Davenport takes title

By Chris Lang
Sports writer
Published: June 15, 2008

FOREST — Eric Davenport’s golf resume isn’t terribly extensive. He played at Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton and tried to walk on at Virginia Tech, where he missed making the team by a single stroke.

He’d dabbled in tournament golf sense then, winning a few events here and there, most recently, the Robert E. Lee Invitational (coincidence?) at Appomattox’s Falling River last month.

So he didn’t have to think too hard to answer the question of where a Central Virginia Invitational Golf Tournament championship ranked on his list of career accomplishments.

“It’s right up there,” Davenport said Sunday after shooting a 1-under 71 at Ivy Hill to win the 2008 title. He finished five strokes clear of Donnie Toney and Bert Allen. “It’s the first three-round tournament I’ve won.”

Davenport survived a rough stretch midway through the round and a late charge from Allen at the end to secure the title.

Allen didn’t card a bogey until the par-4 12th hole, but he failed to make up much ground because Davenport was as steady as he was in the tournament’s first two rounds.

Davenport finally started leaking on the par-4 seventh hole, failing to get up and down out of a bunker and taking his first bogey of the day. He bogeyed two of the next three holes, allowing Allen, who began the day five back, to creep within two strokes.

“I went out there with the mindset of trying to make pars and move on,” Davenport said. “Normally when I play out here, I’m a little more aggressive. I was just trying to hold onto the lead. I was doing that, but I got out of my game.

“After I bogeyed 10, I said I’ve got to start playing for birdies.”

Davenport seemed to seal the tournament with birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. Allen, whose approach shot on No. 12 rolled off the green to a bad lie between the green and a bunker, bogeyed that hole and parred the 13th. Davenport led by five strokes with five holes to play.

But Davenport, trying to just hit his drive in the fairway on the uphill par-4 14th hole, sprayed a 3-iron shot out of bounds. Forced to use his provisional ball, he took a double bogey. Allen made par and birdied the par-3 15th, and the lead was quickly back to two.

“Fourteen is probably the hole everybody dreads the most out here,” Toney said. “But I was really surprised. (Davenport) had hit it really well all day. I didn’t expect him to do that. At least he gave us a little glimmer of hope there.”

Davenport and Allen each birdied the par-5 16th. Davenport’s tee shot on the par-5 17th landed on the right side of the fairway, well past Allen’s drive, which landed in a precarious spot well short of Davenport’s ball.

“I didn’t have a real good shot; the ball was way above my feet,” Allen said. “So I was trying to hit a big old slinger. That was the only chance I had to get up there and make birdie. I just messed it up. Normally, I wouldn’t have hit that club.

“But, you know, I was trying to win. So you do what you have to do.”

Allen’s third shot sailed to the back fringe of the green. Davenport hit his third shot, a soft chip, to within six feet for an easy birdie. When Allen missed a short putt for par, Davenport could finally breathe easy.

“Eric played great,” Allen said. “This was a new experience for me to be in the final group and have everybody watching. That was fun.”

With golfers playing from Ivy’s shorter white tees, the scores were considerably lower than those posted Saturday at Colonial Hills. Brian Horning, Jacob Singleton, Frankie Smith, Jr., and Nick Riddlebarger each finished with 69s. Horning and Singleton tied for fourth at 216.

Much like Davenport, who led from start to finish, Gary Preston went wire-to-wire to capture the CVIGT seniors title. His 71 Sunday gave him a three-day 216, four strokes better than Dick Douthat, who posted a 70 Sunday.