Decker set to compete for Cannon Cup

Any time Keith Decker enters a golf tournament, the event gets an automatic boost.

Decker, considered the top amateur in the state over the past decade, heads the 96-man field for the 2nd annual Cannon Cup at Spring Creek beginning today. The 54-hole stroke play tournament concludes on Sunday.

While only in its sec-ond year, the Cannon Cup has drawn a strong field for a variety of reasons, including rave reviews by golfers from across the state over the past two years.

“We are on the Virginia State Golf Associa-tion points system this year, which gives our eent a little more legitimacy,” said Spring Creek master pro Jack Snyder. “I think Keith Decker is here because we are hosting the VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship in October, and because Keith has never played the golf course, he wants to get some tournament rounds here under his belt.”

Locally, there’s a strong race for the 19th Battle Trophy competi-tion, which is awarded annually by The Daily Progress to the top ama-teur golfer in Central Virginia. Most of those vying for that title are entered in the tournament as well, including Mikey Moyers, Wes Eklund, Paul Kane, Philip Mahone, and Brent Daughtrey. Kane (third), Mahone (tied-sixth), and Daughtrey (tied-ninth) are coming off successful performances at the Kenridge Invitational at Farmington last weekend.

Several other strong competitors are entered including Wake Forest’s Dustin Groves, the for-mer Monticello High player who recently com-peted in the NCAA Championships, along with Richmond’s Glenn Mullian, Spring Creek’s Jerry Burton and several others.

2008 champion Sam Beach of Richmond will not defend his title due to a family wedding event.

The Cannon Cup also features a senior division to its tournament and several strong players are entered, including Jim Castagna, Evans Deane, Terry Towler, Stan Fischer, Jim Higginbotham, Donald Robertson, Pat Rennie and more.

“The course is in phenomenal shape,” Snyder said. “The rough is as lush as we’ve seen it, very thick and tough, which puts a premium on the guy that can keep it in the fairway.”

Snyder said that in practice rounds, players have been forced to pitch out of the rough with 8-irons in order to advance the ball, rather than go for the green.

“If they stray from the fairway, it’s a true pen-alty,” the pro said.

Those who can keep it in the fairways and accuracy into the greens will be rewarded.

“Not only just hitting the greens, but hitting them in the right quadrant where the pin is, will be crucial,” Snyder said. “If you have a long putt on our greens with all the undulations, that can be almost as difficult as pitching from 100 yards away.”

Those greens are fast and firm considering all the rain over the past two weeks. More rain could cause Snyder to rule that players can lift, clean and place their golf balls in today’s play.

Beach won the event last year with a cumulative 7-under par, a score that Snyder believes won’t be matched this time around because the course is playing longer due to recent rains.

Spectators are wel-come for the three-day event, a prelude to the $350,000 eGolf Tour (formerly Tarheel Tour) event that Spring Creek will host June 24-26.