THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, July 15, 1996 TAG: 9607150129
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH LENGTH: 91 lines
For the second year in a row the Eastern Amateur went overtime. But it had a different finish for defending champion Tom McKnight.
Jason Buha claimed the title by defeating McKnight on the second hole of their playoff Sunday after the two had battled to a tie at 5-under-par 215 over 54 holes at Elizabeth Manor.
A year ago McKnight won on the first extra hole after tying Australian Lee Eagleton.
The players had to battle the elements throughout and the weather likely had a hand in McKnight's loss.
The third round was cancelled on Saturday due to Hurricane Bertha. A rainstorm hit the course again Sunday and halted play for nearly two hours.
Only 12 players were still on the course at that time.
When play stopped, McKnight held a two shot lead over Buha with three holes left.
"All I was thinking during that long wait was that I needed two birdies to have a chance to catch Tom," said Buha, a 21-year-old rising senior at Duke. "He was playing so well I really didn't think he was catchable. So maybe the long delay cooled him off a little." When play resumed, McKnight bogeyed the 16th and Buha pulled even with birdie. McKnight hit into a bunker, the only fairway he missed all day, and blasted over the green.
"A par there and I win the tournament," said McKnight.
Buha hit a 3-iron 5 feet from the pin for birdie.
At the 18th Buha was short on an 20-foot birdie putt and McKnight could have claimed the championship with a 10-footer, which lipped off the cup. "I thought it was in," said McKnight.
Both parred the first extra hole and then Lady Luck turned her back on the 41-year-old McKnight, seeking his third Eastern victory.
When McKnight hit a 40-foot chip shot it stopped on the fringe and was mud-coated. Had it gone on the green, he could have cleaned the ball.
He chipped again and two putted for a bogey on the 330-yard, par 4 hole. Buha, playing in his first Eastern, became the titlist when he two putted for his par.
"I nearly made my first putt (35 feet)," said Buha. "The adrenalin was really flowing then and I hit it harder than I wanted to. I knew two putts would win and it's a good thing the first one was on line to the hole. It might still be rolling."
Added the gracious winner: "I really feel badly that Tom wasn't able to get the mud off his ball.
"At the 18th the same thing almost happened to me. I had mud on the back of my ball. Luckily, I was in casual water.
"But I'm really happy to win. I thought I played well and I haven't won a tournament in three years."
McKnight didn't blame the loss on the mud, however.
"The mud shouldn't have been there," he said. "It was there because I hit a poor shot one shot earlier."
Buha had rounds of 67, 68 and 70 in this first Eastern that was not 72 holes.
Quipped McKnight: "I would love for it to be 72 this year, since I lost." McKnight had rounds of 68, 68 and 69.
Lewis Chitengwa, a rising junior at the University of Virginia, finished third with 209. Chitengwa added a 69 to his earlier rounds of 72 and 68.
Brett Boner, from Auburn, was fourth at 211 with rounds of 68-69-74.
Virginia Tech's Curtis Deal, from Chesapeake, Faber Jamerson of James Madison and Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech tied for fifth at 213. Deal had 74-69-70.
Ban Taylor of Jacksonville, Fla. fired the low closing round with a 2-under 68. Taylor was among four at 214.
McKnight also carted home the new Mid-Amateur Award, presented for the first time to the low finisher over 30 years of age.
If McKnight had won, this award would have gone to his close friend, J. P. Leigh of Suffolk, another former Eastern champion.
The 48-year-old Leigh, 1983 titlist, finished at 215 (72-72-71).
The Joe Tusing Memorial Award, a gold putter given to the player picked as the outstanding sportsman by tournament officials and workers, went to Jimmy Flippen of Danville.
It was the last Eastern for Flippen, a University of Virginia graduate and medalist in the recent State Amateur. Flippen posted 75-72-75-222 in his sixth Eastern appearance. He is turning pro next month.
The Lloyd Liebler Memorial Award, a college grant, went to Heather Jeffries of Western Branch. ILLUSTRATION: LAWRENCE JACKSON
THE VIRGINIAN PILOT
Jason Buha needed extra holes, but came away with a wire-to-wire
Eastern title, the first to go less than 72 holes.
Tom McKnight reacts to his missed putt on the 16th hole that allowed
Jason Buha to pull even.
RESULTS
[For a copy of the results, see microfilm for this date.] by CNB