randy.king@roanoke.com 981-3126

Over the past 30-plus years, Miller Baber has played thousands of rounds of golf at Roanoke Country Club. None of those countless excursions around his home course could match his latest trip, however.

Playing with enough excess baggage on his shoulders to ground a small airplane, Baber responded with a gritty 3-under-par 68 in Wednesday's second round of 36-hole qualifying and advanced to today's start of match play in the 91st VSGA Men's State Amateur championship.

"It was the hardest round that I can ever remember," said Baber, finally exhaling after his four-hour grinder. "It's a big relief, I tell you."

For months, Baber has heard fellow RCC club members, friends and other well-wishers repeatedly say how this was his golden opportunity to break through and possibly steal the biggest prize in state amateur golf. After a disappointing first-round 73 left him in a precarious position to make the low 32 and advance to match play, Baber might as well had been pushing an 18-wheeler when he ambled to the first tee Wednesday afternoon.

"I probably had 25 cellphone calls this morning ... people asking how I doing, and I'm telling them, 'I shot 73 and and I'm on the bubble,'" said Baber, a 39-year-old financial adviser who owns two Valley Amateur titles.

"There was more pressure here than I would have faced at any other club. I was nervous and tense every hole. Usually, after the first couple holes it's gone. I didn't relax until I got on the green on 18 and knew I might could five-putt and make it. I'm happy to know that I could grind it out."

With room to spare, too. Baber's 1-under 141 total left him as the No.8 seed among the 32 qualifiers. He will face No.25 seed Charlie Green of Tazewell in this morning's first round of match play.

"I'm cautiously optimistic," said Baber, son of 1960 State Am champ Ned Baber. "Ten or 15 of these players here are a ton better than I am. The course isn't enough to make up for that. But you never know ... you can get lucky and run through a few."

Leesburg's Billy Hurley, 22, one of college golf's best in his recently completed senior season at the U.S. Naval Academy, added a 69 to his opening-round 66 to claim medalist honors by three shots. His 135 total was the second-lowest qualifying score in State Am history behind the 133 posted by seven-time champion Vinny Giles in 1993 at Newport News' James River Country Club.

"Now it doesn't matter about anybody but the guy who is on the first tee with you," said Hurley, whose first-round assignment is No.32 K.P. Harris, who along with Lexington's David Brogan, survived a seven-man playoff at 146 for the final two berths in match play.

Franklin's J.T. Belcher, winner of last week's Tidewater Am, carded a second straight 69 to finish second at 138.

Vinton's Scott Wise, whose 66 tied Hurley for the first-day lead, was 7-under for qualifying until he double-bogeyed the 10th and 13th holes for a 73. His struggles dropped him to the No.4 seed and an unbelievably tough draw in which he may have to beat three former champions in order to get to the semifinals.

Two-time champion Keith Decker of Martinsville, the state's long-time top-ranked player, carded an unspectacular 71 that left him the No.5 seed at 140. He's in the same lower half of the upper bracket that includes Wise, 2000 champion David Passerell and two-time winner David Partridge of Manakin-Sabot.

Other Timesland-area players making the low 32 included Donnie Toney (140) of Forest and Virginia Tech's Ryan Sypniewski (144), plus Brogan.

Jack Allara and Matt Mankin, a pair of Roanoke Valley Hall of Fame champions, each shot 148 and failed to survive the cut.