Sunday August 12, 2019 at Evergreen Country Club, Haymarket, Virginia —- Veteran Rich Buckner (RTJ Golf Club) won the 2019 Northern Virginia Amateur Championship in dramatic fashion in a sudden death playoff against youngster Colin Caporal (Stonewall) proving once again that mature golfers can still compete and win (sometimes) against the younger players. Buckner last won this title 26 years ago in 1993 when it was contested at Hidden Creek Country Club.
The day began with six players in the field under par after the first two rounds and within two strokes of the lead.
Buckner (72 – 70 – 68) began the day 1 stroke behind 5-time championship winner Scott Shingler (Dominion Valley) and played on to win the playoff about 6:30 pm in spite of having a morning tee time on Monday in the VSGA Senior Amateur Championship at the Homestead in Warm Springs, VA. He closed with a 4-under par 68 that included birdies on #2, 4, 6, 14 and 15 and a lone bogey on #9. Buckner was 6-under for the tournament coming to the tee on the par 5 #18, hit a good drive into the middle of the fairway and went for the green on his second shot, pushing it right and coming to rest nearly pin high but on the cart path. After taking relief from the cart path he lobbed his tricky approach shot to about 15 feet but his potential winning putt just missed on the low side right and he calmly made his come-back par to close with a 6-under 210 to tie young Colin Caporal who had already posted his 6-under par 210.
Caporal (71 – 72 – 67) began the day 2 strokes behind the lead and shot a stellar 5-under par 67 with birdies on #5, 9, 11, 13 and 15, an eagle on the par 5 #6 which he reached in two shots then made the eagle putt, and bogeys on #1 and #17.
The playoff began on hole #10. Buckner pushed his drive a little and it didn’t quite carry the last fairway sand bunker. Caporal pulled his drive left of the cart path and into the trees near the driving range. Buckner hit an excellent shot from the fairway bunker onto the green nearly pin-high about 25 feet from the hole. Caporal was partially blocked by trees and had to hit a low punch shot which rolled all the way to the back of the green about 60 feet away from the hole. Caporal hit his very long approach putt not hard enough and left a difficult 20 foot par putt which he just missed. Buckner then calmly knocked his first putt to a few inches from the hole and tapped in for his par to win the title.
Tournament director Mark Vandegrift and winner Rich Buckner Two putts to win on #10 for Buckner
Scott Shingler (72 – 69 – 70), the leader after the first two rounds, had 3 birdies on the front nine (#1, 4 and 6) but a double-bogey on #2 and bogeys on #7 and 8 left him 1-over par for the day after the first nine holes. He still made a run with birdies on #14, 15 and 17 to get within 1 shot of the lead. His drive on #18 was pushed right and into the tall rough where all he could do was punch out short of the pond. His approach to #18 was short of the hole and left about a 30 foot birdie attempt which he missed. He finished in sole 3rd place with a 5-under par 211 one shot back of the leaders.
Final pairing of Scott Shingler, Ian Hildebrand and Rich Buckner Final group finishes on #18
2017 Northern Virginia Amateur champion Connor Messick (International) began the day 2 strokes behind the leader and closed with a 3-under par 69 to finish in 4 place (72 – 71 – 69) at 212.
Ian Hildebrand (Stoneleigh) began the tournament with a 6-over par 78 but put himself back in contention with a tournament best 7-under par 65 in the second round. He shot a 2-under par 70 in the final round to finish the tournament in 5th place with a 3-under par 213 (78 – 65 – 70).
Jeff Long (Evergreen) also began the 2 strokes behind the lead and made a move with a 3-under par opening nine in the final round. The back nine was a see-saw round with four more birdies but 3 bogeys and a disastrous quad-bogey on #12 spoiled his run at the title and he finished in 6th place with a 1-under par total of 215 (72 – 71 – 72).
Other players rounding out the top ten included Dudley Payne (Raspberry Falls) and Ryan Hammer (Loudoun Golf & CC) in a tie for 7th at 217, veteran senior player Mark Rallas (Raspberry Falls) in 9th place at 220, and Danny Ott (VSGA e-club Alexandria) in 10th place at 222.
See the full results at the following link: https://www.golfgenius.com/pages/5545401841342262341
The Northern Virginia Golf Association wishes to thank Head Professional, Chris Hall, PGA and his staff at Evergreen Country Club for their excellent hospitality and support in running this tournament. Well done!
