Northern Virginia Amateur Begins Friday at Lansdowne – Jeffrey Long to Defend Title
August 10, 2017

The 44th edition of the Northern Virginia Amateur will be hosted tomorrow through Sunday by the Golf Club at Lansdowne, conducted on both the Robert Trent Jones course (Friday and Sunday) and the Greg Norman course (Saturday). Jeffrey Long will defend the title he won last year in a playoff with UVA’s Matthew Ashley at the Fauquier Springs CC. Former JMU graduate Zach Henry leads a group of current and recent college players entered in this year’s event. Henry has finished 2nd (2015 )and third (2016) the past two years, while Virginia Tech’s Ian Hildrebrand finished third in 2015. Jeffrey Klatt, the 2014 Evergreen Invitational champion, leads the mid-amateur contingent. The winner will receive the Henry Kerfoot Trophy. Friday’s opening round will be a shotgun start at 8:30 on the RTJ course.
First Round Pairings

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Northern Virginia Senior 4-Ball Entry Posted – August 28 at Heritage Hunt
August 6, 2017

The entry form for this year’s Northern Virginia Senior Four-Ball has been posted (see Entry Tab). This year’s event will be hosted by the Heritage Hunt CC in Gainesville. The defending champions are Richard Lion and Michael Keating who captured last year’s event at International CC. The format is two man better ball (gross and net).

The event is open to all senior male players who are residents of Virginia. Priority will be given to entrants who are members in good standing of a VSGA Northern East, Northern Central, Northern West, or Fredericksburg Section Club or Association (social or honorary members are ineligible), with a current USGA handicap index at that club and meet the USGA senior amateur status requirements (55 years of age by August 28, 2017). Other Virginia residents who are members of VSGA clubs outside the Northern Sections may enter on a space available basis. See the entry form for complete information.

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Rob Keith is Northern Virginia Senior Amateur Champion – Dwight Holman Tops Super Seniors
June 13, 2017

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. 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 finsihed 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

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Keith, Beveridge Lead Northern Virginia Senior Amateur – Wessman, Coolidge Lead Super Seniors
June 12, 2017

The Mount Vernon CC received wide-spread approval of the recent course renovations from the field – in spite of giving up only two scores of par or better in the opening round of the Northern Virginia Senior Amateur today. Rob Keith (Chantilly National) birdied his first hole (#6 in the shotgun start), along with holes 14 and 15, but bogeys in between at 9 and 12 still left him at 1-under 69. Chip Beveridge (Belle Haven), also got off to a good start with an eagle 2 at his second hole (the 10th) and added a birdie at the 17th, with bogeys in between at 12 and 15, to also finish with 69. Three time champion Stan Williams (River Creek Club) and Ron Clatterbuck (Evergreen CC) are tied for third with 1-over 71. In the super-senior division, Lynn Wessman (Army Navy) and Cal Coolidge Blue Ridge Shadows GC) are tied at 71. Each golfer had four birdies – Wessman at holes 4,7,10 and 16, and Coolidge on holes 3,4,8 and 18. Play will be scheduled tee times on Tuesday beginning at 10:16.
Day 1 Results Final Round Pairings

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Northern Virginia Senior Am Preview – Mt. Vernon CC, Monday-Tuesday
June 9, 2017

The Mount Vernon CC will host the 34th edition of the Northern Virginia Senior Amateur next Monday and Tuesday, June 12-13. Loudoun CC’s Mike McLister is the defending champion, winning on his first try last year at Laurel Hill GC. McLister will start on Hole #1 in the 1:00 shotgun start with three-time champion Stan Williams (River Creek Club) and George Kapetanakis (Trump National DC). Other top-5 finishers from last year also entered are Dave Prokop (Evergreen CC, T-2nd), Eddie Walker (Laurel Hill, 4th) and Rob Keith (Chantilly National GCC, T-5th). In the super-senior division, recent VSGA Super Senior champion Peter Jabobi (Army Navy CC), Bob Albus (River Bend CC), Bill Engel (Army Navy CC), Dick Blackburn (Belle Haven CC) and Dwight Holman (The Piedmont Club) head a strong field. Mount Vernon has recently completed several renovations to its course and will offer a challenging test for the championship. Please see the “Special Notes” for additional information all players should know prior to arriving on Monday.
Day 1 Pairings Special Notes

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Peel – Moseley Win Curly Licklider 4-Ball – Hansen – Clatterbuck Senior Winners
June 7, 2017

Rick Peel and Steve Moseley shot a 9-under 63 to capture the Curly Licklider Memorial Four-Ball June 5 at the Winchester CC. Their total was two shots ahead of runners-up Luke Long and Travis Gahman. The teams of Josh Riggleman – Tag Corrigan and Steve Krynicki – Conor Cafferty tied for third with 66. In the senior division, the teams of Ken Hanson – Ron Clatterbuck and Doug Cushman – Mike Howell tied for first with 6-under 66. Birdies on the first two playoff holes by the Cushman – Howell team, however, were not enough to offset Clatterbuck’s three straight birdies, giving the Hanson – Clatterbuck team the win. Results
Pictured (L to R): Rick Peel, Steve Moseley

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Peter Jacobi Wins VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play
June 2, 2017

jacobiArmy Navy’s Peter Jacobi has been one of Northern Virginia’s top super senior golfers since he turned 65 nine years ago. In 2011 he won his first VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship (along with the Northern Virginia Senior Amateur), and yesterday, at age 74, he added his second VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship at Stonehenge GCC in Richmond. Jacobi seems to like the tougher layouts the best, being the only golfer in the field to better par at Belmont CC in 2011, and yesterday being the only golfer to match par with a two-day total of 72-70-142. His final nine 3-under 32, with birdies at holes 11, 13 and 17 made up a 2-shot deficit against Richmond’s John Cumo after 27 holes, and one shot on fellow Army Navy member Bill Engel. Cumo (70-74)and Richmond’s Mike Thompson (75-69) tied for second at 144. Engel, a two-time winner of this event himself, finished fifth with 70-77 – 147. For complete story and results, see www.VSGA.org
Photo: VSGA.org

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