The Y2K Blastoff at Crescent Golf Club on Jan. 15 was the first local tournament of 2000.

Bucky Barber, Addison Smith, Steve Pritchard and Dwight Bradshaw teamed for a 59 to win the Crescent Golf Club Men’s Golf Association-sponsored tourney by five strokes.

Second place on a scorecard playoff went to Bob Clewell, Steve Vail, Newt Billingsley and Mike Nowlin with a 64.

Also shooting 64s and tying for third place were the foursomes of Tom Collins, Wes Payne, Steve Wade and Larry Hamilton; Tom Kiger, Gus Andrews, Don Neff and Ken Weber; and Corey Basinger, Mike Harrison, Wes Wishon and David Bolick.

Dave Bates, Russ Priddy, Darren Solomon and Linn Safley were next with a 68, followed by Wayne Tate, Russ Isphording, Dennis Hinz and Gene Ross.

Tate won a prize for closest shot to the pin onNo. 5, and Pritchard had the longest drive on No. 14.

The Men’s Golf Association plans its next tourney for Feb. 19.

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FIRST ACE: Bob Pacillas of Winston-Salem made the first ace reported in 2000 when he scored a hole in one on Crescent’s par-3, No. 8 on Jan. 16.

Pacillas used a pitching wedge on the 121-yard hole.

He was playing with Marc Dixon and Francis Allen.

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MERCHANDISE SHOW: The Carolinas PGA Merchandise Show is scheduled at the Myrtle Beach, S.C., Convention Center on Sunday, Feb. 20, and Monday, Feb. 21. Show hours are 2 to 8 p.m. on Sunday and 1 to 7 p.m. on Monday.

It will be the largest regional golf trade show in the country open to PGA professionals, golf shop buyers, golf merchandisers and golf course owners. Occupying 65,000 square feet of exhibit space, the show will feature more than 250 booths representing 325 product lines.

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WAKE SIGNEE: Bill Haas, son of PGA Tour star Jay Haas, has signed a national letter of intent to play golf at Wake Forest University next year.

He becomes the third member of the Haas family to play golf for the Demon Deacons, following in the footsteps of his father and uncle.

Jerry Haas, Bill’s uncle, is the Deacons’ head coach.

Bill Haas earned Junior All-America and South Carolina Junior Player of the Year honors for 1999. He won both the 1999 South Carolina High School state championship and South Carolina Junior Boys’ championship, shooting 73-70—143 in each event.

Haas then went on to win the 1999 Carolinas Junior Championship with rounds of 71, 66 and 67 for a 54-hole total of 204. He also finished second in the 1999 American Junior Golf Association’s PoloJunior Classic in Orlando, Fla., losing 3-2 in the match play finals.

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