first round of the koknowsports blogspot.com classic

Good Morning faithful blog followers (all 35 of them)
Here is coverage the KOknowsports BlogSpot.com classic  featuring coaches from the Macon Area

Jaime Kaplan didn't know how lucky an injury to a partner could be..
When Terry Sowell injured her finger while typing a blog for Stratford Atheltic Director Mark Farriba, she never dreamed the cut would force her to miss the koknowsportsblogspot.com classic. But after several days of therapy, the cut would not heal and she had to bow out.
"We had to follow the proper paper cut protocol, said Stratford trainer Lance Hutchings. "Usually we can get an athlete ready to go in a few days, but this was a fairly severe paper cut that happened with Terry was picking up a piece of thick paper from Coach Fariba'a office to type. The force of the paper on skin caused a cut. It comes down to weather the athlete can play through the pain , and Terry didn't think she would be able to give her best."
Kaplan, the former WTA player who now coaches at Stratford, had to find a quick replacement, and after the governing officials of the tournament turned down Kaplans's first request(Russell Henley), she quickly turned to Kate Blankenship, the womens soccer coach at Stratford.
Little did she know that Blankenship has game.
Having the advantage of playing from the ladies tees,the team of Kaplan and Blankenship shot a first round 75 to grab a one stroke lead over the Westside team of Brent Thornton and Josh Grube. The team of Cater Pierce and Miles Pippin are in third, three strokes behind the leader.
"I was a little worried about my team when I lost Terry two days before the tournament, said Kaplan, who had three birdies on the day. "I mean, to be honest Terry is a terrible golfer, but she is so happy all the time that I thought we could get past her lack of golfing skills. But Kate brings my team to another level. She has ways to get the ball in the hole, because she is just an athlete."
Blankenship was playing golf for only the second time in her life. The ex college soccer player held her own though. Using only two clubs the entire day, (driver and putter) Blankenship got in a groove in the middle holes and put together three straight pars to keep her team in the lead.This was a key time for her team because Kaplan was on the phone with John Smoltz and missed playing two of the holes. "I think I got the hang of it"said Blankenship, who hit driver every shot on every hole until she got to the green."Golf is a lot like soccer. If I need to hit the ball as far as I can I swing hard. If I need a shorter shot I don't hit it as hard. Really I don't see what all the fussing is and why I would need all those clubs. This one worked fine. "
The first round was not all peaceful. Several teams did not understand why Kaplan and Blankenship got to hit from the women's tees, which are shorter. "I think it gives them an unfair advantage", said Wes Blankenship, who teamed with Frank Malloy for a first round of 84. "Those women were college and professional athletes and they had a big advantage because they were hitting from way closer than I was. How is that fair? The referees need to understand that.Just because I read sports on television doesn't mean I can hit it as long as real athletes."
Several other teams played well in the first of three rounds. The team of Jamie Dickey and Mark Farriba got off to a quick start, shooting even par on their first nine holes, but could not bring it home, shooting 8 over on the back nine. They were hindered by Dickey, who was wearing white shorts with a purple shirt and white shoes, to go with a bright blue belt. On the par four number 11, Dickey hit into the corner of the water hazard, and with his ball showing in the water, Dickey chose to play it. Things didn't work out well though, as Dickey could not get the ball out of the water, and ended up with very muddy shoes and shorts.
"I don't know how anyone could expect me to play well looking like that," said Dickey, who was denied a 30 minute timeout to change clothes. "We were on a good roll but the mud really got to me .Tomorrow I will definitely have a change of clothes in my bag."
His partner, Farriba was not pleased. "We play football in the mud all the time and it is something that Jamie has to overcome, said Farriba, who was the only player to wear football cleats instead of golf shoes. "I think being a head basketball coach has made him a little soft, but I know we will be ready to make a move tomorrow. "
LEADERBOARD
Kaplan-Blankenship (Stratford)         75
Thornton-Grube       (Westside)         76
Pierce-Pippin           (Stratford)          78
Dickey- Farriba       (Stratford)          80
Moore-Bryant          (FPD)                 81
Gordon -Gordon      (Tattnall)            81
Cassell-Cassell        (undecided)        82
Chambless-Oxford  (Covenant)         83
Hiller-Whetsel         (Tattnall)           84
Malloy-Blankenship (media)             84
Hatcher-Jones          (MDS)               85
Massey-Slocum       (MDS)               86
Brown-Watts           (Windsor)          89
Walton-Trieste        (FPD)                 91
Christian-Collins     (Rutland)           94
Dupree-Goolsby      (SW)                  98
Mullen-Grooms       (NE)                  101