Ready to end the drought

Leader Jeff Toms and contender Phillip Mahone have been competing in the Reines Jewelers Charlottesville City Golf Championship for years, but have yet to taste victory. So today’s final round of the 21st annual event at Meadowcreek Golf Course presents an unforgettable opportunity for the two players and a short list of competitiors within striking distance.

Toms, who plays out of Old Trail, fired a second consecutive 2-under par 68 in Saturday’s second round to stake a two-shot lead over first-round leader Ty Grove heading into today’s finish. Grove, also an Old Trail member, posted a 1-over 71 to stand at 138, one shot ahead of Spring Creek’s Jerry Burton (68-71—139) and five shots in front of Farmington’s Mahone (69-72—141).

Scott Garrison and Blair Engle are seven shots back at 143, while Matt Wade rests at 144.

While all of the contenders are shooting for their first city title and the coveted championship ring presented by sponsor Peter Reines, perhaps the real winner of this year’s event is Meadowcreek. An oft-maligned course over the years because of its length (6,051 yards), Meadowcreek was sometimes defenseless against some of today’s long-distance bombers.

However, the municipal course has shown some teeth this week, yielding but six scores under par for two days, three on Friday, three more Saturday. That’s a half dozen under par rounds out of a possible 240.

“I think that speaks volumes about the golf course,” said G.L. Kirby, a longtime member of Meadowcreek’s staff.

With the rough up, the tees back and the pins in some hard-to-reach places, Meadowcreek is no pushover. There have been times in the past when a dozen golfers were under par heading into the final round.

Toms has been consistent over the first two rounds, putting up 10 birdies, no bogeys, but three double-bogeys, including one on Saturday (the par-4 14th) that perhaps prevented him from creating a bigger cushion.

With the tournament starting at the 10th hole for Saturday’s and Sunday’s rounds, Toms remained patient heading to what is normally the front nine, but are the back nine in this event. He birdied Nos. 1 and 3 (short par-5s), then closed out his round with back-to-back birdies at 8 and 9 (17 and 18 under this layout).

“This is what I play for,” Toms said of being in Sunday’s final grouping of Grove, Burton and Mahone (they will tee off today at 1 p.m. from the 10th hole). “To give myself a chance to be in contention means a lot. If I could win it, it would be wonderful. And, if not, for me to go home and feel I’ve played like this is really rewarding.”

Toms has come close before, posting a third-place finish in 2004, the year Greene Hills’ David Bell stunned the field. Mahone remembers that well, because he finished second. In fact, he has finished second three times, including last year after holding a five-shot lead after five holes, only to lose to Weston Eklund in a playoff.

“It would mean a lot,” Mahone said. “I’d love to win. I haven’t won [a tournament] since 2004 [Jefferson Cup]. If I could shoot a good number, 66, 67, 68, I should be right there.”

Mahone has been in these scrambles before and posted four birdies on Saturday. A couple of bad swings cost him big time as he suffered a triple on the par-4, fourth and doubled the par-5 12th.

Grove knows all about hard luck. He suffered four brutal lip outs as his putts spun out of the cup time and again.

“But that’s golf,” said the Crozet resident. “My goal was to avoid big numbers and No. 3 was as close as I came.”

On the par-5 third, which puts an emphasis on the first two shots on a tight, tree-lined hole that opens up considerably after the approach, Grove blocked his tee shot into the woods on the right and punched out through a space no bigger than a window pane, then drilled a 4-iron from 218 yards to 20-feet from the cup. He two-putted to save par and perhaps saved his round.

In a round that featured three birdies (2, 4, 9) and four bogeys, Grove left himself in good position.

Burton, a former pro out of Williamsburg, said it’s nice to be in a shootout for a change.

“We got Nick Little out of the picture, so the rest of us can play about even,” Burton chuckled. “At Lake Monticello he was eight shots up, so it was a good tournament for second place.’

Burton was referring to Old Trail’s Little, a senior on Radford University’s golf team. Little has dominated local amateur golf the past two seasons, having won all three tournaments he’s entered locally this season, the Faulconer at Lake Monticello, the Kenridge at Farmington, and the Old Trail Team Championships. The defending Battle Trophy champion skipped the city tournament this weekend to compete in the Eastern Amateur in Portsmouth.

“I managed to keep the leader within grasp,” Burton said of his round that included three birdies, two bogeys and a double at the 14th when he pulled his drive into the trees, took a drop and fell back to 1-over on the hole.

But he had his good moments as well, sinking a birdie putt at the long, par-4 11th after hitting his approach shot to within four inches of the cup.

“I hit it pretty good, I just put it in the wrong spot a couple of times,” Burton said.

With the lead pack so evenly matched heading into today’s finals, a premium will be placed on putting it in the right spots all day long. Easier said than done.

Local golf notes

Barboursville’s Whitney Neuhauser has qualified for the 2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur after posting the low score at the sectional at Knickerbocker Country Club in Tenafly, N.J., on Saturday. Neuhauser is a member of the UVa women’s golf team. ... Also, anyone interested in playing on the Charlottesville High School golf team this season, should report to Meadowcreek Golf Course, Aug. 1 at 10 a.m. (bring physical and insurance forms). For more information, contact coach Dick “Dark Cloud” Engel (962-7179).