NEVER TOO LATE
She has qualified for the U . S . Senior Women ’ s Amateur twice ( 2021 , 2022 ) and the U . S . Women ’ s Mid-Amateur twice ( 2018 , 2021 ). She has advanced to the match-play bracket each time .
“ While my expectations when getting back into golf were to have fun , meet new people and enjoy a game I had loved so much as a kid , I couldn ’ t have imagined how rich and rewarding these past nine years have been in all the experiences I have had and the friends that I now have ,” Miller said .
“ I wanted to meet new people , have fun and enjoy a game that I loved as a kid .”
— Andrea Miller
( Texas A & M ) and saved working on her golf game until later . After graduation , she played in charity events — “ I was sort of the ringer ” — for her workplace .
Her scores were around 80 and competitive soccer was her athletic outlet until she moved to Virginia for her job in 2014 . She is a clean energy asset management executive .
Women often drift away from competitive golf between the ages of 25 and 35 and even older because family , career and children ’ s activities are more important . Miller says she is one of those and has had some regrets that she didn ’ t play again until she turned 44 and made Charlottesville home .
Miller ’ s home course is Glenmore Country Club in Keswick . She drove by it one day after the move , thought it was a beautiful course and took the step to get back into the game . She had no expectations .
“ I wanted to meet new people , have fun and enjoy a game that I loved as a kid ,” Miller said .
She met multiple-time women ’ s club champion Cindy Thompson and set out to compete with her and the other women at Glenmore and “ maybe one day I could give her some competition in the club championship .”
Miller started playing regularly and got her handicap down to a 3 . Glenmore assistant pro Meredith Loosse invited
Miller to play in a MAPGA pro-am at The Homestead in May 2014 . They were the only two women in the field .
She then teamed with Thompson in a VSGA One-Day event on the Old Course and the Cascades Course at The Homestead in October 2014 . Miller finished first on the Old Course . The next day after the round at the Cascades , she met VSGA legend Dot Bolling who told Miller to play in all the VSGA and USGA tournaments and the Virginias-Carolinas team matches .
“ When I competed in my first Virginias-Carolinas team matches that year is where the real foundation of the amazing friendships I have made playing in the VSGA really started ,” Miller said .
Miller has won five VSGA championships : three consecutive Senior Women ’ s Amateurs ( 2020-22 ); the 2022 Senior Women ’ s Stroke Play ( by a record 14 shots ) and the 2016 Women ’ s Four-Ball with Thompson .
✱ GEORGE RIEFLER Senior golf presents opportunity
Tournament week for the 2015 VSGA Senior Amateur at Cavalier Golf and Yacht Club is an unforgettable memory for George Riefler .
Riefler , who was 59 years old and playing in the tournament for the fifth time , had the day of his golfing life .
I saw it all while covering the tournament for the VSGA website .
As the eighth seed , Riefler eliminated 2014 tournament champion Keith Decker in the quarterfinals and 2014 runner-up Mike Caprio in the semifinals .
“ It ’ s obviously the highlight of my career . There ’ s no doubt about that ,” Riefler said then .
Riefler made nine birdies for the day , never trailed in either match and earned his spot in the final against 2011 champion David Partridge . Riefler had an early lead in the championship match , but Partridge won 2 up . The week validated Riefler ’ s game . “ There are times where my game is good enough to compete at this level . I play with a lot of these guys , and I feel like I can play with them if I can just get my game to that level at the right time ,” he said .
Decker and Partridge are now members of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame .
Before giving VSGA events a try , Riefler played in local tournaments conducted by the Hampton Golf Association and the Sleepy Hole Golf Association . Sleepy Hole is his home course .
When he turned 55 ( senior status , which has since been lowered to age 50 ) he entered the 2011 Senior Amateur . He qualified for match play but lost his first match .
“ I love the game , but I also love competing and being able to compete . Once you ’ ve had success , you keep wanting to have success .”
— George Riefler
CHRIS LANG
20 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M ARCH / A PRIL 2023
vsga . org