Around The Commonwealth
Mike Krulich, left, and Pete DeTemple.
34th VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship
Williamsburg Golf Club, Williamsburg | May 24
Pete DeTemple( Old Hickory GC) checked his smartphone midway through the second round to peek at the online leaderboard. So DeTemple knew he and partner Mike Krulich( Ballyhack GC) needed to go low if they wanted to win. DeTemple closed the round with three straight birdies, and the 11-under 133 held up as the winning score during a marathon day on a soggy course.
Heavy rain forced the postponement of the first round, meaning golfers played 36 holes on the tournament’ s second day. DeTemple won his first VSGA title. Previously, Krulich was on the winning side along with Charles Green III at the 1994 VSGA Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship.
QUICK FACTS:
Field and format: Six qualifying sites and exemptions produced a field of 48 sides.
First-round leaders: Jack Allara II and Jon Zampedro( 65)
It was over when: DeTemple stuffed his approach with a gap wedge on No. 18 within six feet, leading to an easy birdie and the victory.
Quotable:“ I knew we were at 7( under). Then we got to 8 when we birdied the par 5. I was like,‘ OK, we need more.’ I didn’ t think we’ d go boom, boom.”— DeTemple.
2nd U. S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship
Winged Foot GC, Mamaroneck, N. Y. May 21-25 Format: Stroke-play qualifying, with the top 32 sides advancing to match play
Brandon Cigna, a VSGA member at Laurel Hill GC and three-time Big Ten champion while at Michigan State, teamed with Maryland resident Ben Warnquist to reach the championship match, where they fell 3 and 2 to Southern Methodist University teammates Benjamin Baxter and Andrew Buchanan, who also eliminated VSGA members Scott Shingler and Justin Young in the round of 16. Adam Horton and Tyler Gulliksen( Elizabeth Manor G & CC) also qualified for the event but failed to reach match play.
Quotable:“ This, for me, has been one of the great highlights of my golf career. Working for a living, we’ re more of just weekend golfers, but our games gelled really well together and we knew we had a chance to compete with anyone. I’ m really proud of how well we did.”— Cigna
Brandon Cigna.
2nd U. S. Women’ s Amateur Four-Ball Championship
Streamsong Resort, Streamsong, Fla. | May 21-25 Format: Stroke-play qualifying, with the top 32 sides advancing to match play
Lauren Greenlief, left, and Alex Austin.
Alex Austin( Springfield G & CC) and Lauren Greenlief( International CC) survived a playoff to reach match play, then ripped off three straight wins before falling to Texas teenagers Hailee Cooper and Kaitlyn Papp 4 and 3 in the semifinals. Cooper and Papp went on to win the championship.
The positive for Austin and Greenlief: Should they remain together as a side for next year’ s championship in Myrtle Beach, they’ re exempt from qualifying.
Quotable:“ I’ ve known Alex for a really long time. It was a natural choice, and Alex played really solid golf last year, so it was a natural pairing.”— Greenlief.
vsga. org J ULY / A UGUST 2016 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 9