2017 Northern Virginia Amateur
The opening round Friday at The Golf Club at Lansdowne’s Jones course demonstrated that the soft conditions rewarded good shots with birdies but was still tough enough to punish a bad swing. Heading into today’s third and final round, the final pairing of Rob Menefee, Jeffrey Long and Connor Messick played well enough through the first 11 holes to separate themselves from the field and reduce the championship to a three man race. Menefee, who made 9 birdies on the Jones course Friday, led by two shots over Long and three over Messick. All three birdied the first hole with Menefee adding birdies at 2 and 4, finishing the front nine 1-under after bogies at 7 and 9. Long added a birdie at the 8th, turning in 2-under for the round and one shot behind. Messick reeled off 8 straights par to also turn in 1-under for the round and remained 3 back, but birdied the par-5 11th to get to within 2 of Menefee. A bogey at the 12th by Menefee brought Long into a tie and Messick within 1, setting up a stretch of three critical holes in a “reversal of fortunes” among the leaders. On the par-3 13th, Menefee made a rare bad swing and found the water hazard left of the green – and the Jones course punished him with a double bogey. Messick took full advantage and recorded his third birdie of the day to go two up on Menefee and move into a tie with Long for the lead. On the 14th, it was Long who made the rare bad swing, found a hazard and made double bogey. Messick 2-putted from 75 feet for par, while Menefee made bogey. The final change came on the 15th where Messick made a 30-foot putt for birdie and Long made bogey. Within that three hole stretch, Messick went from tied for the lead to four up on both of his competitors with only three holes to go. Messick would finish with a final round 3-under 69 and an even-par total of 216. Menefee finished second with a final round 75 and a three day total of 219 while Long was third with a final round of 74 for a 220 total. Zach Henry placed fourth with 77-72-75 – 224. Former champion Rich Buckner finished in a tie for fifth with Thomas Fricke and Ryan Rettberg.
Messick graduated from Chantilly High School where they won the 2013 State title, with Messick finishing fourth individually. He will be a senior this fall at the University of Virginia where he is a member of the Cavalier’s golf team. Messick stated that this will be his “last tournament of the season” as he will be returning the school next week, but he finished in style as a champion with his name on the Henry Kerfoot Trophy. For complete hole-by-hole results, see www.nova.golfgenius.com. Final Results
The Northern Sections would like to express our appreciation to The Golf Club at Lansdowne for hosting this year’s championship, and to Director of Golf Craig Forgash, PGA, and Assistant Professional Brandon Howard.
The Northern Virginia Four-Ball Championship will be held September 9-10 at Raspberry Falls GHC. The entry deadline is August 25.
2017 Northern Virginia Four-Ball
Sunday pin placements and more wind reduced the birdies and increased the chances for bogies in today’s final round of the winners Northern Virginia Four-Ball at the Raspberry Falls GHC. Only three teams shot under 70 in the opening round, and after the outward nine today it had narrowed to those three teams battling for the lead the final nine holes. First round leaders Mark Vandegrift and Francesco Romano (6-under 66, Raspberry Falls), playing companions Randy Newsome and Zack Henry (5-under 67, Piedmont) and Josh Riggleman and Lee Fisher (4-under 68, Winchester/Popular Grove) all maintained their positions turning in even-par 36. A bogey on the 10th by Newsome and Henry coupled with a birdie by Vandegrift and Romano on the 12th provided some separation, however, with Vandegrift and Romano now leading by two over Riggleman and Fisher and three over Newsome and Henry. At that point the lead changed more than Colonel Sanders in Kentucky Fried Chicken commercials. Birdies by Henry and Riggleman on the 13th and a bogey by the Vandergrift-Romano team on the 14th, tied Vandegrift and Romano with Riggleman and Fisher with Newsome and Henry one back. Henry then birdied the 16th with a 15 footer, and after partner Newsome lipped out for an eagle on the 17th to within 3 feet, Henry didn’t let him complete the birdie, holing a 25-footer himself, giving them a one shot lead over both Vandegrift-Romano and Riggleman-Fisher going to the final hole. Playing in the penultimate group, Riggleman and Fisher had the opportunity to play the reachable par-5 first and both reached the green in two, albeit with lengthy eagle putts. Fisher did catch the hole from 35 feet and they were the first in at 7-under. In the final group, both Vandegrift and Romano had opportunities for birdie to get their team to 7 under with Vandegrift’s putt hitting the back of the hole before staying out. Henry and Newsome both had pars to join Riggleman and Fisher at 7-under.
On the first playoff hole, only Fisher hit the green and two putted for par from 45 feet while Newsome followed from the same distance in the fringe. A similar situation unfolded on the second playoff hole when only Fisher and Henry hit the green. Fisher putted first from 30 feet to within 4 feet of the hole and marked his ball. Henry then two putted from 25 feet before Fisher, who had played brilliantly around the greens the entire tournament, slid his putt just left of the hole.
Greg Kozy and Brian Marfori (Chantilly) had Sunday’s best round with 68, which moved them up to fourth place with 140. Defending champions Connor Cafferty and Harold Dill (South Riding) tied for fifth with Barry Valentine and Chris Laughlin (Creighton Farms) at 143.
The Northern Sections would like to thank Raspberry Falls GHC for hosting this year’s championship and head golf professional Willy Lutz and his staff.
Pictured (L to R): Champions Randy Newsome and Zack Henry