Columnist Victoria Sun: Welch to fire Canon shot in Aug.

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, July 3, 2002 | 9:01 a.m.

Victoria Sun is a Las Vegas Sun sportswriter. She can be reached at victoria@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4078.

Durango High School graduate Whitney Welch has qualified for the 13th annual Canon Cup competition for the second consecutive year.

Welch will represent the West girls team Aug. 5-8 at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

The three-day competition conducted by the American Junior Golf Association is similar to the Ryder Cup in format, with the West boys and girls teams competing against the East teams in four-ball matches, foursome matches and singles matches.

"It's a lot of fun because it's one of the only tournaments where you get to stay with your friends," Welch said.

Before the Canon event, Welch will compete in the final tournament of her junior career, the prestigious Rolex tournament of champions.

"I'm really ready to get out of junior golf," Welch said. "College golf will be more competitive, which is good."

Welch, No. 17 in the latest Golfweek/Titleist junior rankings, considered Duke, Stanford, Texas and Southern Cal before selecting Arizona, where she plans to major in business and minor in Spanish.

After the Canon Cup she will try to qualify for U.S. women's amateur.

The Stanford All-American and Cimarron-Memorial High School graduate tees off at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, Kan., at 1:02 p.m.

Last year at the Open, Keever tied for 50th as an amateur.

Now an LPGA Tour rookie, she is 74th on the money list with $59,507 and fourth in the Rolex rookie of the year standings.

Members of the SNGA championship division team were: Frank Acker, Alan Bluhm, Brady Exber, Steve Fink, Eddie Heinen, Mark Morrow, Doug Pool, Stan Sabin, Jim Saub and Joe Sawaia.

Members of the SNGA net division team were: Butch Avant, Joey Barnson, Michael Goffinet, Dave Haddock, Gary Hosey, Barry Isaacs, Dick Lybbert, Paudie O'Connor, Jimmy Tucker and John Wright.

The team was captained by Mark Kokowsky and Larry McGovern.