Hurst/Decker Capture 1st VSGA Four-Ball Match Play Title
November 1, 2015
Fredericksburg’s Jon Hurst and Martinsville’s Keith Decker won the inaugural VSGA Four-Ball Match Play championship, which concluded yesterday at the Keswick Golf Club’s Full Cry course in Charlottesville. Entering the tournament as the second seed, Hurst and Decker defeated the fourth seed, Vincent Nadeau (Gordonsville) and Kyle Bailey (Fincastle) 2 and 1 in the finals. As one of seven teams receiving a bye in the opening round, Hurst and Decker defeated Craig Groenendaal (Laurel Hill GC) and Tim Krouse (Westwood CC) 3 and 2 in the second round after Groenendaal and Krouse has won their opening match 1 up over Genn Allen’s Matt Paciocco and Jay Zapco. Jimmy Delp (Laurel Hill) and Tazewell’s Buck Brittain entered the event as the top seed and won their second round match against Matthew Ashley (1757 GC) and Zeke Shen (Ivy Hill GC) before falling to South Riding’s Harold Dill and his dad Kevin (Roanoke) in the quarterfinals 3 and 1. The Dill’s won their second round match 2 and 1 against Shenandoah Valley’s Danny Yates and Dean Griffith before losing in the semifinals 5 and 4 to Nadeau and Bailey. Yates and Griffith won their opening round match on the 2nd extra hole against John Corbin and Trevor Ronan (Providence Forge). For complete results see www.VSGA.org
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Nirich Captures Evergreen Title – Armstrong, Abbett Win Senior Divisions
October 17, 2015
It seemed like Jeff Probst brought his reality TV show, “Survivor”, to Haymarket today as the participants in the final round of the Evergreen Invitational battled the wind, the temperature, firm conditions and very smooth, but very fast, greens to get to the finish line. 54 year-old Jim Nirich, however, turned it into ‘The Amazing Race” with a sprint on the final two holes to surpass first round leader Francesco Romano for the title. Nirich (Stonewall GC) opened Friday with 78 but was only three shots back of Romano (Raspberry Falls GC) as the scores were unusually high. Romano’s lead grew to four after the outward nine today, but bogies at holes 12, 13, 14 brought Nirich to within a shot. The lead grew again to two after the difficult par-3 sixteenth where Romano made bogey, but Nirich made double bogey. Nirich stiffed a 4-iron to within three feet on the seventeenth hole, however, for birdie to gain one shot back going to the final hole. Both hit the green in regulation – Romano 45 feet from the pin and Nirich 38 feet. After Romano hit his first putt by the hole, Nirich drained his lengthy birdie putt to catch Romano, then won the championship when Romano’s slick four footer missed left. Also in the final group was Trey Compton (Evergreen) who tied Romano for second at 157 with 78-79. Compton had a chance to tie Nirich with a 30-footer on the final hole from the fringe, but missed right. Romano’s rounds were 75-82. Nirich’s 78-78-156 was the highest winning total since the tournament began in 1971. The previous high was 150 when Bob Bilbo was champion in 1973.
Pictured: Dave King, champion Jim Nirich, Chris Hall
The Senior divisions lacked the closing drama as John Armstrong won the Seniors by three shots over Andy Heye (Chantilly National), and Jon Abbett (Trump National) won by two shots over Dick Bowen (Evergreen) in the Super Seniors. In the Seniors, Armstrong and Heye were tied with 74s after Friday’s play, but a 1-under 35 on the front nine today by Armstrong gave him a five shot lead heading into the closing nine. Armstrong had rounds of 74-76-150, while Heye shot 74-79-153. John Hoffman (Westfields GC) finished third with 154. In the Super Seniors, Abbett and Bowen were tied with opening rounds of 73. Bowen had a one shot advantage heading into the back nine today, but pars for Abbett on holes 10-13 gave him a three shot advantage which proved to be sufficent.
