
DATE: Thursday, July 10, 1997               TAG: 9707100696

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: PORTSMOUTH                        LENGTH:   92 lines

DEAL LOOKS TO STRIKE ONE AFTER AMATEUR HE NEEDS SPONSORS IN ORDER TO PREPARE FOR QUALIFYING SCHOOL IN THE FALL.

There are a lot of golfers who'd gladly give their 60-degree wedges for an amateur record like Curtis Deal's: 17 top-10 finishes, three second-place finishes, a fourth in the 1994 NCAA East Regionals at Auburn University, captain of the 1997 Virginia Tech golf squad.

There's only one thing missing from Deal's amateur career - a victory - and only one tournament left for him to do something about it. That's this week's Eastern Amateur at Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club. Deal is in the featured threesome of the day, along with two-time State Amateur champion John Rollins of Richmond and Tom McKnight of Galax. They tee off at 12:30 p.m. today.

``I'm looking for sponsors right now,'' Deal said after Wednesday's practice round, ``and (winning) would get my name out there. It sure would make it a little easier to ask people for money.''

By this time two weeks hence, Deal's amateur career should be history. He will have declared himself a professional and gone off to the Carolinas or Florida to prepare for October's PGA Qualifying School by playing in Powerbilt or Hooters tour events. That takes money, about $1,000 a week.

Deal, like most other May college graduates, doesn't have it. He has a half-dozen tentative agreements with local supporters, but nothing in writing. No figures have been discussed. For all he knows at the moment, they could be talking about hundreds, not thousands, of dollars. He figures he needs about $25,000 to get to the end of the summer.

All the more reason he'd like to bag the Eastern before passing out his resume. There's no reason he couldn't. This is the seventh time he's played the event, so he has enough local knowledge. He finished fifth last year, his best showing. At last week's State Amateur, Deal followed an opening-round 78 with a brilliant 68 to advance to match play. There, he was paired against one of Virginia's supermen, defending State Open titlist Keith Decker. Deal lost 4 and 3.

This summer's dry spell has left Elizabeth Manor without its usual treacherous rough. Deal, a long hitter who admits he sprays it off the tee more than he'd like, won't be punished nearly as much for his errant shots as he was in previous years.

``There were times here when, if I was in the rough, I had no choice but to punch it back out onto the fairway,'' Deal said. ``This year, I figure I'm long enough to be hitting wedge from the rough, and I'd rather be closer and have that than be hitting a mid-iron approach shot from the fairway.''

Deal knows he has a lot to learn between now and his first attempt at Q-School. He also knows he has reason to be positive about his future. He's played a lot of golf with Carl Paulson, the Hampton Roads native who split time between the regular and Nike tours last year and is playing the Nike circuit this season.

``Seeing him doing it out there is really encouraging for me because I know I can play with him,'' Deal said. ``This is a time of nervous excitement for me. I've thought about this since the day I started playing golf. This is what I do best. This is how I want to make my living.''

The first step in making it starts today. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

STAFF/file photo

Curtis Deal will try, for a final time, to earn his first amateur

win at this week's Eastern Amateur at Elizabeth Manor Golf and

Country Club.

Graphic

AT A GLANCE

What: 41st annual Eastern Amateur Golf Tournament

Where: Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club

When: Today through Sunday, first tee time 8 a.m.

Admission: Free

Information: 465-1200