Virginia Golfer January / February 2015 | Page 21

VSGA CO-SENIOR GOLFER OF THE YEAR Pat Tallent Pat Tallent registered the seminal victory of his career by capturing the U.S. Senior Amateur. HOMETOWN: Vienna, Va. HOME CLUB: Westwood Country Club, Vienna, Va. 2014 ACCOMPLISHMENTS CHRIS KEANE/USGA PHOTO ARCHIVES ➤ Joined a small and elite fraternity of Virginians to win a United States Golf Association championship when he captured the 2014 U.S. Senior Amateur. In September, the 61-year-old Tallent defeated Bryan Norton of Mission Hills, Kan., 2 and 1, in the scheduled 18-hole final at Big Canyon Country Club in Newport Beach, Calif. ➤ Became the first Virginian to post a victory in a USGA event since Richmond’s Vinny Giles won the 2009 Senior Amateur. ➤ Tallent is exempt from qualifying for this year’s U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Open. He receives a 10-year U.S. Senior Amateur exemption, plus an exemption from local qualifying for the 2015 U.S. Open. ➤ In the spring of 2014, Tallent teamed with Decker to win the VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship. ➤ Later in the season, Tallent played on the Virginias team that claimed the Captain’s Putter Matches. QUICK TIP Tallent says making putts under pressure is partly a matter of self-belief. The short game has become a bigger part of his game, as his ball striking isn’t as consistent these days. “I don’t hit the ball as well as I used to,” Tallent says. “Golf is a funny sport. There are a lot of different ways to score. You can certainly affect your opponent in match play when you don’t hit the ball very well, but make putts and hang in matches. Whatever type of putter you decide to use, you need to see the ball roll into the hole. I’ve told my daughters many times, ‘You’re only as good as you think you are.’ If you don’t think you can putt, you probably can’t putt. If you think you can putt, that doesn’t guarantee you’re going to be able to, but at least you’re not going to surprise yourself if you make a few.” IN HIS OWN WORDS With his victory at the U.S. Senior Amateur, w w w. v s g a . o r g 15_VSGA_GOY.JanFeb15.indd 19 Tallent took ownership of a USGA title he has long craved. He was competing in his 27th USGA championship. He finished as the runner-up at the event to Paul Simson in 2010 and was a quarterfinalist in 2013. Tallent got into match play in a 15-for-13 playoff at the conclusion of stroke play qualifying. Tallent, who was the No. 60 seed in the match-play bracket, became the lowest seeded player to win the title since the USGA began seeding players at the Senior Amateur based on qualifying scores in 1992. Tallent got on a roll in match play. In addition to his deciding victory, he bested 2013 medalist and three-time semifinalist Chip Lutz of Reading, Pa., 1 up in the opening round of match play. All told, Tallent won six matches en route to taking the title. In the deciding match, Tallent knocked in a 35-footer for birdie at the par-4 17th hole to claim the match. A full four months after his victory, the memories are still seared into his soul. “I had absolutely no expectations. I couldn’t see any scenario where I would be able to play two qualifying rounds and win six matches. In years past, I thought I might be able to win. I’d been in contention plenty of times, but I’m older now,” Tallent says. “I felt like I was the underdog the whole way. I wasn’t nervous. “You know, in years past, I felt like I should be there (at the Senior Amateur). This year, I thought I was lucky to be in the championship. I thought, ‘I’ll try to hit the best shots I can, see what happens and play as well as I’m capable of playing under pressure.’ If I’d had that attitude all along, I would’ve won a lot more golf tournaments.” )=