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2020 VSGA WOMEN ' S AMATEUR CHAMPION TATUM WALSH P . 7 compiled by CHRIS LANG
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Spotlight on the VSGA Amateurs |
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CHRIS LANG ( 2 )
The two Virginia State Golf Association Amateur championships underwent significant changes in 2020 . The men ’ s championship was forced out of its usual late-June spot on the schedule due to the pandemic , and the field size was reduced . Still , it produced a worthy champion and runner-up , as Virginia Tech ’ s Mark Lawrence Jr . defeated rising star and future Hokie David Stanford in the final match for his second title .
The Women ’ s Amateur , played as scheduled in mid-July , featured a new format with reduced stroke-play qualifying , from 36 holes over two days to 18 holes in one day . The field was young , and for the second straight year , a high-school player claimed the championship : Midlothian ’ s Tatum Walsh .
The Men ’ s Amateur returns to its normal schedule spot ( and field size ) in 2021 , and the Women ’ s Amateur finds a new earlier spot ( July 5-7 ), which gets it away from the prestigious North & South Women ’ s Amateur at Pinehurst . A quick primer of what to expect follows :
108TH VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Site : Country Club of Petersburg Dates : June 28-July 2 Format : Two rounds of stroke-play qualifying ; top 32 advance to match play ; rounds of 32 and 16 on Wednesday ; quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday ; 36-hole championship match on Friday .
David Stanford burst onto the scene in 2020 , finishing in the top 10 at the State Open of Virginia and reaching the final match at the VSGA Amateur . RIGHT : No . 5 at CC of Petersburg .
Defending champion : Mark Lawrence Jr . ( Independence GC ) Exempt players : A number of players were exempt from qualifying , including all past champions , finalists from the last three years , semifinalists from last year , the top five from last year ’ s Mid-Amateur , players in the top 20 of last year ’ s Men ’ s Regular Player Rankings , and more . Exemptions are also available to the two players on the winning side of this year ’ s Four-Ball Championship , this year ’ s Junior Match Play and Senior Stroke Play champions , and the top-ranked eligible player in the Men ’ s Player Rankings as of June 21 , provided he ’ s in the top 30 . Also , any member who advanced to U . S . Open Final Qualifying is exempt from qualifying .
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