THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 14, 1994 TAG: 9408120283
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 21 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY JOHN GORDON, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
In golf, it's often necessary to hit a second drive to really appreciate the first one.
Henry Odom really appreciated his first drive on Suffolk Golf Club's 105-yard 14th hole last Tuesday. He picked up his trusty 9-iron and hit a hole in one during the fourth annual Red Cross Golf Tournament and quickly eliminated all competition in the closest to the hole contest.
``I didn't think I had a hole in one,'' said Odom. ``The green is a little higher than the tee and we didn't see it go in.
``We saw it bounce once, and I thought it had gone over the back of the green. But my partners thought they saw the pin shake a little bit and that I had a good shot at being closest to the pin.''
Playing with Odom, 63, were Ronald Hart, Sandy Chapman and Andy Andresky.
``When we got up there, I didn't see the ball, and I started looking in the tall grass behind the green,'' Odom said. ``Then Ronald Hart went to the hole and told me, `You better come over here and look.' ''
The foursome started hollering and hugging and jumping around.
``They were really excited for me,'' said Odom, who had resumed playing the game about 20 years ago after a long layoff.
His prize? A new set of irons. But he may keep that old 9-iron.
Other awards for those closest to the pin went to John McConnell, No. 6; Gary Rodgers, No. 9; and Jimmy Stephenson, No. 16. Longest-drive winners were Mark Mills, No. 4, and Ernest Crowther, No. 15.
Ben Ellis took the prize for hitting the ball nearest the directional flag on the 10th hole. The par-5 hole is a double dogleg and has a directional flag about 225 yards from the tee.
Four four-man teams tied for first place originally in the Florida best-ball tourney with net scores of 58.
After they compared cards, working back from the 18th hole, officials determined that Benji Ellis, Dan Holly, Kent Spain and Ronnie Rountree were the true champions. Placing second were Billy Russell, Jeff Hebanstreit, John McConnell and Mark Mills.
Taking third were Adrian Robertson, Ben Brothers, Kirk Edens and Jimmy Stephenson. And finishing fourth were Charlie Hardy, John May, Howard Filer, and Frank Spady, who was tournament chairman.
The event drew 64 entries. That's four more than last year's field, but still somewhat fewer than the 70 to 80 contestants who played the first two years, according to Faye Daniels of Suffolk's chapter of the American Red Cross.
CLOSE CALLS OPEN TOURNEY: Isle of Wight County had some close games in its slow pitch softball tournament last week, starting with the opening two games.
Moody's nipped the Hawgs, 4-3, and Deamon's edged the Allstars, 7-6.
In the tourney opener, Larry McNair and Wayne Speedy both doubled as Moody's scored two runs in the first inning. The two added singles in the fifth when Moody's added two more in the fifth.
Deamon's scored a run in the bottom of the eighth to grab its win over the Allstars as Lionel Cornick knocked in Steve Crawley with the winning run.
The Allstars were eliminated in the double elimination tourney as the Hawgs hammered them, 11-5.
Moody's trimmed Deamon's, 4-2, but Deamon's eliminated the Hawgs, 5-3, and earned the right to face Moody's one more time. However, Deamon's fell to the county champs again. This time, the score was 13-2. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER
Jay Butler keeps an eye on the flight of his ball after teeing off
in the fourth annual Red Cross Golf Tournament at the Suffolk Golf
Club.
by CNB