ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, May 22, 1996 TAG: 9605220031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
ANDREW GREEN of Lord Botetourt High School wants to design golf courses.
Andrew Green says he wants to be a golf-course architect one day.
Suffice it to say, the Lord Botetourt High School senior would approve the course taken by the 1996 Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame scholarship committee.
At a news conference Tuesday in Roanoke, Green was announced as the winner of the $10,000 Don Holliday Memorial scholarship award.
The scholarship, named in honor of the late Piedmont Airlines district sales manager, will help finance the start of Green's career dream. This fall, the 18-year-old Botetourt County native will enter Virginia Tech, where he plans to pursue a double major in landscape architecture and turf management.
``I'm totally shocked,'' said Green, in reaction to winning the award. ``When I applied for this, I thought I might have an outside chance. Now that I've won it, I have to say this is the biggest day of my life so far.''
Green, one of an all-time high of 37 applicants for a record $17,200 in scholarships offered by the Hall of Fame, took home the big prize with an impeccable resume. Green's list of accomplishments more than satisfied the committee's demands of academic achievement, citizenship, character and interest in golf.
Green posted a grade-point average of 3.96, which ranked seventh in his graduating class of 198. He was the ``fifth or sixth man'' on the Cavaliers' golf team. Plus, he works as an assistant greenskeeper at Botetourt Country Club.
``I love the outdoors,'' he said. ``When I'm out playing golf, I always find myself looking at courses and how they're laid out.''
Green, displaying his wit, then added: ``I hit [the golf ball] around. I see a lot of parts of courses. I know how the trees are planted on most courses.''
The past nine days he's found little but green. In addition to the Holliday's five-figure check, Green raked in a $4,000 grant May 13 from the Virginia State Golf Association.
``It's just amazing,'' Green said.
Green's 24-year-old brother, Sam Jr., currently works as the assistant superintendent at prestigious Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md.
``Runs in the family, I guess,'' Andrew Green said. ``I love it, and one day I'd like to be in the big time.''
In addition to the $10,000 given to Green, the Holliday scholarship fund awarded special $1,000 grants each to Glenvar's Ray Harrell and Salem's Robert Seagle. Harrell attends George Mason University, while Seagle attends Virginia Tech.
The Holliday awards are funded through the organization's annual summer tournament and through sponsorship fees. The 10th annual Don Holliday Memorial will be played June 22 at Hanging Rock Golf Club. All 288 spots in the field already are filled.
``It all started with just a few of Don's friends just getting together,'' said Ellsworth Snyder, a Holliday board member. ``Over the years it has just kept getting bigger and bigger in everything.
``The scholarship is the nice thing, though. We gave out $500 our first year, now we're giving out $12,000.''
In addition to the Holliday awards, the Hall of Fame also announced its other scholarship recipients:
* Glenvar's Tommy Lesperance was named winner of the $1,000 Phil Kistler Memorial scholarship.
* Northside's Daniel Palmer earned the $1,000 Gordon C. Willis scholarship.
* Karen Lee of Radford University was named recipient of the $800 Buddy Clement Memorial scholarship.
* Ryan Ketron of Campbell University won the $300 King Family Memorial scholarship.
* Glenvar's Brian Kaulback ($500), Patrick Henry's Mark Baldwin ($500), Ketron ($500), Lee ($200), Lesperance ($100), Harrell ($100) and Seagle ($100) received special awards.
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