Former 'Black Golf Tour' pro Jim Conrad stresses unity
Ralph
Gaillard
Golf-N
Around
Like countless other African
Amercan youngsters growing up
in the South, Jim Conrad was not
allowed to play at golf courses
because of his color. In his
youth, he caddied at Mount Airy
Country Club and taught himself
how to play golf at a makeshift
golf course in a country field.
When Winston Lake Golf
Course opened in the 1950s, he
played there and honed his golf
game. q
Conrad moved to Pennsylva
nia and then to New York. Dur
ing his umateur career, he won
eight tournaments. He turned pro
after winning the Harlem. N.Y..
YMCA Golf Tournament in
1970 and being presented with
the winning trophy named for
baseball legend Jackie Robinson.
Conrad played on the "Black
Golf Tour" and competed in
many pro tournaments across the
country. During that time, he
also began writing for On the
Ball Magazine, an African
American golf publication. He
eventually became the maga
zine's executive editor.
Conrad recently reflected. "1
might have spent too much time
involyed with the magazine,
when I should have been spend
ing more time on my golf game."
Although he didn't post a
win on the "Black Tour," he did
have many top-10 finishes in
those highly competitive tourna
ments.
Conrad has had lour holes
in-one in his career. One of his
inost notable holes-in-one was
during a practice round before a
tournament in Florida. He was
playing that round with African
American golf legends Charlie
Sifford. Charlie Owens and Pete
Brown.
Conrad provided this writer a
little known black-history fact.
During the 1970s, 14 African
Americans were playing regular
ly on the PGA Tour: Nate Starke.
Ron Terry, George Johnson, Lee
Carter, Curtis Sifford. Charlie
Sifford. Jim Thorpe, Lee Elder.
Calvin Peete. Jim Dent, Pete
Brown. Charlie Owens, James
Black and Junior Walker.
In 2002..Tiger Woods is the
only African American playing
regularly on the PGA Tour. Jim
Dent. Jim Thorpe and Walter
Morgan are the only African
Americans playing regularly on
the Senior PGA Tour. Calvin
Peete, Lee Elder and Charlie Sif
ford play sparsely on the serftbr
circuit these days.
Conrad, the self-proclaimed
"Hair Care Guru," owns and
operates Conrad's Hair Design
on New Walkertown Road in
Winston-Salem and has a weak
ness for the youths of our com
munity. For many years, he went
into nis pocket and paid for
Christmas gifts for kids in public
housing. He has been an instruc
for in the "free" Vic Johnson
Junior Golf Clinic a! Reynolds
Park Golf Course since ils incep
tion. He said. "Public and munic
ipal golf courses should provide
free instruction and play for
youngsters. After all. kids are the
future of golf, and one day will
become paying customers."
Likewise, he continued, "the
golf equipment companies
should provide free equipment
for youngsters who participate in
free junior golf clinics. College
golf programs receive free
equipment from the manufactur
ers, and they should also donate
free equipment to junior pro
grams."
Conrad said he is proud to be
a part of Johnson's clinic. "Vic
Johnson is doing a wonderful
job. and more people in our com
munity need to start free junior
golf programs."
Conrad said, "Golf has
taught me that without unity
there is no progress. We must all
learn to put our differences aside
and work together for the better
ment of our children and our
community."
Conrad may not always tell
you what you want to hear, but
he will tell you like it is.
In other local happenings, the
Winston Lake Senior Golf Asso
ciation will hold its regular
monthly meeting on Thursday,
March 21, at 6:30 p.m. at the E.
Jerry Jones Clubhouse at The
Lake.
Until next time, keep it in the
fairway.
Reynolds
from page BI
?
their berth in (he state title game
after taking a thrilling victory
over West Forsyth last Saturday
night in the Western 4-A Region
al final.
"It was an awesome perform
ance," said West, whose team
dropped one of two regular sea
son conference games and the
championship game of the Cen
tral Piedmont 4-A Conference
tournament to the Titans. "It was
a tough game and there was a lot
of pressure for w hat was at stake.
It was really a big win."
The Demons had to over
come some last-second hysteria
to win the game. RJR was hit
with a technical with 15 seconds
remaining and West Forsyth also
drilled a 3-pointer in the closing
seconds. However. Reynolds
was able to hold on for the victo
ry to improve its overall record
to 25-6 going into Saturday's'
battle.
Fayetteville 71st. which
Reynolds defeated to capture the
first of its back-to-back titles two
years ago, is a formidable oppo
nent.
"Fayetteville 71st is a good
team." West said. "They have
size and they have talent. The
thing that concerns me is they
have a lot of offensive players
who can hurt you."
Juan Wheat (6-6) and Billy
Houston (6-7) lead 71 St. "Which
brings a 28-2 record into Satur
day's game. Wheat has commit
ted to play for Yale in the Ivy
League next season and Billy
Houston has signed to attend
Winthrop. Point guard Casey
Long is also a strong player.
The Demons benefited from
the return of Whit Holcomb
Faye in their run at the regionals.
3 Holcomb-Faye. who returned
after a severe ankle injury kept
him out of play for more than
three weeks, was named the
regional's MVP after scoring 25
points in the title game.
"Whit really gave us a lift."
West said. "He gave us a lot of
leadership and with him it
allowed us to get our rotation
back in place."