Open Results Senior Results Super Senior Results
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Lughermo/Ciprano WMGA Four-Ball Champions
October 16, 2015
Fairfax’s David Lughermo (UMD GC) played his team’s first four holes solo at Mt. Vernon CC one-under par when his partner, Jeremias Ciprano (Redgate GC) was delayed coming from Silver Spring. Lughermo then followed Cipriano’s eagle at the par-5 ninth with an eagle of his own on the par 4 tenth before adding birdies on the 13th and 14th holes for a 6-under 64 to win the WMGA Four-Ball yesterday. Brendan Giuseppe and Rick Peel (Westwood CC) tied for second with 67. Mike Occi and Ben Clements (Hobbit’s Glen) won the Senior Four-Ball with 64, with Dan Hill and Steve Thomas, playing their home course, tieing for second with 66. Tim Krouse (Westwood CC) and Larry Spielberg (Fauquier Springs CC) tied for fourth with 67. Barry Flaer (Maryland National) and George Washburn (Holly Hills) edged out Don Jeanes (Heritage Hunt CC) and Lynn Wessman (Army Navy CC) by one shot in the Super Senior Four Ball with 67. Jim Andrews and Don Kelly (Laurel Hill GC) finished fourth with 70. For complete results see www.WMGAGOLF.org
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Shingler/Peel Win Northern Viginia 4-Ball – Buckner/Heye Runners-up
October 13, 2015
The Northern Virginia Four-Ball returned yesterday to the Club at Creighton Farms which hosted the event in 2012. The first time around Scott Shingler (Evergreen) and Rick Peel (Westwood) teamed for a four-under 68 which tied them with Dan Hosek and Jimmy Delp, but they lost on the fourth extra hole of a playoff. This year, Shingler and Peel repeated their 68 with a strong finish, and it was enough to capture the title – but barely. Rich Buckner (RTJ) and Andy Heye (Chantilly National) birdied three of their last four holes for 69, while Jed Resnick (Ashley Plantation) and Harold Dill (South Riding) had a strong finish of their own on the challenging layout, with birdies on four of their last eight holes for two-under 70 and third place. All three teams got off to slow starts, beginning from different holes in the shotgun start – Shingler and Peel were even par through 6 holes after beginning at the ninth, Buckner and Heye were even through 14 holes after beginning at the third, and Rasnick and Dill were one-over after 10 holes after starting on the tenth. While their strong finishes got them close, it was Shingler’s birdies at their final two holes that sealed the deal – a two-putt birdie 4 on the par five seventh, and a tap-in one footer from the fairway bunker on the 463 yard par four eighth. Shingler finished with three birdies on the day, including the twelth hole which Peel also birdied. Peel added a bidie 2 on the par three thirteenth – the only birdie in the field on the 210 par three into the wind. Five teams tied for fourth with 71.
While Shingler has won five Northern Virginia Amateurs, this was his first win in the Four-Ball. This was Peel’s first Northern Virginia championship. The Northern Sections would like to thank The Club at Creighton Farms for hosting this year’s event, and Matthew Hess, PGA Professional, and his entire staff. Final Results
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Northern Viginia 4-Ball Monday at Creighton Farms
October 11, 2015
The Club at Creighton Farms will host the Northern Virginia Four-Ball Championship on Monday for the second time in the past four years. Dan Hosek and Jimmy Delp won there in 2012 on the fourth extra hole. Jason Pool and Derick Paxton are the defending champions were they won on their home couse (River Bend) last year. Only Hosek is entered again this year, paired with Jim Nirich. In fact, in spite of a ful field, for the first time in recent memory there are no past champion teams entered. There will be a shotgun start at 11 am. Pairings
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Dulik Wins Middle Atlantic Amateur in Playoff
Oct 6, 2015
Eighteen year old Eric Dulik from Great Falls, VA, birdied two of the last 3 holes Sunday in the final round of the Middle Atlantic Amateur to tie Denny McCarthy, then won the title on the first playoff hole with a birdie from 15 feet. Both golfers finished with even-par 216 at the Woodmont CC – North Course (Dulik 71-76-69, McCarthy 74-71-71). The 109th edition of the championship was conducted Oct 1-4 with inclement weather forcing the event to be reduced to 54 holes. Both Dulik and McCarthy are capping off excellent seasons (and McCarthy an outstanding amateur career). Dulik graduated from Dominion High School and was co-medalist/semi-finalist in this year’s Washington Metropolitan Amateur in August. McCarthy, from Rockville, MD, graduated from the University of Virginia where he received many honors throughout his career including 2nd team All American honors in his junior season, and competed for the US in the Walker Cup last month. This was his last event as an amateur before turning pro. Doug Hurson, Arlington, finished tied for tenth with 75-72-77-224, while Zach Henry, Front Royal, finished eleventh with 77-73-75-225. For complete results see www.MIDDLEATLANTICGA.org
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Northern Virginia Seniors Capture Potomac Challenge
September 29, 2015
The Potomac Challenge is a Ryder Cup style event in which seniors from Northern Virginia are selected based on their play throughout the year to compete with seniors from the Free-State Seniors Golf Association in Maryland. The event has been conducted annually since 1994, and while Northern Virginia has it’s name on the champion’s plaque most of the years, the individual matches are always very competitive but with a high degree of comraderie. This year followed the same pattern as the Northern Virginia squad won 23 1/2 to 6 1/2, winning all six of the opening four ball matches even though 5 of the 6 matches went to the last hole.
The Northern Virginia representatives (pictured) were Ron Clatterbuck, Bob Albus, John (Boney) Hoffman, Mike Nicewarner; Eddie Walker, Ray Montgomery, Don Jeanes (non-playing Captain); Dick Blackburn; Lynn Wessman (non-playing Co-Captain), Harry Thomas, Doug Banks, Tom Flory, Peter Jacobi an dBill Stout (not pictured).
