Tournament Recaps Victories and Highlights
Recapping the final tournaments of the VSGA championship season
CHRIS LANG ( 2 )
79th Captain ’ s Putter Matches Winner : Virginias def . Carolinas 27-21 Site : Bayville Golf Club The story : Trailing by five heading into Saturday singles , the Virginias team needed 15 out of 24 singles points to bring the Captain ’ s Putter back north for the first time since 2020 . The Virginias exceeded that total , gathering a whopping 17.5 singles points — including 16 wins — to secure the comeback victory . Overall series : Carolinas lead 53-24-2 Quoting : “ Today was something pretty spectacular , especially as it all came together in the last 60-90 minutes , when you felt the wave of that scoreboard , and it was a lot of blue ( team Virginias ).” – Virginias playing captain Jordan Utley . The number : 7 — Number of times Carolinas ’ legend Paul Simson has gone a perfect 3-0 in the Captain ’ s Putter , an event record . He went 3-0 again this year , as did teammate Lee Porter . West Virginia ’ s Pat Carter and Ian Patrick went 3-0 for the Virginias .
48th VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship Winner : Jordan Utley ( 70-68-66 — 204 )
Site : Country Club of Petersburg The story : Utley , who has racked up multiple runner-up finishes in the biggest VSGA championships , birdied three of the last four holes in the final round to hold off a furious charge from Scott Shingler — who birdied six of his last seven holes and finished two strokes back . Career VSGA titles : 1 Quoting : “ Cathartic is a good way to put it . There has been a lot of — I wouldn ’ t call it scar tissue — but close calls . It wasn ’ t a terribly emotional release , but it was relief . A good kind of relief . I was super calm over the last few holes and I just let things happen . It was good to see that putt fall in .” – Utley on his fist pump after clinching the win with a birdie putt on 18 . The number : 5 — Runner-up finishes combined for Utley in the VSGA Amateur and VSGA Mid-Amateur prior to this victory .
19th Senior Open of Virginia Winner : Rick Schuller , PGA ( 72- 67 — 139 ) Site : Willow Oaks Country Club
The story : Schuller posted a bonkers final round , one that included a stretch between holes 7-12 featuring two eagles and three birdies followed by a double bogey on 13 . He played the rest of his round at even par and fended off Jim Estes and amateur Scott Shingler by a stroke . Career VSGA titles : 4 Quoting : “ With the players we have in the
Jordan Utley ABOVE : The winning Virginias team at the Captain ' s Putter
vsga . org N OVEMBER / D ECEMBER 2024 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 7