THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Sunday, July 7, 1996                  TAG: 9607070285
SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER 
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   46 lines

COLLEGE STARS ABOUND, BUT CAN'T WIN IN EASTERN LATELY OLD HANDS HAVE WON AT ELIZABETH MANOR SINCE '93, BUT YOUTH IS STRONG THIS WEEK.

With 80 of the 162 players in the Eastern Amateur being starters on college teams, the odds seem stacked against a non-collegian winning the 40th renewal of the tournament this week at Elizabeth Manor.

But the last time a college player has won the 72-hole tourney was in 1992 when the University of Arizona's David Howser topped the field.

Instead, collegiates of yesteryear have dominated recent play in the Eastern. Tom Knight, a University of Virginia player in the 1970s, won in 1993 and again last year. Hometowner Steve Liebler (University of South Carolina, 1981) won in '94.

``I don't know if we have ever had a stronger collegiate field,'' said Galen Hill, the Eastern director.

``McKnight certainly is one of the finest players in Virginia. But he's going against some really outstanding young college players this time. We're particularly happy to have Jim Flippen. He just was the medalist in the State Amateur the past week and this will be one of his last tournaments as an amateur. He is turning pro in August.''

Flippen, a recent graduate of the University of Virginia, tied for fourth in last year's Eastern.

``We also have the State Amateur champion, John Rollins of Virginia Commonwealth University, and the runner-up, Troy Ferris of Campbell College,'' Hill said.

Other college players singled out as title contenders by Hill are Lewis Chitengwa, Joey Maxon, Tim Turpen, Doug LaBelle, Jim Skinner, Andy McLendon, Scott Newton an Chris Krueger. Krueger, an Old Dominion player, was seventh in the Sunnehanna. Newton was runner-up in the North and South.

``Chitengwa came to this country to play golf at the University of Virginia,'' Hill said. ``He was ninth in the Eastern last year. Then he went back to Zimbabwe and became the first black player to win the South African Amateur.'' He was seventh in the NCAA Division I tournament.

This field will be completed with the addition of the 12 low scorers from the First Flight Tournament, the 36-hole qualifier to the Eastern starting Monday with a field of 186.

Excluding those who might qualify from the First Flight, the Eastern has 19 players who are 30 years of age or older. A Mid-Amateur award (gift certificate and trophy) has been established this year to recognize the low scorer in this group. by CNB