2017 Northern Virginia Senior Amateur

Last year in this event at Laurel Hill GC, Rob Keith shot an opening round even-par 71 and found himself alone in the lead by three shots. A bad start in the final round, however, allowed many players back in and Keith eventually finished in fifth place. This year he opened with a 1-under 69 at the Mount Vernon CC and again was in the lead, but this time he was tied with Chip Beveridge (Belle Haven CC), with several other contenders still in the game – which may have helped him maintain his focus throughout the final round. Keith pulled out a one shot victory over a trio of those contenders – Beveridge, three time champion Stan Williams ( River Creek Club), and Laurel Hill’s Eddie Walker, who had the low round of the day (71) among the regular seniors. Keith turned in 36 with bogies at holes’ 3 and 7, and a birdie at the 8th. This gave him a one stroke advantage over Beveridge and Williams, but Walker fashioned a 34 to tie Keith for the lead. Walker grabbed the lead at the 10th when Keith’s drive went out of bounds over the green on the short par-4 and he made a double bogey. The lead then fluctuated between Walker, Williams, Keith and Beveridge until the pivotal 15th hole when Keith’s length allowed him to reach the par-5 in two and two-putt for a birdie. This moved him back into the lead by one over Beveridge (who bogied the 15th) and Williams, and by two over Walker who had bogied the 12th and 14th. Playing in the last group, Keith, Williams and Beveridge all made bogey at the par 3 16th, allowing Walker to join Williams and Beveridge at one back heading to the final two holes. All four pared the 17th, with Williams making a tricky downhill 6 footer, but Keith’s length came into play again on the par-4 18th when he drove it to within 30 yards of the green and easily made the par he needed to win. Keith finished with 69-73 – 142, Walker with 72-71-143, Williams with 71-72-143 and Beveridge with 69-74-143. Ron Clatterbuck (Evergreen CC) was fifth at 146. The 61-year old Keith was also on his home club’s A-Team (Chantilly National GCC) as they won that championship in April.

The super-senior division (age 65+) was implemented in 2015 and the first two winners (Peter Jacobi and Tom Grady) were also previous winners of the regular senior championship. Holman Dwight Holman (The Piedmont Club) continued that tradition as the 2009 senior champion won the super-senior division with a final round 2-under 68, edging out Jacobi by one shot. Holman began the day 4 shots back of first round co-leaders Lynn Wessman and Cal Coolidge, but began quickly with an eagle 2 on the par-four 3rd hole – the most difficult hole on the course. A lost tee shot on the 5th hole, however resulted in a triple bogey, but he quickly recovered with a birdie 2 at the 6th, turning in 35. Jacobi started the final round two shots back, but a 38 on the outward nine put him one back of Holman. Both played the back nine in 2-under 33, with Holman making birdies on holes 10 and 14 (the latter a tap-in after another near hole-out for eagle), while Jacobi made birdie on the difficult 12th hole and a two-putt birdie on the par-five 15th. Holman finished at 75-68 – 143, while Jacobi fished with 73-71 – 144. Bob Albus (River Bend CC) and Walt Marin (Army Navy CC) tied for third at 145.

The Northern Sections would like to thank the Mount Vernon CC for hosting this year’s championship, with special thanks to PGA Golf Professional Bryan Armstrong, PGA, his staff and to Superintendent Mike King, GCSAA, for the excellent playing conditions.
Final Results

Pictured: Top left – Tournament Director Don Jeanes and Champion Rob Keith; Bottom right – Dwight Holman and Jeanes

2017 Northern Virginia Senior Four-Ball

At age 64, George Kapetenakis is now a veteran of Northern Virginia and Virginia state senior events, often with top – ten finishes including a runner-up finish in this event in 2012 with Jon Abbett and a win in last year’s inaugural Virginia Mid-Senior championship. This year he teamed with “rookie” senior, 56 year-old Brain Bates, playing in his first Northern Virginia senior event, and the Trump National duo both achieved a ‘first’ – their first Northern Virginia Senior championship. Starting on the fourteenth hole at Heritage Hunt CC, Bates made the first of their team’s 6 birdies with a 3 on the par-4 16th. Kapetenakis then rolled in a 50-foot putt at the 5th hole for birdie and struck his second shot on the 8th hole to within eight feet for another birdie following their lone bogey at the 7th. A chip-in by Kapetenakis on the ninth for a birdie 2 got them to 3-under which was proving to be a popular score and a playoff seemed ending. A strong finish on their final two holes, however, with a birdie by Bates at the 12th and another by Kapetenakis at the 13th proved to be decisive with their 5-under 67 winning the title by two shots.

Three teams finished in a tie for second with 3-under 69: Dick Blackburn and Chip Beveridge (Belle Haven); Richard Barrazotto and Bill Stout (Washington Golf); and Doug Wade and Steve Galing (Army Navy). Fifth place was also shared by three teams: Richard Thomas and Spike Daniels (Washington Golf); Dave LeClere and Paul Gural (International); and Joe Johnson and Dave Cameron (Springfield).

The Northern Sections would like to thank the Heritage Hunt CC for hosting this year’s event and Golf Professional John Yancy, PGA, and his staff.
Pictured: Brian Bates, Tournament Director Don Jeanes, Goerge Kapetenakis
Final Results

2017 Potomac Challenge

After the first two Ryder-Cup style matches were completed on day 1 in the annual Potomac Challenge, held Oct 19-20 between the Northern Virginia and the Maryland Free State Seniors, it appeared the Maryland squad was ready to break Northern Virginia’s 15 year winning streak in this event. In the morning Four-Ball matches on Thursday, the Northern Virginia squad took a 1-point lead, 3.5-2.5, with victories by the teams of Bob Albus-Peter Jacobi, John Hoffman-Eddie Walker, and Ron Clatterbuck-Mike Nicewarner. The afternoon Foursome matches were tied 3-3 with Northern Virginia wins again coming from Walker-Hoffman and Clatterbuck-Nicewarner and from Randy Newsome and Dave Prokof. Maryland remained within 1-point after Friday’s individual morning Select Shot round, with Michael Keating and Randy Newsome getting full points for Northern Virginia. The afternoon Singles matches, however, proved decisive for the Northern Virginia squad, winning 10 of the 12 matches (and one tie), allowing them to pull away with a 11.5-6.5 victory. This year’s event was hosted by the Marland Free State Seniors at the Norbeck CC.
Pictured (L to R): Keeling – Eddie Walker, Lynn Wessman (Co-Captain with Don Jeanes), Standing – Mike Nicewarner, Ron Clatterbuck, Doug Wade, Steve Galing, Randy Newsome, Dave Prokop, Michael Keating, Peter Jacobi, John Hoffman (Not pictured: Bob Albus)
Final Results