarrett. Blue Hills' Mark Sweeney and Hanging Rock's Justin Young are three back.
Varney, Timesland's 1995 high school player of the year, wasn't overly thrilled with his number from the Rock's short 6,001-yard white tees.
"I didn't play my best, but the course was set up so easy,'' Varney said. "I think this is only the second time all year I've played the course from the whites. I always play from the blacks [6,828 yards].''
Varney didn't have a bogey. His three birdies all came on par-fives, all of which measure less than 500 yards from the whites.
"The par-5s today were playing like long par-4s,'' Varney said. ``It's a little easier up front from the whites, believe me. For [today] Blue Hills, I'm definitely looking at something in the 60s.''
That's bad news for those in the hunt.
"Nick's the man, as usual,'' Sweeney said. "You can count on him shooting 68 or 69 at Blue Hills. He's pretty bulletproof. Me, or for that matter, anybody else who wants to win, will have to go real, real low to have a chance.''
Varney and Young's rounds, parlayed with a 76 from Tommy Lesperance, enabled Hanging Rock to open a four-shot lead on Roanoke Country Club in the team competition.
by CNB