DATE: Tuesday, October 21, 1997             TAG: 9710210421

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C7   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JAY LIDINGTON, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: CLIFFORD                          LENGTH:   75 lines

BAD THUMB PUSHES MILLER OFF COURSE SALEM GOLFER WITHDRAWS FROM GROUP AAA STATE TOURNAMENT; COX TIED FOR THIRD.

The biggest shot of the Virginia Group AAA State Tournament Monday was delivered by a non-player.

Salem's Kevin Miller, state runner-up last year, withdrew before the opening round of the 36-hole event with a thumb injury.

Steve Marino of W.T. Woodson blistered the par-71 Winton Country Club layout, leading all individuals with a first-round, 3-under-par 68.

Defending state champ Matt Krauss of C.D. Hylton was second with a 2-under-par 69.

Ryan Roebuck of Cox lead local players with a 72.

The Cox Falcons found themselves in a familiar role - trailing in the team standings after the first round. Cox was tied for third place with Patrick Henry at 311.

Mills Godwin, the defending state team champs, lead with 302.

Cox came from eight shots back to win the 1996 Eastern Region Tournament in the second round.

``It's a crazy game,'' said Cox coach Stuart Holland. ``You just don't know. We're just going to have to stay focused and play as well as we can.

Miller, who fired the only two sub-par rounds in the Eastern Region Tournament last week, bruised his left thumb during a punt play in the third quarter of Salem's game Friday night with Ocean Lakes.

Miller was trying to make a tackle when he accidentally smashed his left thumb against another player's facemask.

Hoping his injured digit would heal by some sort of ``miracle,'' Miller made the three-hour-plus trip to Amherst Sunday and hit practice balls. He even came to the course Monday morning to see if he could play.

But the pain proved too much. Even a modified grip didn't work. Fearing he might make the injury worse by playing, he withdrew.

``I was hoping for a quick recovery or a miracle or whatever you call it,'' Miller said. ``It wasn't happening.''

If he was disappointed, Miller didn't show it standing near the driving range Monday morning. He stood with both hands jammed firmly in his pockets and chalked his injury up to experience.

If there was any consolation for the three-time state tournament participant, it was that he was competing as an individual with no teammates depending on him to play.

``It probably hasn't hit me yet,'' he said. ``I wanted to go out as a state champion. That's the way it goes. It's a life lesson, I suppose.''

Cox's Ryan Garland, who finished second to Miller in the region tournament, said he felt bad for his friend, but said Miller's departure didn't put any added pressure on him as the top remaining Eastern Region golfer.

Garland's score of 90 Monday - his highest round in recent memory - took care of matters all by itself.

``Me and him are real good friends,'' Garland said of Miller. ``He wanted to make state and he came so close.''

Garland also had difficulties of his own to worry about. He bogeyed the first four holes and had to make a 50-foot putt on No. 3 to prevent a double-bogey.

Garland birdied only one hole Tuesday, the 18th, which included his ``best three shots of the day.

``It's a terrible feeling, especially at this stage of the year to do what I just did out there,'' Garland said after Tuesday's round.

Garland's Cox teammate, Roebuck, was four shots off the lead with a 1-over-par 72, including a birdie on No. 12, the second-hardest hole on the course.

The Falcons need a set of steady rounds today if they are to contend for the state team title.

``I think each of us needs to go out and worry just about ourselves - go out and play our own games,'' he said.

``We'll have to post something down around par tomorrow,'' Holland said. ``We're certainly capable of doing that.These other teams are going to try to maintain what they've got. It's going to be tough.'' ILLUSTRATION: Kevin Miller, last year's state runner-up, hurt his

right thumb last Friday night in a football game against Ocean

Lakes.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu