Friday, July 19, 1996

Cory Driskill wins Todd Moore Memorial Tourney in playoff

By TED DUNNAM
Assistant Sports Editor

Cory Driskill passed a major test with flying colors Thursday at Abilene Country Club.

Those flying colors came in the appropriate form of a birdie-eagle finish in the Todd Moore Memorial Junior Tournament.

Driskill, starting the day two shots off the pace, dropped in a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a three-way playoff with Matt Dobyns and John Wagner.

He then crushed a 285-yard drive and punched a 7-iron on to the green on the par-5, No. 1 hole. Driskill calmly followed that by rolling in a 25-foot downhill eagle putt that finalized matters on the first playoff hole, giving him the boys' 15-18 title in the three-division tournament.

Dobyns and Wagner each had makeable eagle putts also, but neither could find the cup on their attempts to extend the playoff.

"Those last two holes are the most nervous I've ever been on a golf course," said Driskill, who will be a senior at Lubbock Coronado. "I knew what I had to do going into 18. On both putts, I was just thinking about the back of the cup.

"I made two good strokes on both holes and I knew both of them were going in after I hit them."
On the playoff hole, Driskill was forced to hit a punch shot after his drive inexplicably kicked left under an overhanging tree.

"I got a bad break on the tee shot, but I got a good one on my approach," he said. "It kicked right and gave me the opportunity to make the putt."

Driskill's final-round 68 gave him a three-day total of one-under-par 212. Wagner shot a 69 and Dobyns fired a blistering 66 to work their way into the playoff.

Wagner had an opportunity to win the tournament on the 18th green, but pushed a birdie attempt. Driskill, meanwhile, made his and carried the momentum to the playoff.

"I'm playing the best golf I've ever played right now," Driskill said. "It hit the ball well and putted well all three days. This is No. 1 on my list of accomplishments."

Culley Barragan and Casey Harbour, the co-leaders starting the day, shared or had the lead much of the day before encountering trouble on the back nine to fall out of the title chase.

Randi Meadows of San Antonio won the girls division, shooting a final-round 77 to post a seven-stroke victory. She finished the tournament with a 10-over-par 223 total.

Meadows tried to make the title hunt interesting early, double-bogeying the sixth and seventh holes.
However, she gathered herself on the back nine, birdieing the 14th and 15th holes in easily protecting her lead. Like Driskill, Meadows recorded her first American Junior Golf Association win with Thursday's victory.

"I was just hoping I wouldn't choke it off today," she said. "After those two double-bogeys, I decided to get more aggressive and that's why I started flying a couple of greens.

"It wasn't as windy today and I was probably playing more club than I should have on some holes. When I got the birdie on 14, I felt a lot better. Then I really started feeling good after the birdie on 15."

However, Meadows said she still hadn't breathed a sigh of relief by that time.

"When I got off the green at 18, then I felt fine," she said. "My iron play was consistent all three days. I hit it close to the pin and gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities."

Kyle Jett of Richardson claimed the boys' 13-14 title by shooting a three-day total of 224 to win by nine shots over Tim Cureton. Jett fired a 74 Thursday in coasting to the victory.

"I just didn't want to choke today," Jett said, echoing Meadows' thoughts before the start of Thursday's round. "I thought the course played a little easier today than yesterday. I hit 14 greens and putted fairly well. I missed a lot of four-footers, but at least I was hitting it well and not scrambling to make par."