The Maryland representatives were David Asaki, Richard Berzinski, Barry Flaer, Jim Horn, Kevin Lee, Mike Lee, Bill Matton, Michael Myirski, Jim Reilman, Gary Kramer, Mark Schechter, Craig Walker, George Washburn and non-playing captain Bill Stricker.
Final Results
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In Case You Missed It – Grady 2nd in VA Senior Open, Blackburn, Jeanes 1-2 in Metro Super-Senior
September 29, 2015
Tom Grady (Shenandoah Valley GC, Marshall) shot rounds of 70-68 to finish second in the Virginia Senior Open conducted September 17-18 at the CC of Virginia Westhampton course. John Caulfield (Laurel Hill GC) tied for 11th with 72-73 and Dick Blackburn (Belle Haven CC, Alexandria) tied for 20th with 148. Williamsburg’s Dave Pulk won the event with a six-under total of 66-68-134. For complete results see www.VSGA.org
Dick Blackburn won the super-senior division of the WMGA Metropolitan Senior Amateur held September 20-21 at Worthington Manor GC in Urbana, MD. Blackburn shot 75-73-148 to win by two shots over Don Jeanes (Heritage Hunt CC, Burke) who had rounds of 73-77-150. Bob Morris (Great Falls) finished tied for third in the senior division with 147, which was won by Michael Kelly (Lake Presidential GC) with 146. For complete results see www.WMGAGOLF.org
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Shingler, Yates, Delp – Top 10 Finishes in VA Mid-Am
September 29, 2015
Scott Shingler (Evergreen CC, Haymarket), Danny Yates (Shenandoah Valley GC, Marshall) and Jimmy Delp (Laurel Hill GC, Arlington) had top 10 finishes in the Virginia Mid-Amateur championship conducted September 25-26 at the Cedar Point CC in Suffolk. Shingler tied for 5th with a four-over total of 220 (74-74-72). Yates tied for 7th with 72-75-74-221 while Delp tied for tenth with 76-74-72 – 222. Hardy’s Matt Chandler (Hunting Hills CC) won the championship for the second time with five-under 211. For complete results see www.VSGA.org
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Northern Viginia 4-Ball Entry Available – Oct 12th at Creighton Farms
September 15, 2015
The Club at Creighton Farms will host the Northern Virginia Four-Ball Championship on October 12th. The field will be limited to 44 teams. Teams must have a combined handicap index of 16.0 or less, with each entrant having amateur status and a current USGA handicap with a VSGA member club. The entry deadline is October 7th. Jason Poole and Derick Paxton are the defending champions. For additional information see the entry form in the Entry Forms tab.
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Billy G. Phillips 4-Ball, Evergreen Invitational Entries Posted
September 15, 2015
The Evergreen Invitational is scheduled for Oct 16-17 at the Evergreen CC in Haymarket. The tournament is a VSGA points event and includes open, senior and super-senior divisions. This is the 44th edition of one of the longest-running area invitationals. Jeff Klatt is the defending champion.
The Billy G. Phillips Memorial Four-Ball championship is scheduled for October 30 at the Winchester CC. Entrants must have a USGA handicap index of 10.0 or lower as of October 15. There is a senior division for entrants 55 years or older.
For additional information on each event, see the entry forms in the Area Schedule tab.
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Four Northern Virginia Golfers Qualify for US Mid-AM
September 10, 2015
Danny Ott (Potomac Falls), Matt Sughrue (Arlington), Ryan Patrick (Reston) and Travis Russell (Arlington) captured four of the six spots available in local qualifying for the USGA Mid-Amateur championship. The qualifier was held September 8th at the CC of Woodmore in Mitchellville, MD. Ott, Patrick and Sughrue finished in a four-way tie for the low round with 1-under 71, while Russell was one of two players with even-par 72. The Mid-Am will be conducted October 3-8 at the John’s Island Club, Vero Beach, FL.
For complete results see www.WMGAGOLF.org
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Grady/Casstevens Runners-up in VSGA Super-Senior 4-Ball – Engel/LeClere Third
September 1, 2015
Tom Grady (Shenandoah Valley GC) teamed with John Casstevens (The Federal Club) to shoot 70-66 for a 6 under 136 to finish second in the VSGA Super-Senior Four Ball held at the CC of Petersburg Aug 31 – Sep 1. Bill Engel (Army Navy CC) and Dave LeClere (International CC) combined for 71-68-139 to finish third, seven shots back of winners J.P. Leigh (Suffolk) and John Cumo (Richmond) who had a 9 under 63 in the final round to go with an opening 69 for a 12-under 132. Army Navy’s Roger Pitkin and Walt Martin had 140 to tie for fourth.
For complete results see www.VSGA.org
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