by LUT WILLIAMS
Former Jackson State standout golfer Tim O'Neal, in on a sponsor'sexemption, fired consecutive one-over par 71s missing the cut by fourstrokes at the 2nd Annual Nike Greensboro Open last week.
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O'Neal had his chances but errant drives each day led to doublebogeys which eventually caused him to miss the two-under par cut at thepar-70 Sedgfield Country Club. It was O'Neal's first Nike event this seasonafter playing in four last year.
"Two bad drives cost me," O'Neal said after finishing his roundFriday.
Entering the second round at one-over, he had gotten back to evenwith a birdie on 11, a 415-yard dogleg right par-4. But on 14, a 489-yard,par 5, he pushed his tee shot out of bounds right and wound up with doublebogey. He birdied the 17th, knocking his approach to within a foot, but ranout of holes.
In Thursday's opening round, O'Neal entered the ninth hole, hislast of the day after teeing off from 10, at one-under-par but again pusheda tee shot right and out of bounds resulting in a double-bogey.
"Other than that (the two bad drives), I didn't putt that well butI was satisfied with the way I hit my irons," said the 25-year-old closingin on the finish of his second year as a professional and still looking tomake his first Nike cut. O'Neal is represented by David Falk's AdvantageInternational who got him into the Greensboro event, the four other Nikeevents and the PGA"s Texas Open. He has another exemption into the next Nkeevent two weeks from now in Wichita, Kansas.
"Just those two drives did it right there. These guys are so goodit's just a shot here and there that really can separate you. You can'tmake any mental mistakes and those were mental mistakes. The one today wasright and the one yesterday was right. I just got a little quick in mytempo."
O'Neal turned pro in August 1997 after a brilliant career at JSUunder head coach Eddie Payton. He did not play well at his first attempt atthe PGA Qualifying school but made it past the first stage last year. Sincethen he has played numous events on the TearDrop, Hooters and SGA tourswith moderate success. His biggest payday has been $6,000. He's pointingtowards this year's Q-school.
"I'm almost there," O'Neal said of his progress. "Not quite yet,but I'm almost there. I just need to keep playing as much as I can. That'sabout it. It just takes time."
(A feature on O'Neal will appear in the July 13th edition of the Black College Sports Page)
