Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, October 24, 1995 TAG: 9510240045
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
In perhaps the most spectacular feat of his distinguished amateur career, McKnight authored an incredible 14-under-par 58 on his home course.
``It was kind of fun,'' McKnight said. ``That's one scorecard I'll think I'll hold onto.''
No doubt. Before McKnight's round, the only 58 known around Galax was Route 58.
The three-time Virginia State Amateur champion chipped in four times, including for all three of his eagles, and required only 21 putts. He shot 9-under 27 on the front nine.
``When I turned in 27, I thought all of a sudden I was in position to break 60,'' said McKnight, a 41-year-old former professional.
McKnight birdied No.10, eagled No. 12 and birdied No.13 to get to 13-under through 14 holes.
``The key then came at No.15,'' McKnight said. ``It's a good par-3 and I'm 13-under, thinking about breaking 60 and not wanting to make a mistake. I left it short of the green, then I chip in for birdie. That gave me an extra cushion.''
McKnight missed two 8-footers and a 4-footer - all for birdie - on the final three holes. Two of the putts lipped out.
``Hey, I'll take it,'' he said. ``The course is not that long [6,031 yards], but I'm not sure it's 58-easy.''
Bobby Nelson, Griggs Dixon, Dr. Ken Payne and Ryan Gentry witnessed the round, which broke McKnight's course record of 60.
``I had shot the 60 two weeks earlier, making nine straight birdies,'' said McKnight, a Galax fuel-oil distributor.
``It was just one of those days, I guess. Now I need to do it again - in a tournament somewhere.''
GREEN ON BOARD: Mariners Landing head professional Ed Cofino said the Huddleston-based club has struck a deal with PGA Tour pro Ken Green.
Green, a five-time winner on tour, discovered Mariners Landing last spring when visiting his father, who owns a home in the Smith Mountain Lake area.
"We met Ken by happenstance when he came down to see his father before the Greater Greensboro Open in April,'' Cofino said. "He didn't make the cut at Greensboro and he came back here and played about a week with his father.
"He's just a super-nice, a normal-type guy . We went out and played some. He was ribbing us and we were ribbing him. He indicated then he'd like to help us out if he could. We figured we could get some exposure through Ken.''
Cofino said Green will show up from time to time at the club. Mariners Landing hopes it can eventually play host to an annual tournament that Green in the past has held at his club tie in Florida.
Green joins Senior PGA Tour pro Bobby Mitchell of Danville on the Mariners Landing staff.
COURSE KUDOS: The Homestead Resort's renowned Cascades Course was recently accorded a five-star rating in Golf Digest's 1996-97 edition of Places to Play.
Only eight of more than 4,000 public courses across the U.S. earned five-star status. Included on the list were Pebble Beach (Calif.) Golf Links and the No. 2 course at Pinehurst (N.C.) Resort and Country Club.
SIGEL IN TOWN: Senior PGA Tour standout Jay Sigel will make an appearance in Roanoke on Nov.20. Sigel, rookie of the year in 1994 on the 50-and-over tour, will play an 18-hole exhibition at Roanoke Country Club starting at 12:30 p.m. The public is invited to watch Sigel play free of charge.
TOP PLAYER DIES: The local women's golf scene has lost one of its better players, Neva Price.
The 39-year-old Blue Hills member was killed in a car accident in Franklin County on Sept.23.
Price finished in the top 10 several times in the Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame and Roanoke Valley Women's Golf Association's City-County Championship.
UNPOPULAR MOVE: Rival coaches were not pleased when Virginia moved its men's invitational tournament to the fall and then scheduled it on the same weekend as the State Intercollegiate in Hot Springs.
James Madison won the State Intercollegiate in the absence of UVa and Virginia Tech, which opted to play in the Cavalier Classic because of the prestige available against a field of nationally-ranked opponents.
SAND BLASTS: Reckon Lexington's Sally Carter likes No.8 at Lexington Country Club? Carter recently aced the 121-yard hole for the third time in a year. ... Roanoker Aubrey Powell fired a career-best 64 from the white tees at Blue Hills this past week. Powell turned in 6-under 29 and would have shot even lower if not for a double-bogey 6 at No.12. ... Roanoker Jim Wright finished second in the recent Altavista Open at Altavista Country Club. ... Hanging Rock teaching pro Chip Sullivan had a tough week at the Sept.28-Oct.1 Nike Tour stop in Sonoma, Calif. Not only did Sullivan shoot 75-70 and miss making the tournament's 36-hole cut by one shot, his rental car was broken into and his Southeastern Conference championship ring was stolen. Sullivan said he plans to cut out of Roanoke again in November to play six-to-eight weeks on the PGA Winter Series in Florida. He finished in the top 10 in points and won more than $10,000 on the tour last winter.
by CNB