THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 25, 1995 TAG: 9510250596
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GAINESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
For the second year in a row, Cox won the battle but lost the war.
The Falcons again finished as runner-up to Mills Godwin in the Group AAA state golf tournament Tuesday but Cox's Troy Cummings was the individual champion.
Godwin finished with a 36-hole total of 643 for a 5-shot edge over Cox in the two-day competition.
None of the 72 players was able to play regulation golf over the par-72 Virginia Oaks course either Monday or Tuesday.
Cummings, in second place after his opening-round 75, managed only an 81 Tuesday in a swirling wind.
But it provided him with a one-shot advantage over Godwin's Mitch Begun, who had 81-76-157.
The 17-year-old Cummings, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound senior and captain of the Cox team, dropped a 5-foot par putt on the last hole to claim the victory.
His teammates, sitting on the edge of an embankment that surrounded the water fronting the green on the last hole, stood and cheered when the putt fell.
Afterward Cummings said he wasn't aware that he needed the putt to win. He figured he had a 4-shot lead over Godwin's Mike King, a three-time Central Region champion who recently scored 1350 on his SAT. King, the first-round leader, soared to 89 and finished in ninth place.
Cummings was unaware that Begun was the player awaiting a playoff if he bogeyed the hole.
``I'm glad I didn't know,'' said Cummings, a two-time winner of the Old Dominion Junior Tournament and fourth in state match play. He called this ``my biggest win by far.''
A year ago his teammate, Matt Paulson, was the state medalist. Paulson battled his way to rounds of 83 and 84 for 167. ``Except for Troy,'' he said, `` we (Cox) all played horrible.''
``I guess we're just destined to be the second-best team in the state,'' said Cox coach Stuart Holland. ``We were second last year and now we have finished second four times in five years.
``But I'm proud of Troy and it says something for one school to have back-to-back individual champions.''
Cummings took the lead on his fifth hole (No. 14 as the back nine was played first) with a par when King suffered a triple bogey. Cummings birdied the sixth and stayed in front the rest of the way. Twice Begun moved within a shot of overhauling him.
Godwin coach Tommy Hoy, who also coached his school's boys tennis team to the state championship, said he expected ``it would go down to the last hole.''
``Our team and Cox are pretty equal,'' he said. ``I wanted to go with seniors but I was afraid to do that after the first round.''
He summoned sophomore Chris Thayer from home and Thayer's dad drove him up from Henrico County for the second round after a senior had an opening 89.
It was a good move. Thayer contributed an 82. Another 89 and Cox would have been state champion by two shots.
Cheered on by dad Linzy and mom Mary, Cummings, along with teammate Ryan Marks (82-82 - 164) were the only Eastern Region players in the top 10.
Granby, the other Eastern team entry, was eighth with 723. Gary Crutcher paced the Comets with 85-87-172.
``This was good experience for us and I look for it to pay dividends next year,'' said Granby coach Marty Bechtol. Both Cox and Granby have only two seniors on their squad.
``Godwin has four,'' said Holland. ``So, maybe next year. . . .'' by CNB