Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, August 11, 1995 TAG: 9508110060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Although the girls' champion experienced mixed emotions, Kyle Thompson had nothing but positive vibes Thursday on his tour of Roanoke Country Club.
Once his lead reached high single digits, Thompson's only challenge was to break the 54-hole record in the Scott Robertson Memorial Junior Golf Tournament.
"Somebody told me after [No.] 17 that the record was 5 under par,'' Thompson said. "At that point, I just didn't want to do anything stupid.''
Thompson avoided a big number at No.18 by chipping out of danger and, despite a closing bogey, finished with a 67 and a 7-under-par total of 206.
It bettered by two shots the record set last year by Neal Kauffman and gave Thompson, from Easley, S.C., a seven-shot margin over Wes Lovell and Brian Hanczaryk.
Lovell had a final-round 67, including a 5-under-par 30 on the front nine, but could pick up no ground on Thompson. Lovell birdied the first extra hole - his eighth birdie of the day - to win a playoff with Lovell.
The girls' title went to 16-year-old Amie Lehman from Pittsford, N.Y., who played the last four holes in 2 under par to hold off Stefanie Reynolds from Landenberg, Pa.
Reynolds led by two shots going to the No.4 hole on the Crabapple Nine - the players' 13th - but she was assessed a two-stroke penalty for raking a bunker prior to hitting a shot from the sand.
"I heard her raking the sand and, when I turned around, I knew that wasn't allowed,'' Lehman said. "I asked her, "Do you want me to get an official because I don't think you're allowed to do that?'
"I felt sick. I felt terrible about it. After the round I couldn't be happy. But, I've lost matches before when I've seen things and not called them, so I knew I'd regret it if I didn't.''
Lehman had a 54-hole total of 219, which was even par for the girls, and Reynolds finished at 220 after back-to-back birdies. No one else was closer than 231.
"I had no idea I had done anything wrong,'' Reynolds said. "There was no intent to test the sand. There was a big [ridge] and I didn't want somebody else to land in it. It wasn't close to my ball.''
There were age groups in the girls' division for the first time, with Jennifer Elsea of Columbus, Ohio, capturing the 13-14 class with a 238 total - two shots better than Kacy Thompson of Easley, S.C.
Thompson and her younger sister, Kory, left after the awards' presentation to follow their 16-year-old brother, Kyle, who has two more years of eligibility left in the Robertson.
Thompson was an also-ran in the boys' 15-18 age group last year, but was coming off a four-shot victory in a tournament in Myrtle Beach, S.C., that was sponsored by the Maxfli equipment company.
"I didn't look at myself as the player to beat,'' Thompson said, "but I've only had one or two rounds over par in the last three weeks. I felt, coming up here, that I had a chance.''
Thompson trailed by two shots after an opening-round 72, then took the lead Wednesday with a 67. He shut the door on the rest of the field with four birdies on the first eight holes Thursday.
Thompson, a 5-foot-10, 140-pounder with surprising power, did not have a birdie on the back nine but made an eagle when he hit the green in two at No.17, a 529-yard par-5, and knocked in a 10-foot putt.
"By the time I got to No.12 or 13, I was trying to make birdies but I wasn't trying to make a run at everything like I was on the front nine,'' Thompson said. "But, with a six-shot lead going to No.17, I decided, "What the hay, let's go for it.'''
When Kauffman set the scoring record last year, he smashed the old mark by five shots. That means that only Kauffman has come within seven shots of Thompson in the 12-year history of the Robertson.
It was the second Robertson championship for Thompson, who two years ago won the boys' 13-14 division. Ryan Stinnett of Amherst took that title Thursday with a 54-hole total of 220, six shots better than Tommy Branch of Vidalia, Ga., and Trey Clower of Roanoke.
by CNB