Around The Commonwealth
LEFT : Nick Taliaferro and Andrew Kennedy . RIGHT : Keith Decker
MEN ’ S SENIOR EVENTS 15 TH SENIOR OPEN OF VIRGINIA Winner : Matt Sughrue ( 70-68 — 138 ) The story : Back in action this year after an elbow-tendon injury nearly ended his golf career , Sughrue used a back-nine surge in the second round at Independence Golf Club to finish three shots clear of runners-up Jon Hurst and Buck Brittain and claim his second VSGA title . He was also part of the winning side at the VSGA Four-Ball Championship in 2019 . Sughrue punctuated his victory by slamming home a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole .
“ It might be the pinnacle of my golf career , in terms of victories ,” Sughrue said . “ This is a storied championship . Some great players have won this thing . It ’ s on a great championship course in good condition , and it played hard . So I feel very proud to have shot that score . Very proud .”
“ It ’ s much more grueling to get through the Am than the Senior Open because it ’ s so many days ,” Brittain said . “ I ’ m pretty psyched at the moment . It ’ s way up there for me .”
5 TH VSGA MID-SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Winner : Keith Decker ( def . Kent Erdahl 4 and 3 in final ) The story : Decker claimed his 31st VSGA championship , adding another title to his growing all-time wins total . Decker was participating in the championship for players 60 and older for the first time . “ It never gets old ,” he said of winning . “ Never . In fact , it gets better .”
26 TH VSGA SUPER SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Winners : Jeff Flax ( 65 +), John Cuomo ( 70 +), George Owens ( 75 +)
The story : The Super Senior Amateur produced two repeat winners ( Cuomo and Owens ) and a first-time VSGA champion in Flax , who won with stellar back-nine play , taking the final four holes to defeat Harry Thomas 4 and 2 . Cuomo and Owens also own past victories in the 65 + age division , meaning this was the third title in the event for both .
35 TH VSGA SUPER SENIOR STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP Winners : Jack Allara ( 65 +), Terry Towler ( 70 +), Harry Lea ( 75 +) The story : Allara survived challenges from David Partridge and Tim Vigotsky to win his division at Danville GC by one shot . Towler earned a two-stroke victory in his division . Playing on his home course , Lea won the 75 + title in a seven-stroke runaway .
CHRIS LANG ( 2 ); BEN SMITH , MAPGA ( SUGHRUE )
73 RD VSGA SENIOR AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP Winner : Buck Brittain ( def . Bowen Sargent 2 and 1 in final ) The story : Brittain joins Keith Decker and David Partridge as the only players to win the VSGA Senior Amateur , VSGA Mid-Amateur and Senior Open of Virginia titles . He clinched the final match against Sargent , the University of Virginia men ’ s golf coach , by nailing a nervy 7-foot par comebacker on No . 17 at Westwood Country Club .
Matt Sughrue
vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2020 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 9