THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510270232
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 26 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: The Sports Editor
SOURCE: Bill Leffler
LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
It just happened that none of the four players involved were contending for an individual championship or were members of a team in contention for a title.
But last week's Group AAA state golf championship could have been decided by a rules violation that was a very petty infraction.
If Cox's Troy Cummings had celebrated by throwing his golf ball into the lake on the last hole, he wouldn't be the state champion.
And he can thank his coach, Stuart Holland, for making certain that it never happened.
Cummings won the two-day state tournament at Virginia Oaks in Gainesville Tuesday, edging Mills Godwin's Mitch Begun by one stroke. Cummings, captain of the Cox team, posted a 36-hole 156 with rounds of 75 and 81.
Positioned at the final hole with the rest of his Cox players, Holland watched as the remaining foursomes on the course started in. The front-running Cummings was in the last group.
A foursome composed of Salem's Kevin Miller, Peter Mattheson of Yorktown, Lew Ross of Douglas Freeman and David Hull of Osbourn Park headed to the scorer's table after concluding play. The four playfully tossed their balls into the water that surrounded the green.
A rules official promptly invoked a 2-stroke penalty on each player.
``I was told that it was abuse of equipment,'' said Osbourn Park coach Mike Foley. ``If they had waited until they signed their scorecards, there would have been no infraction. But the Virginia High School League manual calls for a 2-shot penalty.
``I don't think that's the intent of the rule. I think that rule is for acting up, such as breaking a club. There was no maliciousness in what they did,'' added Foley.
Holland, a one-time Portsmouth resident who has coached the Cox golf team for the past six years, promptly had the word on the penalty passed on to Cummings, who was playing the next-to-last hole - that under no condition should he celebrate his victory if he won the tournament. Definitely there would be no tossing of a golf ball in the lake.
And it was a good thing.
Cummings parred the final hole, sinking a 5-foot putt, to nail down the title by one shot. A 2-shot penalty would have dropped him one behind.
Cummings' joy was mingled with disappointment as Cox finished 5 shots behind Mills Godwin in the team competition. It was the second straight year Cox finished as runner-up to Godwin and the fourth time in five years that the Falcons were runners-up.
``I guess it would be safe to say we are the second best high school team in Virginia,'' said Holland.
Cox's Ryan Marks was the only other Eastern Region player to finish in the top 10. He placed 10th with 82-82-164.
Churchland's Robert Davis was the only Southeastern District player to qualify for the state meet. Davis had 88-84-172 and tied for 31st place in the 72-player field.
But he had an impressive showing on the outgoing nine in the closing round. He fired a 3-over-par 39 and only one player - Chris Shim of Centreville with a 37 - had a better score.
``Robert's putter was on fire on that nine,'' said Churchland coach Duke Conrad. by CNB