V S The Golfers
Of The Year
G A
QUICK TIP
Pulk played well enough in 2014, but he
sabotaged himself on the greens by missing too many short putts. When those 3- to
6-foot knee-knockers failed to disappear
into the cup, potentially great rounds became just pretty good rounds. He rectified
the issue through practice, and a simple
stroke of a Sharpie.
“This year, I really worked on alignment,
and that really helped me to make those,”
Pulk said. “I started putting a line on my golf
ball and lining up the short putts with that
line and concentrating on stroking through.
I think that made the difference in the major
events that I was able to win this season.”
To wit, Pulk poked home a couple of
short birdie putts on No. 15 and No. 16 in
the final round of the Senior Open of Virginia, giving him the separation he needed
to claim the title.
CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT
Pulk’s Senior Open win was his first victory
in a VSGA-sponsored event. But the seeds
Dave Pulk
VSGA SENIOR MEN’S GOLFER OF THE YEAR (ages 50 and over)
HOME CLUB: Two Rivers Country Club, Williamsburg
for that showing at The Country Club
of Virginia’s Westhampton Course were
planted two months earlier at Keswick
Golf Club. Playing in a group with some
of Virginia’s most accomplished golfers—
Keith Decker, David Partridge and Pat
Tallent—Pulk fired a second-round 71 to
secure a two-stroke victory in the Middle
Atlantic Senior Amateur Championship.
“I really appreciate the opportunity
to compete against such a high caliber
group of golfers,” Pulk said. “It could have
been any of the four of us. I was fortunate
enough to win that day. I think it made a
big difference in how the rest of the summer went.”
Pulk moved to Williamsburg from
Northeast Ohio about four years ago, and
since then, he had come close to breaking
through in some of the state’s signature
events. He played on sides that finished
second in both the VSGA Four-Ball Stroke
Play Championship and VSGA Senior
Four-Ball Championship in 2015. Pulk
finished third in his previous two Senior
Open of Virginia starts.
“When I won that tournament, it felt like
I was welcomed and considered part of the
Virginia family, from a golfing standpoint,”
Pulk said of his Middle Atlantic win.
Considering his success in team events,
Pulk was already there. In three years as a
member of the Virginias Captain’s Putter
team, he’s won 8½ out of a possible nine
points in his matches.
OFF THE COURSE
Golf isn’t just a passion of Pulk’s on the
course. He’s active in many ways at his
home club, Two Rivers, serving on numerous committees, including the golf and
membership committees, where he tries
to “help the experience of the existing
members as well as attracting new members to the club.” Pulk also has an interest
in politics, and he hasn’t ruled out trying to
run for a congressional seat in the future as
an independent candidate.
2015 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
» Shot a two-day 134 to win the Senior
Open of Virginia by four strokes over
Tom Grady.
» Won the Middle Atlantic Senior
Amateur in July by two strokes.
» Qualified for match play at the U.S.
Senior Amateur, advancing to the
round of 16 before falling to Tim
Jackson, who advanced to the
semifinals.
» Teamed with Skip Zobel to finish
second at the VSGA Senior Four-Ball
Championship and tied for eighth
at the VSGA Senior Stroke Play
Championship. Teamed with Nathan
Dean to tie for second at the VSGA
Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship.
CHRIS KEANE/USGA
» Finished atop the VSGA Senior Player
Rankings, 160 points clear of No. 2
James Gallagher.
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