Brad Smallwood Wins MVP for Unprecedented 4th Time;
Blake Dennis Takes CCV Honors

10/25/99:     Despite the reluctance of the Most Valuable Player Selection Committee, Willow Oaks' Brad Smallwood was named MVP for Willow Oaks. This marks the 4th consecutive time the abrasive Smallwood (left) has garnered the honor. There was some sentiment among the Committee to give the award to the more affable Doug Urquhart (right), whose 13½ overall points over the weekend contributed heavily to Willow Oaks' win in this year's event.

    This marks the 4th consecutive time Smallwood has garnered MVP honors. Smallwood began his run in 1997 in a controversial selection that turned into an embarrassing media squabble between Smallwood and Willow Oaks Captain Langdon Moss. Moss, a member of the Selection Committee, refused to support Smallwood's MVP selection in 1997 and instead lobbied hard for the award himself. Relations between the 2 have been strained ever since. The Committee selected Smallwood in 1997 and he followed that up by recapturing the honor in the 1998 River Cup Tour of Scotland Event as well as last year's fall rendering.

    Smallwood's selection this year is marred by the fact that he was paired with Russell Stone, a notoriously strong 15 handicap, in fourball play. CCV Captain Jim Nelson has lodged a formal protest of Stone's handicap and the outcome of the Smallwood-Stone win over CCV's Ear Moorman and Doug Westmoreland is pending. Should the Smallwood-Stone victory be overturned, Smallwood's selection as MVP could also be in question.

    Despite the controversy, the MVP Selection Committee made its announcement and praised Smallwood for his 9-0 win with Stone over Moorman and Westmoreland and his 5-1 win over CCV's Wes Morck in singles play. Smallwood's singles win was sparked by a major gaffe by Morck on the 5th hole at Willow Oaks. Smallwood hooked his 3rd shot into the James River on the long par-5 and lay 4 well short of the green and for all intents out of the hole. Morck lay 3 only yards short of the green. Morck's 4th was a sculled wedge beyond the green and into the James River hazard area, though still playable. Morck eventually took a wretched 10 on the hole leaving the door open for Smallwood who seized the win with a solid double bogey 7. Morck was never the same after the hole and Smallwood cruised to his easy 5-1 win.

    Smallwood failed to appear at the announcement ceremonies but was reached later at his home for comment. "Another MVP for me? Oh gee, what a surprise," said Smallwood. "Send the trophy on over if you want to. I guess I can just stack it up in the attic on top of all my other awards."

    CCV's Most Valuable Player Blake Dennis (left) rode the coattails of partner Cliff Culley in their fourball match against Dennis Ryan and Paul Sinclair and parlayed that 9-0 victory into a strong claim to the MVP trophy going into Sunday's singles play. He had the good fortune of drawing Willow Oaks' Tom McCandlish in singles and his 5-1 victory was good enough to validate his claim to MVP status.

    George Whitley, playing in his first River Cup, had a valid but questionable claim to the CCV award and the brash rookie vehemently protested Dennis' selection. "I played my guts out out there," said Whitley. "I take home 6 points in fourball despite having to drag another rookie (Tom Pruitt) around with me and then I beat up on Chuck Ditsler and you tell me that's not more impressive than Blake Dennis' performance against a bunch of patsies? You'll never convince me of that." Whitley (right) captured 10 out of a possible 15 points in a strong rookie showing but the Selection Committee couldn't overlook Dennis' 14 point output for CCV. Whitley's credentials were also marred by the fact that his singles victory was just another CCV win in a long string of losses for WOCC's Ditsler.

    In contrast to Willow Oaks' Smallwood, Dennis was ecstatic about his selection. "I went over to Ireland this summer to train for this year's River Cup and I'm glad all the hard work and preparation paid off," said Dennis as he accepted the award. "It's a shame that the rest of my teammates played so damn pitifully over the weekend. But this award is far more important than the outcome of the matches."

    Dennis is a mercurial player who had his first start in the River Cup at matches played at The Foundry in 1996 during renovations of the Willow Oaks course. He was beset by an outbreak of the shanks that year and suffered minor head injuries after beating his head against a tree. In his fourball match in this year's event, he alluded to his shanking predilictions but for the most part avoided the dreaded golfer's plague. "I almost shanked that damn thing," said a quivering Blake after a drive on the 2nd hole at Tuckahoe Creek that bounced shakily off the heel of his driver. "This is absolutely frightening."

    Dennis had little to be concerned about in his match against McCandlish in Sunday's singles play. McCandlish is a life-long 15 handicap who has somehow brought it down to 5 over the course of the summer. His head has swelled in direct proportion to the diminution of his handicap and it finally caught up with him in his match against Dennis. McCandlish was clearly out of his league against Dennis, a perennial 4 handicap, on Sunday. "McCandlish a 5?" an incredulous Dennis said after the match. "Russell Stone's a better 5 than McCandlish, and Stone's claiming a 15."