V S G A GOLFERS OF THE YEAR
VSGA SUPER SENIOR MEN’ S GOLFER OF THE YEAR
Charles Green III
HOME CLUB: The Virginian Golf Club
QUICK TIP Green spent 30 years using a long putter. But when the USGA adopted a change to rule 14-1b at the start of 2016— prohibiting anchoring with a long putter— Green tried to make the switch back to a short putter. He was miserable. It wasn’ t until he spoke to a fellow competitor at an event in Florida that he decided to switch back.
“ I was pretty good( with the short putter) on the putting green, but when I got a little pressure on me, it was terrible. I went back to kind of a yippy stroke,” Green said. After playing a practice round for a super senior event,“ I was really apprehensive about using it the next day. I asked a guy who used a long putter what to do, and he said,‘ I’ m using a long putter, I’ m not just anchoring it.’
“ He showed me how to do it. I went back to the house and got the long putter and used it, and I finished third in the tournament. If I had used the short putter in that tournament, I probably would have finished 50th.”
CHAMPIONSHIP MOMENT In his first year as an eligible super senior( ages 65 and over), Green had one major goal: to top the season-ending points list. He accomplished that feat. As is the case with many of the over-65 set, Green was just happy to get on equal footing again with players closer to his skill level. It’ s not easy playing against 50 year olds when you’ re closing in on retirement age.
Green showed he still had it, rallying for a one-shot win at the 31st VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship at Fawn Lake CC.
“ That just happened to be the first tournament,” he said.“ I was playing well coming into it and got pretty lucky to win it, really. I knew after that if I kept winning or kept coming close to winning, I’ d do all right.”
OFF THE COURSE Golf and work keeps Green busy, but he enjoys spending time with his grandchildren in his free time away from the course.
2016 ACCOMPLISHMENTS
» In his first VSGA championship as an eligible super senior, Green outlasted Lynn Wessman and Jon Abbett down the stretch to secure a one-shot victory in the 31st VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship at Fawn Lake Country Club in Spotsylvania. Green shot 74-75 for a two-day 149.
» No. 1 in VSGA Super Senior Player Rankings.
» Won the 2016 Bay Creek Amateur Super Senior championship.
» Won the 2016 Southwest Virginia Open Super Senior title.
» Paired with Bob Rotella and tied for second at the 4th VSGA Super Senior Four-Ball Championship at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club.
32 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ANUARY / F EBRUARY 2017 vsga. org