THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996 TAG: 9607040220
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 15 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: 100 lines
THE FINAL 12 spots in the 40th annual Eastern Amateur will be up for grabs Monday and Tuesday when a field of 186 battle it out in the First Flight Tournament at Elizabeth Manor.
The dandy dozen at the top of the 36-hole First Flight will gain spots in the feature tourney. The Eastern commences play on Thursday.
George Kemp of Virginia Beach won last year's First Flight with a 3-over-par 143, posting rounds of 73 and 70.
Kemp, a 45-year-old sub-contractor, had a two-shot edge over Jack Barrett, also from Virginia Beach.
Kemp is defending his title. He is paired with Old Dominion University coach Murray Rudisill in the first round with an 8:50 a.m. start on the first tee.
Half the field will start on the back nine with opening play at 8 a.m. Ten-minute intervals have been established between tee-times this year. It has been eight minutes in past years.
Usually a 150 or 151 score is good enough for berths in the Eastern. The cutoff last year was 151. Six players tied at that total and a couple lost out by scorecard playoffs.
The other Eastern qualifiers last year, in addition to Kemp and Barrett, were Charlie Mathis, Stephen Whitfield, Marc Tefft, Tim Dougherty, Tom Newbern Sr., Tom Forchas, Mike Chesson, Nathan Mitchum, Michael Martin and Gary Johnson. Losing out in card playoffs were Bernie Rull, John Winn and Tom Mihalik.
Several former First Flight champions are competing again. These include Johnson, a Chesapeake resident who captured the 1992 and 1993 tourneys.
Dan Ward, the 1994 winner, died year last from cancer.
Also playing are former winners Mathis and Marshall Fleming. Fleming is a three-time titlist.
The field includes 12 players from North Carolina, four from New York, two from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, one from Florida and one from New Jersey.
The First Flight record is 136, registered by Bill Newton of Newport News in 1977. That score came at Sleepy Hole, the only year the tournament has not been held at Elizabeth Manor.
The lowest at Elizabeth Manor is 137 by Paul Going in 1988.
Elizabeth Manor pro Tim Newsom is tournament director. Newsom said the format has been changed slightly, with players being pre-flighted according to handicaps.
Last year players were flighted into the second round by their first-round scores.
Following are Monday's pairings:
1st TEE
8 a.m. - Ken Stone, Jamie Sims, Tom King, Duane Barnes
8:10 - Brian Richards, Jason McEwen, Ryan Marks, Jeff Kristofak
8:20 - Rob Field, John Field, Paul Croston, Mitchell Vinson
8:30 - Robert Harding, Robert Podmenik, Gregg Fisher, Chad Wilson
8:40 - Terry Holmes, John Ware, Tom Lowe, Wayne Robertson
8:50 - George Owens, Murray Rudisill, Bob Nolf, George Kemp
9:00 - Jerry Worthington, Richard Hogan, Howard Spainhour, Mike Scotece
9:10 - Al Dietz, Bryce Londeree, Richard Schwartz, Les Flora
9:20 - Jerry Deans, Rick Garrity, Allen Dail, Bubba Bruce
9:30 - Tom Savage, Bob Savage, Bill Blanchard, Kirk Edwards
9:40 - Derek Sandhoff, Dave Williams, Rob Ross, Marc Tefft
9:50 - Tom Hathaway, Joe Howell, Gary Johnson, Wilbur Johnson
10:00 - John Hackney, Stan Avery, Robert Whitmore, David Thiel
12:30 p.m. - John Ricketts, Larry Johnson, Chris Sheppard, Tom Johnson
12:40 - Tom Wood, Marshall Fleming, Stewart Fleming, George Fischer
12:50 - Dennis Gartman, Steven White, Bud Grissom, Ryan Lambert
1:00 - Mitch Burton, Roy Gibbs, Mark Ballard, Roger Noland
1:10 - J. T. Sykes, Ray Logwood, Danny Whitehurst, Tom Couch
1:20 - Ed Freeman, Preston Grissom, Scotty McGowan, Bobby Jeffries
1:30 - Tom Jarrett, Boyd Fletcher, Jim Ware, Jay Webb
1:40 - Karl Quinn, Jay Huntzinger, Clarence Newton, Jim Roberts
1:50 - Bill Porter, Jerry Davis, Tom Newbern, Bob Natole
2:00 - Jim Vita, Jeff York, Chris Karvala, Ralph Knapp
2:10 - Willie Pegram, Larry Neal, Dennis Akers, Keith Matthews
10th TEE
8 a.m. - Brian Horan, Jim Pendergast, Tom Dunford, Bud Bell
8:10 - Sean Dougherty, Scott Fleming, Cameron Robinett, C. T. Harry
8:20 - David Whitener Sr., David Whitener Jr., Henry Whitener, Pat Baker
8:30 - Pete Nicotina, Sal Candrilli, Gene Romeo, Armando Wamba
8:40 - Mel Lassiter, Walt Tapler, Wayne Peterson, Doug Kirk
8:50 - Tom Forchas, Stephen Whitfield, John Castleberry, Gary Albertson
9:00 - Paul Gottlieb, Steve Gottlieb, David Phillips
9:10 - Paul Hopkins, Tom Mihalik, Michael Shroyer, Oscar Salter
9:20 - Wayne Ricketts, Bill Moran, Roger Davis, Ron Teegarden
9:30 - John Reddecliffe, Martin McMahon, Joe Gatling, Chip Lucas
9:40 - Charlie Southworth, Michael Southworth, Han Sang, Brian Martin
9:50 - Andy Edwards, Michel Millen, Matthew Spruill, Mark Yewcic
12:30 p.m. - John Winn, Charlie Mathis, Leroy Mowell, Jeff Orndorff
12:40 - Hamilton Dwyer, John Gomoke, Gary Field, Raleigh Rigney
12:50 - Brian Gifford, Fred Witt, Bill Callis, Jimmy Holland
1:00 - Jason Brown, Robbie Hill, Wyatt Booth, Adam Nielsen
1:10 - Chantor Midgett, Charles Johnson, Michael Byrum, Phillip Muldez
1:20 - Jim Archer, David Mank, Marvin Hinkle, Mark Stearns
1:30 - Jim Garrett, Michael Thomas, Steve Polansky, Michael Felton
1:40 - Russ Kirk, Mike O'Connor, Bill Thomas, Al Keene
1:50 - Allen Drewry, Duncan McDuff, Donnie Simpson, Patrick McDuff
2:00 - Victor Cox, David Cox, Richard Cox, Paul Hopkins
2:10 - Don Fett Sr., Don Fett Jr., Bill Womble by CNB