ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, July 22, 1996 TAG: 9607220156
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
Amateur Keith Decker of Fieldale added more hardware to his vast trophy case Sunday, shooting a final-round par-72 and coasting to a seven-shot victory in the AMF-Signet Open.
``The first Amateur was great,'' said the 36-year-old furniture company executive. ``This was something special.''
Decker, who finished four trips over the 6,684-yard Willow Oaks Country Club course in 12-under 276, has won two State Amateurs and three VSGA Mid-Amateur titles. He had come close several times in the Open, but never had won.
Despite the big lead, Decker said he didn't feel he had a lock until the final three holes.
"I started to feel pretty good on the 16th fairway,'' he said. ``Once you get past 15, you have to feel pretty comfortable.''
There was a three-way tie for second among pros Simon Cooke of Keswick and John Stone of Williamsburg and amateur Mark Teachey of Waynesboro. Stone, who shot a closing 69, and Cooke, who had a 71, won $9,947 each from the $75,000 purse.
Tied for fifth and earning $4,200 each were two northern Virginia pros, Rick Schuller of Chantilly and Bud Lintelman of Reston. Both were in position to win the $12,000 top prize until they ran into bogeys on the last few holes.
Billy King, longtime head professional at Roanoke's Blue Hills Golf Club, posted a final-round 73 and finished seventh at 285. He wound up fifth among the pros, earning $2,625.
Virginia Tech's Curtis Deal finished 15th at 289 despite a final-round 77.
Roanoke pros Dicky Linkous, who had a 70 Sunday, and Chip Sullivan (73) finished tied for 18th at 2-over 290. Both players earned $962. Hot Springs' Mark Fry (73) tied for 30th at 293 and picked up $780.
Decker, who finished second behind Martinsville pro Jerry Wood in 1994, took control of the tournament on Saturday, when he authored a brilliant 6-under 66 to open a six-shot bulge on the field.
Decker said he ``started off a little squirrelly'' with bogeys on the second and fourth holes, but he birdied the fifth and sixth to get back to even par for the front nine. He had one birdie and one bogey on the back.
Decker is the only the second amateur to win the State Open - Richmond's Vinny Giles was the other in 1993 - since Galax's Tom McKnight turned the trick in 1985. McKnight, hoping to gain a Walker Cup bid, bypassed the Open this year in order to play in the Southern Amateur in Pinehurst, N.C.
Stone's 69 was Sunday's lowest round. ``I about wanted to go in after the second hole,'' said the 28-year-old Stone, who bogeyed three of the first five holes. But he eagled the eighth hole and came home in 33 on the back.
The 23-year-old Cooke, who turned pro in May, struggled until he birdied two of the final three holes.
``It was a pretty good week,'' said the former Virginia All-American. ``I'm a little disappointed in the four days. The long game just wasn't there.''
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