Virginia Golfer Mar / Apr 2018 | Page 9

( ) V IRGINIA G OLFER A R O U N D compiled by CHRIS LANG VSGA'S PAST PREDISDENT GIB PALMER RECEIVES THE JOE DEY AWARD. P.9 T H E COMMON WEALTH » Virginia golf & the people who make it great 7 NEWS & NOTES 10 MEMBER CLUBS 12 THE RULES 14 Q&A U.S. Mid-Amateur Coming to Kinloch K inloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot has long been recognized as one of the nation’s top layouts. In Golf- week’s 2017 top-100 ranking of modern golf courses, the Lester George design came in at No. 16. And in 2020, Kinloch will again find itself in the spotlight for a major amateur championship. The USGA will make its second champi- onship visit to Kinloch in September 2020, as the club will host the 40th U.S. Mid-Am- ateur Championship. The Mid-Amateur features 256 players ages 25 and older with a Handicap Index not exceeding 3.4 bat- tling for the Robert T. Jones Jr. Memorial Trophy. The winner earns an exemption vsga.org into the following year’s U.S. Open and is generally invited to participate in the fol- lowing year’s Masters as well. “We are proud and excited to host one of golf ’s most prestigious amateur com- petitions,” Kinloch general manager Jon- athan Ireland said. “We are thrilled to welcome back the USGA, which always puts on a world-class event. We know Kinloch will present a challenge to test every aspect of the competitors’ games amid an incredible backdrop.” Kinloch will not be alone in staging the event. The two rounds of stroke-play qualify- ing will be split between Kinloch and Midlo- thian’s Independence Golf Club. Players will play one round on each course, and the top 64 players will advance to match play at Kinloch. Independence has hosted a number of VSGA championships, including the State Open of Virginia every year from 2007-13. Kinloch hosted the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship in 2011, as Louis Lee con- verted a 4-foot par putt on No. 18 to edge Philip Pleat 1 up and win the title. The 2020 U.S. Mid-Amateur will be the 21st USGA championship contested in Virginia and the first since Laurel Hill in Lorton hosted the U.S. Public Links Champion- ship in 2013. In 2000, the Homestead’s Cascades Course hosted the only other U.S. Mid-Amateur in Virginia. M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 18 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R 7