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

June 24, 2003

Amanda Harter finished second to Teesha Ash in the Women's City Amateur last summer with her parents, Maxine and Richard, in the gallery at Creeks Bend.

This week in the Women's City Amateur at Eagle Bluff, Harter won't be able to seek advice or counseling from her parents because Richard's father suffered a heart attack in Melbourne, Fla. Consequently, Harter will be counting on a good friend to help her—Chris Gilliland, one of the best young golfers in town.

Harter works at Council Fire and Chris' father, Hunt, is the Director of Golf there. While playing in a threesome last week at Council Fire with Richard Keene, Harter was trying to read a putt on No. 9.

"Chris told me it was going to break a foot to the left,'' Harter said Monday after shooting an 80 in the Women's City qualifier. "I thought it was going dead straight in. I hit it straight and it broke a foot to the left. I said right then, 'Christopher, you need to come and caddy for me.' ''

Gilliland, who recently graduated from Notre Dame High School and is headed to Furman University on a golf scholarship, said, "Why not?''

Gilliland showed up at Eagle Bluff for Harter's 8:30 a.m. tee time on Monday and plans to caddy for her the rest of the tournament.

"Christopher was amazing,'' Harter said. "He really helped me a lot. He was running up those hills. It was unbelievable. We were riding in carts and he was staying ahead of us.

"He really helped a lot on the reads. I can't read a putt to save my life for some reason. Christopher can caddy for me anytime he wants.''

Said Gilliland, "If I can walk this course every day of the tournament, I can handle anything. It didn't wear me out like I thought it would, but I might be dead by tomorrow.''

Harter won the Class AAA state championship at Soddy-Daisy and recently completed her sophomore season at Middle Tennessee. Still only 19-years-old, Harter said playing collegiately is completely different from high school golf.

"My freshman year was the first year for women's golf at Middle,'' she said. "I just didn't have any confidence and the other girls were shooting in the 60s. But last year my stroke average came down five strokes.

"I just need the summer off and probably don't play or practice enough. I'm trying to make money this summer. I've been working at Council Fire all the time.''

Said Gilliland, "Amanda just can't read greens. I think I helped her a lot today. And she doesn't play or practice enough. She has a really good stroke, but she doesn't play in enough tournaments either.''

Gilliland finished fifth in the Signal Mountain Junior last week. Before heading to Furman, he will play in some local tournaments this summer and possibly in the Eastern Amateur in Virginia. He has an exemption for an AJGA tournament and will play in the state amateur and the U.S. Amateur qualifying.''

So even though Harter is missing her parents this week, she has picked up a valuable asset in Chris Gilliland. Now, she just has to listen to him.

While trying to read a putt during her round Monday, Harter looked at Gilliland and he said, "Trust your caddie.''

She did and shot a 35 on the back nine after struggling in with a 45 on the front. With Gilliland's help, Harter believes she can compete for the Women's City championship.

"I expect to be right in the middle of it all week,'' she said.

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

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