at c ( )
Thanks For The Memories
The Delta Dental State Open of Virginia completes a
seven-year run at Roanoke’s Ballyhack Golf Club
by CHRIS LANG
The par-3 17th at Ballyhack Golf Club.
THERE’S NO DENYING THE BEAUTY
OF ROANOKE’S BALLYHACK GOLF
CLUB. Stand near the sixth tee, and
you can survey nearly the entire front
nine of Lester George’s wide-open
design, all while taking in the sweeping
vistas of the surrounding Blue
Ridge Mountains. For the seventh and
final time this July, Virginia’s top amateurs
and professionals will descend
upon Ballyhack in pursuit of the
Farmington Cup.
The Delta Dental State Open of Virginia
(July 16-18) will depart Ballyhack
for parts unknown in 2021. Before saying
goodbye, it’s worth looking at five
moments that defined the State Open
at Ballyhack, in no particular order.
THE SURPRISE PLAYOFF
Four-time State Open champion Jay
Woodson was so far off the radar that he
had not even spoken to the media during
the event’s first two days after shooting
73-70 in 2016. He went out early on Saturday
for his final round, shot an anonymous
65 and sat in the clubhouse and waited,
thinking maybe, just maybe, it would be
enough to get him into a playoff. Defending
champion Lanto Griffin struggled to a finalround
71, and Mark Lawrence Jr. finished
with a final-round 73, and suddenly, Woodson
found himself in a three-way playoff.
Lawrence was eliminated on the first playoff
hole, leaving Woodson and Griffin to
battle it out on the second trip down No. 18.
Woodson made birdie, and Griffin made par,
sealing Woodson’s fourth and most unlikely
State Open win.
Lanto Griffin won the Delta Dental State
Open of Virginia in 2015. Four years later,
he won on the PGA Tour.
CHRIS LANG; VSGA ARCHIVES
8 V IRGINIA G OLFER | J ULY/A UGUST 2020
vsga.org