CHRIS LANG ( 2 ) |
S ince its return to Independence Golf Club in 2021 , the State Open of Virginia has proven time and again to be an exciting affair .
Connor Burgess ’ onestroke victory over amateur Ryan Shim last July marked the third straight time the State Open had been decided by a single shot . Independence ’ s 18th hole is not the hardest on the golf course — a wide , receptive landing area
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leaves plenty of fair approaches that can lead to birdie opportunities . But trouble lurks , with trees and a penalty on the right , and a yawning bunker on the left side of the fairway .
When Justin LaRue came to the 18th tee in Sunday ’ s final round in 2023 at 10-under-par , he knew he could win the championship with a birdie and — at worst — force a playoff with Burgess with a par . But a wayward drive ended up in the penalty area , meaning he needed to
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get up and down from nearly 200 yards out to tie Burgess . LaRue made double bogey , and the title went to Burgess , who watched from the terrace above the 18th green . Shim and LaRue are both in the field in 2024 .
The victory proved to be transformative for Burgess , who rode that momentum to an eventual Q School second-stage
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