University of Virginia Library

Slaughter Discusses Golf, Athletics

"The other conference teams
can't understand how we [Virginia
teams] do so well. I think it all goes
back to our group of great young
coaches — Ralph Law (Swimming),
Buddy Beardmore (Lacrosse),
Gordon Burris (Tennis and Soccer)
...," commented Butch Slaughter,
coach of Virginia teams in various
capacities for 39 years, in an
interview with The Cavalier Daily.

Mr. Slaughter, having served as
line coach of the football team
from 1939 to 1958, presently
contributes his talents and experience
as mentor of the Cavalier golf
team and Director of the Intramural
Department.

Finishing the season with a 5-7
record, the Virginia golf team
could just barely manage one
victory in tough ACC competition
including Wake Forest, prospective
NCAA champions. That one victory
was an upset over Clemson early in
April in which Paul Samanchik,
captain and number one player on
the squad, posted a low 70 to
spearhead his mates' successful
effort.

However, Coach Slaughter's
linksmen did finish second in
Virginia, behind powerful Virginia
Tech. The young Cavaliers, playing
their home matches on the 6,900
yard, par three Kensington course,
have just finished a somewhat
disappointing season in comparison
to 1968 when they were 8-5.

Nevertheless Coach Slaughter
has substantial evidence that the
1970 golf season should prove more
successful, that is from a material
standpoint — only one fourth-year
man remains while several potential
varsity starters will be arriving as
first-year men. Bennie Greenberg,
who played at the number two
spot, will be graduating in June, but
Samanchik and Bubba Victor, will
both be returning with the two best
averages of 75.8 and 75.9 along
with letterman Robert Dunn, Jay
Jennison, Britt Stenson, and Daryl
Nieliwoski.

Furthermore, several outstanding
high school prospects have
corresponded with Mr. Slaughter
concerning the possibility of playing
for Virginia. Kin Ohmig of
Lookout Mountain, Tennessee,
whose father was captain of the

undefeated Cavalier Golf team of
1938 and termed "the best player
ever to play in Charlottesville,"
carries the credentials of second
runner-up in the Southeastern
Juniors and the Mid-South Tourney.

Other possibilities are Bill
Shanahan, from Easton, Maryland,
another son of a previous captain
here, and Mark Long of Blacksburg,
one of the top high school golfers
in Virginia.

Coach Slaughter is concentrating
most of his time in an
attempt to procure an invitation to
the NCAA championships for Paul
Samanchik. Caught in a slump for
most of this year, Samanchik did
not quite equal last year's average
of 72.4 strokes, but showed
superior form on several occasions
- particularly against N.C. State
when he shot a sizzling 69,
Slaughter has high hopes of sending
the Cavalier to the NCAA's, but
there are two obstacles - an
invitation and funds.

When questioned about the
progress of the intramural program
during his tenure as its director, Mr.
Slaughter immediately cited the
construction of University Hall and
the provision of new playing fields
as instrumental in the program's

evolution. With the transferring of all
basketball games to University Hall,
new and more extensive opportunities
were provided in Memorial
Gym for IM basketball, volleyball,
boxing, and badminton.

The independent intramural
program has been largely a result of
the efforts of Mr. Slaughter. With
the construction of the new dorms
and the consequent provision of a
base for such a set-up, work was
begun in 1954.

Mr. Slaughter has been involved
in athletics at the University since
1931, and has been a member of
the faculty of the School of
Education since 1939. During that
period he has seen the Athletic
Department expand and improve.
In discussing this subject Mr.
Slaughter was quick to credit Steve
Sebo, Athletic Director, and the
expansion of the scholarship
appropriations.

However, the students were far
from being omitted in his version of
the story. Mr. Slaughter climaxed
his commentary in stating that he is
"particularly impressed with the
club teams for that is honest
recreation. The day when you have
to do something is the day when
recreation becomes duty."