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

September 24, 2002

If you're looking for a good showdown, the place to find it this weekend will be at the Council Fire Golf Club.

Heading into Chattanooga TPC event, Andrew Black leads the Pro Golf Superstore/www.chattanoogatpc.com points race for player of the year with 248 points. Lurking close behind, however, are Kevin Law at 227 and Philip Guess at 222.

The points list is determined from competition in 12 local events, four state events and six national and regional events. The winner will receive a piece of crystal and a $500 gift certificate to the Pro Golf Superstore, as well as the prestige of being the 2002 Chattanooga Player of the Year.

The Chattanooga TPC and the TGA State Mid-Amateur (Oct. 1-3 at the Black Creek Club) are the final two events of the season.

The points could dramatically change in the two events. In the TPC, the winner earns 75 points, the runner-up gets 40, semifinalists earn 25 and 15 points are awarded for reaching match play.

In the Mid-Amateur, the points are awarded as follows: Winner (75) top 10 (40), top 20 (25) and post scores all rounds (10). Black, however, is ineligible to compete in the Mid-Amateur since he isn't 25-years-old. Law will be in the field, but Guess did not enter.

"Having two tournaments left is good for Kevin Law,'' said Mike Jenkins, chattanoogatpc.com co-owner.  "I really thought Andrew Black would win the Battlefield 4-Ball, but when that didn't happen Kevin became the favorite.

"Of course, if Andrew wins the TPC it will be hard for Kevin to catch him. Where Kevin has the advantage if if neither one does well in the TPC.''

Jenkins, fellow co-owner Richard Keene and Jon Williams of Pro Golf Superstore are pleased with the player-of-the-year competition coming down to the last two events.

"This couldn't be better,'' Keene said. "This is what we were hoping would happen when we designed the format. Somebody could have taken a big lead and it would have taken away a lot of the excitement.''

Black finished fourth in the Battlefield 4-Ball and earned 10 points. Law and Guess didn't earn points in the event.

"I feel like I'm playing pretty good,'' said Black, who is trying to complete work for his degree at the University of Tennessee. I'm going to work on a few things Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, mainly my irons.

"I haven't been playing but once or twice a week, but I played well last Friday. Everything seems to be there.''

Black is a former member at Council Fire, where he has played a lot with 2001 Chattanooga TPC winner Jimmy White. The field this year will not include White, who recently turned professional.

"We're close in the points, so this should be a lot of fun,'' Black said. "I haven't played match play in a long time, but I enjoy it and have a pretty good match-play record.

"Also, I like Council Fire a lot. I remember it well and look forward to playing it again.''

Qualifying in the TPC is Thursday with match play Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Council Fire. The tee times for Friday will be 1:30-2 p.m. with Saturday's tee times between 2-2:30. On Sunday, the tee times will be at 8 a.m.

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