If Scott Wise needed any more impetus to defend his Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame men's title this weekend, it was supplied in midweek courtesy of an unexpected source.

"I picked up the paper the other day [Wednesday] and it was right there in black and white," Wise said. "I saw the story where Matt Mankin was dubbed as the favorite, which kind of fired me up."

How important the outside prop proved to be is debatable. Wise's game, when turned on, is plenty enough. The smooth-swinging left-hander had too much for the field again this year.

Never showing signs of backing up, Wise fired a steady final-round 1-under 70 at Hidden Valley to finish with a 54-hole total of 3-under 209. Mankin, 35, regarded by many as the best amateur in the valley, rallied for a final-round 68, which left him four shots back in second.If Scott Wise needed any more impetus to defend his Roanoke Valley Golf Hall of Fame men's title this weekend, it was supplied in midweek courtesy of an unexpected source.

"I picked up the paper the other day [Wednesday] and it was right there in black and white," Wise said. "I saw the story where Matt Mankin was dubbed as the favorite, which kind of fired me up."

"It's nice to get it done again," said Wise, a rising redshirt junior on Virginia Tech's golf team.

Wise's second straight HOF title puts him in some elite company. He joins such notables as Dicky Linkous, who did it twice (1986-87 and '90-91), Peter Wallenborn (1974-75), Bobby Penn (1992-93) and Jake Allison (1995-96) as the only players who have won consecutive titles in the valley's biggest major.

"That's very awesome company to be with," Wise said. "It's an honor to have my name in the same sentence with those guys."

Wise, who entered the final round with a one-shot lead on Scott Griffin, was steady in the final-round heat. He turned in even par and did not let anyone back in the game.|

"It was easier this time," Wise said. "Not because of the caliber of competition I was facing, but last year I shot 77 in the first round and had to battle all the way back."

Mankin, who entered the day six shots back of Wise, posted the day's lowest round.

"I played badly the first couple days and that's it," Mankin said. "Hey, I'll try again next year if I'm around. If things go right, I won't be around."

Mankin was referring to the fact he hopes to earn his 2004 PGA Tour card in qualifying this winter.

Miller Baber, who also was hoping to win his first HOF title, shot a 72 and finished third at 214. Griffin settled for a final-round 75 and fourth at 215. Led by John Hudson's 71, host Hidden Valley shot a 7-over 433 in the final round and rallied from a three-shot 36-hole deficit to whip defending champion Roanoke Country Club by 10 shots for the team title. It was Hidden Valley's fourth men's team championship but its first since 1981.

"Roanoke has won this thing so many times so it was big for us to knock them off," said Cam Young, who shot a 73. "People forget this is a team tournament first. Myself, I could care less about winning the individual title."

Reprinted with permission from The Roanoke Times.