Another key for the Demons
was the overall play of
Reyshawn Terry, a 6-7 junior for
ward who transferred from
Glenn midway through the sea
son.
"Reyshawn is a very compet
itive player who wants to
achieve things and puts in the
time to get it done." West said.
He's still finding his way in what
we do, bu! the good thing is he's J
very coachable and if he makes a
mistake he hustles to make it
up." t
With Terry working in the j
frontcourt. it has allowed 6-9 for
ward/center Keith Foster more s
freedom. It has also opened up ?
opportunities for Andre Reid to '
become more involved.
West said he'll need all of his c
players on top of their games to '
come away from Saturday'* *
game with anothe^state title. 5
"Not a whole lot of people
gave us a chance to get back
here, so we're pretty happy to be
here," West said. "We're playing
a good 71 st team. They rebound
well and we've got to attack the
glass offensively and do things to
get into the paint and cause them (
foul trouble. We've got to get
into a transition game - just play
the game that's got us here."
Parkland
from page BI
a 40-point, 12-rebound effort by
Eric Hicks.
In the process. Parkland over
came an 11 -point deficit going
into the final quarter and some
last-second heroics by Hicks.
Javon Scipio's 3-pointer at the
buzzer lifted the Mustangs to their
victory and set off a wild celebra
tion on the coliseum's floor.
"I have to give credit to our
kids because they believed they
could come back even though we
were down by 11 points going into
the fourth quarter," said Parkland
coach Mike Pennington. "We
started chipping away, chipping
away, and the next thing I knew
we were down by only I with a
minute to play."
The frantic final minute of
play seemed like an eternity for
the players. Phillip McCandies of
Parkland was fouled and made
two free throws wi'h just under a
minute to play. Hicks hit one of
two free throws for Dudley to
even the score. Marcus Jordan
was fouled with 30 seconds
remaining and hit both free throws
for Parkland. Michael Hayes
scored on a jumper to close Dud
ley's deficit. Ray Bristow was
fouled on the ensuing possession
and drilled both shots to put Park
land up by 3 points with 18 sec
onds left.
Hayes came down and rushed
a shot for Dudley but missed.
However. Hicks rebounded the
shot and dribbled out beyond the
3-point arc and drilled a jumper to
even the score with eight seconds
on the clock.
Dudley celebrated momentar
ily and Parkland pushed the ball
quickly back down court where
Javon Scipio uncorked a 3-pointer
just before the buzzer that found
" the range and lifted the Mustangs
to victory.
"Ray really pushed the ball up
court and they forced him to give
it up about the hash mark." Pen
nington said. "He gave it to Javon
Scipio and he stepped into the shot
and we're going to Chapel Hill."
Pennington said his team's
performance was gutsy, and many
college recruiters present for the
game called the game the best one
they had ever seen on the high
school level.
"Hicks was phenomenal -
scoring points, rebounding, biock
ing shots and altering others."
Pennington said. "But our kids
kept taking it to him and didn't
back down.
"When Hicks hit that shot. I
was thinking. Here we go again.'
because that's how we lost to
them at our place during the sea
son," Pennington added. "But our
kids showed a lot of courage,
especially with so much at stake.
It was a heck of a game, and you
have to feel for Dudley. They
were the team to beat."
The\lustangs are trying to put
the victory behind them and pre
pare for West Rowan in the cham
pionship game on Saturday at 9
p.m.
"One of our goals has been to
get to Chapel Hill," Pennington
said. "But it's not our ultimate
goal. We have a chance to achieve
it. Our kids have not gotten the
respect they deserve, but they've
done the things they needed to do
to get us here. In the East
(Region), everyone talked about
Kinston. Southern Durham and
Dudley. We beat all three in one
week."
Parkland's matchup against
West Rowan is a rematch of the
1999 state 3-A championship
game, in which the Mustangs cap
lured the state championship and
set a record for scoring.
The Mustangs are a decided
underdog, but that's the way it's
been in each of the Mustangs' pre
vious four games on the road to
Chapel Hill. West Rowan brings a
29-0 record into the game and is
ranked No. I in the state in 3-A
basketball. Its closest game came
in the West Regional last weekend
when it took a 10-point victory.
Before that game. West Rowan's
slimmest margin of victory was
13.
"They've been crushing peo
ple all season." Pennington said. h
The big gun for West Rowan I
is Dante Minter. Minter. a 6-9 cen- I
ter. started as a freshman on the !
1999 team that lost to Parkland in j
the championship game. Minter. ;
who averages 23 points per game, ;
has signed to play at Appalachian ?
State next season. Junior Hairston. j
a 6-6 wing player, also is going to |
cause Parkland matchup prob- |
lems. I.
I.C. Smith
Ml pa fie BI ?)
ile digits behind the scoring of
Justin Edwards, who scored 13
econd-half points and 17 in the
lame, but Smith closed the gap
o 59-52 with 5:00 remaining,
"he Golden Bulls cut the lead
in several occasions, but the
iagles got it back up each time
lefore the crucial call against
iims with 52 seconds to play.
Joyner said his team was
disappointed with the loss but
its 23-8 record was much better
than most people expected after
Smith lost four starters from
last year's team, which cap
tured the South Atlantic
Regional and advanced to the
Elite Eight for the first time in
school history.
"There's a lot we can feel
proud about," he said. "I was
hoping these seniors could
defend that title, but we came
up short."
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