Brooke Bellomy was much happier about her performance in her second AJGA tournament than her first.

The Cabell Midland High School senior finished 18th in the AJGA Woodward Video Junior held last Aug 30-Sept. 1 on the Meadows Course at The Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. She opened with 73, but followed with 83 and 80 for 236 and trailed winner Casey Ann Kennedy by 18 shots.

Bellomy placed 11th in the 26th AJGA Natural Resource Partners Bluegrass Junior held June 17-19 at Bellefonte Country Club in Ashland. She shot 76-79-78 for 233 and wound up 14 shots behind winner Kendall Martindale.

"Now I see what the competition is like," Bellomy said. "I've seen everything, players from everywhere. My goal was to break 80 all three days. I was up and down, but I did learn. I have time to get better."

Bellomy will resume her busy summer schedule July 7-8 in the West Virginia Junior Amateur at The Raven Golf Club in Snowshoe. She'll play in the West Virginia Women's Amateur on July 28-30 at Sleepy Hollow Golf Club in Hurricane.

Bellomy could compete in as many as six Top Flite Junior Tour tournaments. Dates are July 13, Berry Hills Country Club; July 14, Edgewood Country Club; July 15, Sugarwood Golf Club; July 20, Parkersburg Country Club; July 21, Marietta Country Club; and July 22, Riverside Golf Club. She'll miss the Tour Championship because it scheduled the same day as the Women's Am.

GARDNER COACHES GOLF: Greg Gardner, who grew up in Huntington and now lives in Sebastian, Fla., with his wife Linda and daughters Haley and Madison, got back into coaching high school golf this season. He took over as head coach at Sebastian River High School. He coached the boys in the early 1990's when he left to take over the job of managing Sebastian Municipal Golf Course. He coached the school's girls team for three years.

Bill Valyo, in his On Sports column in the Sebastian Sun the week of April 3, said it was a good choice because Gardner had been close to junior golf as the head coach of golf at the course. He headed up instruction for kids for a number of years at the course.

This information came from a clipping sent in by Anita Gardner Farrell, Greg's sister. Greg is the son of Hollie E. "Gene" and Joan Gardner. He played golf at Beverly Hills Middle School and Huntington East High School. He moved to Florida after graduating from Marshall in 1985.

SUNNEHANNA TRIP: Huntington's Pat Carter played in the 56th Sunnehanna Amateur on June 11-14 at Sunnehanna Country Club in Johnstown, Pa. Carter tied for 33rd with rounds of 70-75-71-71 for 287 on the par-70 Sunnehanna Country Club. Kevin Foley, rising senior at Penn State, finished 13 under to win. He fired a 9-under 61 on the first day.

RIVERSIDE AMATEUR: July 6 is the deadline to enter the Riverside Amateur scheduled July 11-12 at Riverside Golf Club in Mason, W.Va. Entry fee is $85 and includes a practice round. Pat Carter is defending champion. This event has been designated as a Point Tournament for the West Virginia Player of the Year award.

PURSE PROBLEM: The winner today at the Nationwide Tour's Players Cup at Pete Dye Golf Club in Bridgeport is getting a pay cut. That's because the prize fund dropped to $600,000, down from $1 million, because of a lack of sponsors. First prize in 2008 was $180,000.

The LPGA Tour has seen events canceled, while the St. Jude Classic on the PGA Tour lowered its purse from $6.1 million to $5.6 million because Stanford Financial pulled out as the title sponsor. No tournament on the Nationwide Tour had a higher payout than the West Virginia event.

"We all recognize the economy has had a negative effect on golf sponsorships, and nowhere has it had more impact than the Nationwide Tour Players Cup with its coal industry-related sponsor base," Nationwide Tour president Bill Calfee said in a statement.

Calfee said the tournament will continue to contribute about $125,000 to West Virginia charities.

David Walsh covers golf for The Herald-Dispatch. Call him at 526-2730. His e-mail is dwalsh@herald-dispatch.com.

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