JEANNA DUERSCHERL The Roanoke Times

Kolton Cooper, of Franklin County, warms up before representing First Tee of Roanoke Valley in The Greenbrier Classic's Youth Day First Tee Scramble event Tuesday.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. -- Forget the sweltering heat. Franklin County teenager Kolton Cooper was way cool here Tuesday.

Never breaking a sweat despite a suspect start, the 15-year-old Hardy native proceeded to put on a show in The Greenbrier Classic's Youth Day First Tee Scramble on the Old White Course.

Carrying much of the load for his playing partner, PGA Tour pro Webb Simpson, the unnerved First Tee of Roanoke Valley participant played the final three holes of the four-hole exhibition in extraordinary fashion. In return, he won cheers and admiration from the biggest gallery he'll soon -- if ever -- see again.

''Heck, yeah, I want to do this all the time," Colton said afterward. "I didn't want to stop. Right now, I want to play the tournament this week!"

Hitting nothing but crisp shots after a couple of errant blows on the first hole, the rising sophomore at Franklin County High School impressed everyone, including Simpson, a second-year tour pro who captured the Scott Robertson Memorial title in 2002.

''When it was over, I told [Simpson] that I hope he does good this week and he's one of my favorite golfers," Colton said. "And he's like, 'Well, you'll be out here soon. You'll do it, just stick to it.' "

After a first-hole bogey, the Simpson-Cooper combo missed birdie putts on each of the final three holes and finished at even. While two West Virginia First Tee participants finished on a pair of teams that wound up 2 under, First Tee officials decided to split the $10,000 purse between participating chapters in each state.

''For a 15-year-old, it was a heckuva birthday present from the First Tee and all they've given me," said Cooper, who turned 15 on Monday. "Since I've been involved at The First Tee the past couple years, I've had a number of amazing experiences, including attending the Hank Haney IGA Academy in Hilton Head. I'm learning so much about golf, but more importantly about life."

Obviously, the kid has learned how to deal with adversity. Cooper pushed his tee shot on the first hole far right into trouble, and then, playing Simpson's drive in the rough, skyrocketed his approach attempt over the green. From there, he didn't miss another shot, smoking a couple of tee shots approximately 280 yards and hitting the green on the 178-yard par-3 third.

''It was nice to hear them cheer me. It was sort of sad on the first hole, but I bounced back from that," said Cooper, who said his game has improved dramatically the past two years under the tutelage of Mary Beth McGirr, director of instruction and programming for The First Tee of Roanoke Valley, and professional Billy McBride III of his home course, Westlake Golf and Country Club.

''What an experience!" Cooper said. ''I can't wait to see what happens down the road from here."

Cooper's mother, Mirandy, and other family members, plus some other Franklin County backers, made the trip to West Virginia

''I couldn't sleep [Monday] night," Mirandy Cooper said. ''My nerves were really going to town with me. But Kolton seemed to handle it fine. He did wonderful, and I'm really proud of him."

No Watson

Tom Watson, who represents The Greenbrier on tour, won't be on hand for the tournament. Watson is competing in this week's U.S. Senior Open in Seattle.

"It's the one tournament on the U.S. Senior Tour that I haven't won," Watson told The Kansas City Star.

Watson indicated he will play in The Greenbrier Classic in the future.

Chip shots

Ex-Virginia Tech standout Drew Weaver got a spot in the field through a tournament sponsor's exemption. He joins former Hokies Brandon de Jonge and Johnson Wagner in the 156-player field. ... Skip Kendall and Paul Stankowski were added to the field after Parker McLachlin and Andres Romero withdrew. ... The field includes 10 players who have won seven or more events in their PGA Tour career. ... Jim Furyk (No. 5) and Matt Kuchar (No. 25) are the only players in the field among the top 25 in the world rankings. ... The weather forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms today and Thursday.