Three-time champ returns

Leigh Smith has been away far too long.

The Oceana golfer will play in this year's BNI Memorial Golf Tournament after an absence of four years.

"I read the paper and followed how everybody was doing," said Smith, the 1997, 1999 and 2000 BNI champion. "But it was tough."

His job, driving a delivery truck for Coca-Cola, takes him into Mingo and Logan counties.

The hours are long and there just hasn't been much chance to hit the links, let alone compete in a three-day tournament.

"I've just about got away from competitive golf," Smith said. "My job is pretty spread out. There's a lot of traveling."

Fortunately, this year he's been able to make some time for the sport he loves.

Back in May, Smith played in the Wyoming County Open at Clear Fork, his home course, and was the runner-up.

Although he was pleased with his performance, it was far from the 44-year-old's best effort.

"Second (place) wasn't too bad, but it was more so the other top dogs weren't very much on their game," Smith said.

"I need some playing time to get back into the swing of things."

He told his wife Debbie he was thinking about entering the BNI. She took matters into her own hands, calling tournament director Pat Hanna and getting the wheels into motion.

"I was going to do it anyway," Smith said. "I'm not competitively ready, but I just wanted to play in it."

Competition is just part of the fun.

"It's the people you meet and the friends you see — I've really missed that part of it," he said. "A lot of guys I don't get to see unless it's a golf tournament."

Smith will play in a foursome with Tom Broyles, last year's BNI runner-up, Tim Boggs and Jeff Hughes as the BNI gets under way Saturday at Pipestem Resort State Park and Grandview Country Club.

The final round is Monday at the Cobb Course at The Resort at Glade Springs.

"If I were to make the championship flight, it would be an accomplishment for me," Smith said. "It seems like the scores are getting lower and lower each year from those guys."

He likes how the BNI will honor the memory of Beckley police detective Chuck Smith, who was killed in the line of duty last August.

"It's a great thing. I was fortunate enough to play with Chuck a time or two in the West Virginia Amateur qualifier, and I played with him at Glade," he said. "He was just a fine young man.

"It was a terrible loss."