"IF YOU LIKE GOLF"
weekly online golf column
by
Stan Crawley

August 3, 2004

Don't be surprised if UTC's Bryce Ledford continues his roll through the summer golf circuit when the CDGA Four-Ball Match competition begins this week around town.

Ledford, who has already won the Red Bud Invitational, the Don Malarkey Invitational and the Bear Trace Invitational, will be teamed with UTC teammate Thomas Smith. They will be representing Council Fire. Smith lost to Ledford in a one-hole playoff in the Bear Trace event.

The first round of the CDGA must be completed by Aug. 10 and the second round by Aug. 19. The quarterfinals will be played Aug. 21 at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club with the semifinals and final match on Aug. 22 at The Honors Course.

Taking a look at the field of 22 teams;

Richard Keene, Jimmy Watkins, Brainerd: The defending champions. A strong team. Will make a lot of pars. Won't give away anything. Must go low to beat them.

Dirk Durham, Mike Brown, Valleybrook: Real solid. Lots of pars.

Joey Warwick, Mark Degler, CGCC: Warwick makes a lot of birdies.

Mike Craig, Philip Guess, Valleybrook:  Fun guys and very good golfers.

Phil Bandy, Farrell Hayes, Battlefield: Two older guys who can still play the game. Have known each other forever and will team well.

Chris Gilliland, Tyson Elliott, Council Fire: Richard Keene believes this is the team to beat. They are young and strong.

Wes Robbins, Aon Miller, Lookout Mountain: Miller is a very good player. It depends on what game he brings.

Wes Brown, Sr., Bret Douglas, Moccasin Bend: Two nice guys who will have a hard time advancing.

Mike Jenkins, Tom Baird, CGCC: Jenkins may be the most improved golfer in town. He has taken his game to the next level.

John Lambert, Don Gregory, Valleybrook: These two won the tournament in and 2001 2002 and will be a threat again. They have fun. Lambert's constant chatter can get opponents listening to him instead of playing golf.

Frank Hollowell, Joe Brown, Signal Mountain: Good players. Won't get past Lambert and Gregory in the first round.

Tripp Harris, David "Daisy'' McKenna, Valleybrook: Harris, who will be a senior at Soddy-Daisy High School, dates McKenna's daughter.

Brad Palmer, Ben Vaughn, Battlefield: Good players. Will make a lot of pars.

Eric Cummings, Ray Cherry, Moccasin Bend: Success will depend on how well their game will travel.

Greg Privette, Tom Schreiner, Brainerd: Schreiner makes a lot of pars, Privette a lot of birdies. Serious contenders.

Stewart Lawwill, Adam Mitchell, CGCC: Mitchell recently committed to Georgia. He is one of the best young players to ever come through Chattanooga. Has a chance to make it to a pro circuit.

Harry Hartman, Mitch Hufstetler, Valleybrook: Hufstetler is very good, Hartman a little inconsistent.

Randy Yoder, Todd Moreland, The Honors: Yoder is the strength of this team, but Moreland is an explosive player capable of making a lot of birdies.

John Wolf, Tom Philibotte, WindStone: Will have a tough time getting past Yoder and Moreland in the first round.

Neil Spitalny, Tim Kane, Black Creek: This one depends on the course. They will be hard to beat on the shorter courses.

Mike Robb, Derek Rende, Valleybrook: Could be a solid team. Rende played excellent golf at the Bear Trace Invitational.

Bryce Ledford, Thomas Smith, Council Fire: My choice to win the CDGA title. They like each other and should feed off each other. Ledford is driving the ball so far he has a chance to make a lot of birdies.

(E-mail Stan Crawley at wscrawley@earthlink.net)

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