LOGAN WHITTON

2025 MARKS THE 40 TH ANNIVERSARY of one of the most exceptional feats in the history of golf in the Commonwealth . In 1985 , Tom McKnight — a member of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame — achieved what has become known as the “ McKnight Slam .” That year , he won four of the top VSGA tournaments : the Four-Ball Championship ( with Allan Strange ), the first merged State Open of Virginia , the VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship and the VSGA Amateur Championship .

McKnight remains the only person in history to capture all four of these prestigious titles in the same calendar year .

In an exceptionally well-played final of the Amateur at the Country Club of Fairfax , McKnight defeated J . P . Leigh , another member of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame , 3 and 2 in the 36-hole championship match . Featuring two of the most consistent ball-strikers to ever play in Virginia , McKnight — who was always a superb putter with a deft touch — holed “ just a few more putts ” than Leigh to win his second consecutive Amateur title .

The 13th hole at the Country Club of Fairfax is a picturesque , medium-length par-3 that plays downhill to a green , fronted by a rocky creek and flanked by two deep bunkers , all surrounded by heavy rough . Played against a grand backdrop of palatial homes and scenic hardwoods , the 13th requires an accurate mid-iron from the championship tee to reach the green .

While the putting surface is reasonably flat , subtle slopes and a strategic shoulder in the right center of the green make an accurate approach crucial to avoid a potential three-putt and set up a birdie opportunity on this outstanding hole .

Few know that the McKnight slam almost didn ’ t happen . Tom was ascending into a 15-year period of peak performance in elite amateur events and national championships , and he was so consumed with competition preparation that he almost missed the deadline to register for the VSGA Mid-Amateur , the final event in the slam .

In that remarkable stretch , McKnight won the Eastern Amateur three times and was a member of the victorious Virginia team in the inaugural USGA State Team Championship in 1995 . As runner-up in the 1999 U . S . Amateur , he earned invitations to the Masters and the U . S . Open — he made the cut in both events — and was honored for his outstanding play by being named to the 1999 Walker Cup team .

As McKnight focused on high-level competitions , he nearly let the State Mid entry deadline slip past his radar . But luckily , with just two days to spare , his wife Vida reminded him to register so that he ’ d have the opportunity to achieve something that had never been done before — or since .

Vida was Tom ’ s strongest supporter , and a year prior , she penned one of the most prophetic lines in the history of Virginia

Black : 186 yards

Blue : 164 yards

YARDAGES

Gold : 104 yards

White : 141 yards

Green : 122 yards

golf . The VSGA Amateur was held at the Country Club of Petersburg , where Tom posted two solid qualifying scores and then marched through the field to claim his first individual VSGA title . After an impressive first-round victory , a contestant asked Executive Director Wallace McDowell , “ Who is this McKnight fellow ?”

Vida overheard this and replied , “ Just stick around until the end of the week , and you will find out !” Today , every Virginia golfer knows who Tom McKnight is .

A six-time VSGA Player of the Year , David Partridge was elected to the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame in 2020 . He lives in the Richmond area and works as a mortgage banker serving clients throughout Virginia .