Virginia Golfer Jan / Feb 2019 | Page 24

Bolstering the Ranks Tom McKnight CAREER HIGHLIGHTS A nasty broken arm that occurred during a recreation-league basket- ball game changed the path of Tom McK- night’s golf career. He played little junior golf before entering the University of Virginia in 1973 and not much state-wide amateur golf during his college days. He turned professional after graduation in 1976 and played mini-tour golf until the fateful injury in 1980. A petroleum salesman from Galax, McKnight regained his amateur status in 1983, and in 1984 he won his first VSGA events: the Four-Ball with Bobby Clark and the VSGA Amateur. A year later he repeated in the Four-Ball, this time with Allan Strange, and the VSGA Amateur. He also won the first merged State Open of Virginia and the VSGA Mid-Amateur. He went on to win a third straight Four- Ball (with Strange again) in 1986 and his third Virginia Amateur in 1993. The last of his nine VSGA victories came in the 1996 Mid-Amateur. 22 make the team for the Virginias-Caroli- HE SAID IT nas matches. A past member of the VSGA Board of “I’d never done any of that stuff…win- Directors, McKnight is a teaching pro ning the Open at Farmington after they at Farmington Country Club during the put them together and warm months and the Amateur that year returns home to Hil- was pretty special to ton Head Island, S.C., “There are very few me,” McKnight said. during the winter. people [in the HOF] “I got to know every- “I have been very that I didn’t know body in the VSGA, and blessed and thank it became a way of life. God every day for what … and the fact I was To be on the board, I’ve been able to do,” able to play with so being g ood friends he said. “It’s very spe- with so many of the cial to be in the Hall many of them. … I g u y s. W h e n I f i r s t of Fame. I can live in just don’t put myself came back out, nobody South Carolina for 50 really knew who I was more years, and when on the same level as as far as playing. somebody says where those guys.” “There are very few are you from, I’m from — Tom McKnight people [in the HOF] Virginia. I was born that I didn’t know … and raised there and and the fact I was able to play with so grew up there. It’s part of me.” many of them. … I just don’t put myself One of his goals when he started play- on the same level as those guys.” ing again after the broken arm was to V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J A N UA R Y / F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 9 vsga.org Last player to win the VSGA Amateur and State Open of Virginia in the same year (1985). Joined Keith Decker and David Par- tridge on the Virginia team that won the first USGA State Team Championship in 1995. Won three Eastern Amateurs, a Cardinal Amateur and the Terra Cotta Cup. Finished runner-up in the U.S. Amateur in 1998; was medalist in the 1988 U.S. Amateur at The Homestead. Member of the 1998 World Amateur team and 1999 Walker Cup team; finished sec- ond low amateur behind Sergio Garcia in 1999 Masters. Rejoined professional ranks after turning 50 and won nearly $2 million in six years on the PGA Champions Tour.