ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, July 21, 1996 TAG: 9607220075
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
Keith Decker's day didn't start well - his car was rear-ended on the way to the AMF Signet Open golf tournament - but it finished very nicely.
Decker shot a 6-under-par 66 Saturday for a 204 total and leads by six shots heading into today's final round at the 6,684-yard Willow Oaks Country Club course.
``I feel good about it,'' said the 36-year-old amateur from Fieldale who has won two State Amateur and three State Mid-Amateur titles.
Six shots back at 210 was amateur Mark Teachey of Waynesboro, who shot a 70 and said he doesn't think he'll catch Decker in the final round.
``That's not my mindset,'' said Teachey, 27. ``I don't expect to catch Keith. I just want to play for myself and play well for me.''
Chantilly pro Rick Schuller, who started the day tied with Decker for the lead, shot a 1-over-par 73 and was at 211.
``I can't see Keith backing up,'' said Schuller, 33, who had four bogeys, a birdie and an eagle.
Another big move was made by 43-year-old two-time champion Woody FitzHugh, who was 8-under-par after 14 holes and finished with a 7-under 65, the best round of the tournament.
``It's one of the best rounds I've played in my life,'' said FitzHugh, who jumped from a tie for 64th place to a tie for 11th.
Deadlocked at 212 were pros Billy King of Roanoke and Simon Cooke of Keswick and amateurs G.W. Cable of Oakton and Curtis Deal of Chesapeake.
There were 17 players under par, but defending champion Rob McNamara was not one of them. The 30-year-old Charlottesville pro shot a 5-over 77 and was at 217, 1 over par. Roanoker Chip Sullivan was the low local pro, also at 217 after a 73.
Decker opened his lead with birdies from four, 10 and 10 feet on the third, fourth and fifth holes. After a bad second shot resulted in a bogey on the sixth, he birdied No.8 from two feet for an outgoing 33.
He birdied the 10th from six feet, the 12th from two feet and the 16th from 10 feet after he made a 25-foot par-saving putt on the par-3 15th.
Teachey closed out a 33 on the front with birdies on the seventh, eighth and ninth holes. He had two bogeys and a birdie on the back nine
Schuller had bogeys on the third, sixth and seventh holes before he finally made a birdie on the ninth.
``I could have gone in the tank early, but my caddie kept me focused,'' he said. ``It's a lot of pressure to perform here because the people back home expect a lot.''
FitzHugh made the turn in 5-under 31 with birdies on the second, third, fifth, sixth and ninth holes, the last with a 35-foot putt.
Birdies on Nos.12, 13 and 14 - the last with a 40-footer - got FitzHugh to 8-under for the day. He missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 15th, and bogeyed the 18th, where he pushed his tee shot right, came up short of the green, chipped poorly to 10 feet and missed the putt.
LENGTH: Medium: 63 linesby CNB