Summer Rewind ( cont .)
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Summer Rewind ( cont .)
Lauren Greenlief
92nd VSGA Women ’ s Amateur Championship
Laurel Hill Golf Club , Lorton | July 10 – 13 Lauren Greenlief ’ s list of amateur golf accomplishments is long . The former University of Virginia standout won a USGA title in 2015 at the U . S . Women ’ s Mid-Amateur . She has three VSGA Women ’ s Stroke Play titles to her credit . But there was one box on her resumé left to be checked : A win in the VSGA Women ’ s Amateur .
After a 3-and-2 victory over Caroline Curtis ( Hermitage CC ) at Laurel Hill Golf Club , Greenlief ( International CC ) finally earned the elusive championship in her fourth appearance in the final . Relief ?
“ It ’ s a goal that I ’ ve been working toward for , I guess , a decade now ,” she said . “ To kind of check it off the bucket list of my golf resumé , it feels like a huge weight has been lifted . To go to the finals three times and come out of it without the trophy three times , it kind of beats up on you a little bit .”
Greenlief avenged one of those championship defeats in the semifinals , topping 2015 and 2016 champion Abby Portyrata 5 and 4 with a clinical display of golf . Greenlief was close to flawless in stifling summer heat in Lorton . In her two matches on the final day , she made 10 birdies and just one bogey .
“ I felt like I was really dialed in ,” Greenlief said . “ I don ’ t know if I missed a single green . I felt like I had a birdie putt on every hole . To go out and play that consistent , I feel like I really won the tournament .”
QUICK FACTS :
Field and format : After two rounds of stroke play qualifying , the top 16 advanced to four rounds of match play , culminating with an 18-hole championship match .
Stroke play medalist : Caroline Curtis ( 139 ).
It was over when : Greenlief made birdie on the par-3 14th hole to go 3 up with four to play in the title match with Curtis .
Quotable : “ All of her approach shots , her chipping , her putting , her driving , it was really great . It was a lot of fun to watch , and a lot of fun to play with her .” — Curtis
Delta Dental State Open of Virginia
Ballyhack Golf Club , Roanoke | July 20 – 22
Ryan Zylstra , who spent much of his time after graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University chasing his dream of being a touring professional , made a decision early in 2017 to settle down . That ’ ll happen when your wife ’ s pregnancy and impending fatherhood become a priority . So Zylstra began down the road toward becoming a PGA professional , taking a job as an apprentice at the Federal Club in Glen Allen .
He ’ s learning the business side of golf from all angles , but Tim Dale , his boss , gives him plenty of opportunities to play . Zylstra has taken full advantage and has been a force on the Middle Atlantic PGA circuit in 2017 . That success extended to three days at Ballyhack Golf Club , where Zylstra used a sterling final-round 66 to storm from behind to win the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia .
Zylstra , who was born in Canada , posted a threeday 206 to finish three shots clear of the pair who tied for low amateur honors : Ji Soo Park ( 1757 GC ) and Michael Brennan ( River Creek Club ). The new gig not only helped Zylstra spend more time at home with family , but it gave him a sense of perspective when he did play competitive rounds . He described himself as a “ basket case ” on the course in years past .
“ My wife told me , ‘ You need to change your attitude , or you need to find something else to do ,’” Zylstra said . “ I ’ ve made a more conscious effort to be positive , and it ’ s paid huge dividends . I ’ ve won a dozen times the last 18 months or so . I only won once my first 12 years as a professional . It ’ s been nice . I wish I had a really good answer to what ’ s with all the really good play , but I think it ’ s just a mindset .”
Zylstra played a bogey-free , 4-under back nine to take control of the championship . Brennan , a 15-year-old sophomore at Tuscarora High School in Leesburg , led by two strokes entering the final round but after a double bogey on No . 8 , the tournament got away . In the second round , Brennan shot a bogey-free 64 that tied Ballyhack ’ s competitive course record .
“ I thought two rounds in the 70s , making the cut , I would have been happy ,” Brennan said . “ I would have taken 7-under and low-am in a heartbeat . Overall , I ’ m pretty happy with how I played this week . That 64 , that was cool . That was fun .”
CHRIS LANG ( 4 )
8 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2017 vsga . org