Virginia Golfer January / February 2015 | Page 23

VSGA JUNIOR BOY OF THE YEAR Mark Lawrence Jr. HOMETOWN: Richmond, Va. HOME CLUB: Hermitage Country Club, Manakin-Sabot, Va. HIGH SCHOOL: Senior at Mills E. Godwin High School, Richmond, Va. 2014 ACCOMPLISHMENTS ➤ Selected VSGA junior boy of the year for a second straight season. ➤ Recorded a repeat victory at the VSGA Junior Match Play Championship. The 18-year-old Lawrence defeated Charlottesville-area golfer Logan Yates, 4 and 3, in the championship final at Boonsboro Country Club. ➤ Quarterfinalist at the VSGA Amateur Championship. ➤ Lawrence shined on the local and regional stages, winning The Signature Invitational at The Federal Club and the Valentine Invitational, conducted at his home club, Hermitage Country Club. ➤ Was a member of the victorious Virginias team in the Captain’s Putter Matches. Lawrence was the youngest member of the team. ➤ In October 2014, he won the conference, regional and state individual titles, and Godwin captured the state team championship. It was his third individual state title and the team’s second crown during his prep career. ➤ Will attend Auburn University on a golf scholarship in the fall of 2015. QUICK TIP Lawrence generates plenty of power with his swing, but he also relies on a rhythmic motion to hit good shots. Swinging in balance is a tip that has been driven home by his father, Mark Sr., a strong player in his own right and a past VSGA Amateur champion (1980). “My dad always told me that it’s better to swing at 90 percent and hit it dead solid because the ball is going to go farther than if you if you swing at 100 percent and hit it on the toe or the heel