Local legend Joe Johnson continues storied golfing career Ralph Gaillard Golf-N Around He started caddying at Reynolds Park Golf Course during summer vacations when he was 10 years old. Segrega tion and Jim Crow politics did not allow African Americans to play golf at local golf courses. Together with some of his friends, they made a makeshift three-hole golf course in the schoolyard at 14th Street Ele mentary School. It was on that makeshift course that he taught himself how to play golf. He entered the prestigious Forsyth Invitational Golf Tour namcnt in 1967. It*as the first time African Americans were allowed to participate in the tournament. In his first outing. Joe Johnson became the first African American to win the tournament. Johnson recently remi nisced, "When I was 12 years old. Reynolds Park Golf Course allowed African Americans to play on Mondays and Fridays." During the summers. John son and his friends would head for Reynolds Park on Mondays. Spending their caddy earnings, they would rent clubs and play at Reynolds Park. The first nine holes at Winst6b Lake Golf Course were opened when he was a sophomore at Atkins High School. It was at this time that he dropped his interest in other sports, devoting all of his free time to golf. Johnson posted 25 amateur tournament wins, including the Forsyth Invitational. After the Forsyth win. he turned profes sional in 1967. He traveled on a local "minor league" pro^our and has posted two wins on that tour's senior circuit: the Skyview Open in Asheville and the Black Hall of Fame Tourna ment in Greensboro. Johnson looked up to Wad dell Fair, one-time assistant pro at The Lake. Johnson said, "Waddell used to win all the tournaments. The way he played motivated me to get bet ter." James Black and Chuck Thorpe were two pro golfers that also inspired Johnson. "They both had confidence, believed and were cool under pressure." Johnson advises new golfers to "go to a teaching pro and get the basic fundamentals before beginning to play. Starting out on your own can breed bad habits that are very difficult to correct. Family and friends can. leach you to drive a car. but they cannot teach you to play golf." ? Johnson said there are many outstanding golfers in our area, and in another time, they had the ability to play on the PGA Tours. They include Gene Williams. Floyd Green. Richard Carter, Lester Kimber, Leonard Jackson. Robert and Willie Bethea, just to name a few. "These guys can play, and they motivated me to practice and get better," Johnson said. Johnson told the following story that occurred after he won the Forsyth Invitational. The tournament director advised him there would be a banquet in which he would be honored and presented the winning trophy. The director said he would call him with the date. etc. Johnson has never gotten that call. Jerry Jones, then the pro at Winston Lake Golf Course, put on a ban - quet. with more than 1(H) peo ple in attendance, where John son was honored for winning the tournament. Johnson said it was a "very emotional experi ence and something I w ill never forget." He said, "Golf taught me discipline and patience." He credits his wife. Carolyn, with his successes in golf. "She has always supported me 100 per cent. I could not have done it without her support and encour agement." Like the before-mentioned local golfers who did not have the opportunities. Joe Johnson also possessed the talent, skills and game to play on the PGA Tours. Ask anybody around who knows golf and they will echo that statement. For that matter, he js still one of the best golfers around. Johnson is a fine person, one of the good guys, and a credit to his people and this community. If you know Johnson, you aft better for having passed his way. Also, in this writer's opin ion. Forsyth Invitational Golf Tournament still owes Johnson a banquet for w inning the 1967 tournament. Until next time, keep it in the fairway. Wake women fall short in comeback at ACC tourney <> BY SAM DAVIS THE CHRONin F. GREENSBORO Being cast in an unfamiliar role might have taken a toll on Wake Forest's women's basketball team in its open ing-round battle against Maryland in the ACC Bas ketball Tournament. The Lady Deacon players found themselves the higher-seed ed teanj in a tournament game for the first time in their careers. And judging from the way they came out in the second half, it might have been too much for the Lady Deacons. "This was a different sit uation for us. as (we) were the higher-seeded team," said coach Charlene Curtis of Wake Forest. "This is the best season we have had at Wake Forest in a long time. Our players played a little tight. We played like we had a lot to lose rather than relaxing and playing bas ketball." Wake went 10:11 with out scoring and watched Maryland stretch a tenuous 29-28 advantage to a 54-28 margin before the l-ady Deacons began a comeback attempt. The Lady Deacons final ly reached their stride in the second half, getting three 3 pointers from Jennifer Johnson, but their deficit was too much to overcome and Maryland put an end to Wake Forest's season. "Obviously, the best team won tonight in terms of execution," Curtis said. "Maryland did a great job pushing the ball in the sec ond half and their players did a great job of running the floor." The Lady Deacons made only 11 of 40 second-half field goals after connecting on 11 of 19 in the first half. Maryland made 12 of 17 from the field in the second half and had most of them as the Terps ran out to their wide margin. Wake Forest went on a 24-6 run to get within 60-52 with 3:35 left to play. How ever, the Lady Deacons couldn't get much closer until the final seconds of the game. "We could have given up and rolled over when we were down by 21 points," Curtis said. "We tried to fight back, but we let it get away from us. "I thought we missed "some crucial free throws, and Maryland made theirs down the stretch," Curtis added. "At the end of the game when we were trying to come back, we took the ball to the basket and we got some good looks and timely offensive rebounds." The Deacons finished the season 5-11 in the ACC and 12-16 overall. Both totals are highs for the Dea cons since Curtis took over the program. She said the future is bright for the Lady Deacons, who were led by Tonia Brown's 11 points and 10 by Eafton Hill. Tracy Alston, Bianca Brown and Jennifer John son scored 11 each while LaChina Robinson added 8. "Tracy Alston has played great defensively all year, and Tonia Brown had a very goodjyear for us in<> the ACC this season." Cur tis said. "1 feel as if the pro gram is in good hands with players like this, and that will make us better." Lady Rams frxnn puyt HI sha Harris. However, the Lady Rams went on a drought late in the first half and Virginia State went on a 12-0 run to take a 30-25 lead at the -half. The Lady Rains' offensive woes continued in the second half, and they found themselves down by 11 with 6:48 left. That's when coach Daymond Lindell's team began to force tempo with its defense and the Lady Rams forced four straight turnovers. Becky McKee, who was named the game's MVP, had several big plays to help the Trojanettes push the lead buck to 13 with 4:26 remaining before WSSU started a run that helped the Lady Rams Cut the lead to 61-57 with 47 seconds left. Howe.ver, the Lady Rams couldn't make a basket and the Trojanettes held on for the win to earn an automatic berth in this week's NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional play offs. Despite the loss, the Lady Rams have much of which to be proud. They finished the season with a 17-12 record. If LindeH's team had captured the victory, he would have become the first rookie coach to win the CIAA tournament in either the men's bracket or women's bracket. After defeating Virginia Union 75-60 in the opening round, the Lady Rams defeated Elizabeth City 49-44 in the quarterfinals and N.C. Central 65-53 in the semifinals. WSMX SPORTS TRIVIA Question: Who was the first Commercial Radio Station to ever broadcast the entire CIAA Men's Basketball Tournament ? Answer: WSMX & Watson Sports Marketing! Join Us As We Continue To Bring Black College Sports Home To You. Up Next: NCAA Division II Playoffs Follow CIAA favorites in regional action via the Internet at www.wsmx 1500am.com Winston-Salem State Johnson C. Smith CIAA Champions Shaw University Watson Sports Marketing wishing you the best! THE SPORTS DEADLINE IS MONDAY AT 5:00 P.M. '.Apply tot ^Cntlonn S^omthe Phone! v I ? 1 ? 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