Taming Ballyhack
The Delta Dental
State Open of Virginia
Josh Speight, the assistant PGA professional at Indian Creek Yacht
& Country Club, will participate in the State Open for the first
time since 2014, when he finished in a tie for 30th during the
competition’s first year at Ballyhack. Two summers ago,
Speight participated in the PGA Championship at Baltusrol
in New Jersey.
As of early June, Speight’s competition schedule had
been limited, though he tied for fourth in the 2018 MAPGA
Southern Chapter Professional Championship in his first
start of the year. In June, he competed in the 51st PGA
Professional Championship in California.
Speight isn’t the only solid professional potentially
returning to Ballyhack. Mikey Moyers, who hasn’t participated
in the State Open since 2014, said in May that he planned to try to
qualify for the championship. After spending a year on the Web.
com Tour and then taking some time away from the game, Moyers
returned to competitive golf by securing medalist honors at a U.S.
Open local qualifier at Farmington Country Club.
If Moyers is indeed in the field, he’ll be joined by his
cousin, four-time State Open champion Jay Woodson,
who missed last year’s event while competing in Canada
on the PGA’s Mackenzie Tour. Woodson has won two of
the four Opens at Ballyhack and has to be considered in
the mix anytime he’s in the field.
Another professional to watch is the defending cham-
pion, Ryan Zylstra, the PGA associate professional at The
Federal Club in Glen Allen. The highlight of a wildly success-
ful 2017 for Zylstra was his three-stroke victory at Ballyhack,
where he posted a 6-under 66 in Saturday’s final round to surge
up the leaderboard.
JOSH
SPEIGHT
JAY
WOODSON
THE AMATEUR SIDE
For a brief stretch, the amateurs had their way at the State Open.
From 2008–11, amateurs claimed three of the four titles, two by
Roger Newsom and one by Evan Beck. While there have been
some tight finishes in regards to who would claim low-am
honors, only once since Newsom’s 2011 title has an amateur
finished closer than three shots out of the lead. (Lawrence’s
appearance in the 2016 playoff with Griffin and Woodson.)
Lawrence and Brennan again headline the amateurs
in the field, though there are some dark horses who could
make a run at the title at Ballyhack. Brenton Flynn (Hidden
Creek CC) reached match play at last year’s U.S. Mid-Amateur
Championship. Erik Dulik (Reston National GC) just completed
his final season at the University of Louisville and has played well
at Ballyhack in the past.
Among the younger players, Connor Johnson Jr. (CC of Virgin-
ia) won the Scott Robertson Memorial and has taken his game
up a notch in 2018. Kurtis Grant (Army Navy CC) is on his
way to West Virginia University, and Christopher Zhang
(Blacksburg CC) is one of the state’s up-and-coming
juniors. Other college players to watch include Yale’s
Teddy Zinsner (Belle Haven CC), who won last year’s
VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship and the Uni-
versity of Virginia’s Connor Messick (International CC).
Also, past champion Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) will
look to make another run, as will Ballyhack member Justin
Young, who was the low amateur in 2015.
RYAN
ZYLSTRA
MARK
LAWRENCE JR.
20
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | J U LY / A U G U ST 2 0 1 8
THE BENEFICIARY
The Delta Dental State Open of Virginia
once again will benefit The First Tee of
the Roanoke Valley. In the four years the
tournament has been held at Ballyhack,
the State Open has raised more than
$40,000 for The First Tee, boosted by
contributions from corporate and
individual sponsors.
TRENDS
The State Open’s move to
Ballyhack coincided with cutting the
tournament from 72 to 54 holes. The
lowest winning score since the move to
Ballyhack was Griffin’s 204 in 2015, which
left him six shots ahead of his nearest
competitor. The highest winning score
since the move to Ballyhack was 208,
the number Woodson posted in both
of his victories. No player has recorded
three rounds in the 60s since the event
moved from Independence to Ballyhack.
Low-round honors belong to Brennan and
professional Steven Delmar, who have
each returned a round of 64 at Ballyhack.
HOW TO WATCH
Admission to the Delta Dental State
Open of Virginia is free of charge, and
spectators are encouraged to attend.
Ballyhack is a short drive away from
downtown Roanoke and parking is avail-
able just off site. For more information,
visit stateopenofvirginia.com.
vsga.org
NEW AND FAMILIAR FACES