Virginia Golfer Sep / Oct 2020 | Page 15

Around The Commonwealth “I’ve gotten to meet and know so many people that I’ll be friends with forever, it’s been an honor to compete and represent the VSGA in team matches.” —Mark Lawrence Jr. • Lawrence was the first player in 35 years to win the Amateur and the State Open in the same year. Tom McKnight was last to do so in 1985. • He became the fourth player to win both titles in the same year. Smith, McKnight and Vinny Giles were the others. • He claimed his seventh VSGA championship, moving him into a tie for 11th on the all-time list. And he accomplished it all in a six-year span that also included two State Open runner-up finishes and another appearance in the Amateur final. It seems inevitable that Lawrence will succeed at some level professionally, but he knows there’s still work to be done on his game to take the next step in his career. “Personally, I’d like to just get more consistent,” Lawrence said. “The one thing I keep working on the most, besides my short game, is just distance control with my approach shots. I think that may be the least appreciated thing. Tiger Woods is the best player ever because he’s the best at distance control. That’s one thing I’ve been trying to work on a lot, learning to maybe take an extra club and swing smooth, just so I can get to where I’m hitting the ball the right distance. Your accuracy is obviously important, but if you get the right distance, you’re typically in a lot better spot.” The short game Lawrence mentioned paid serious dividends at River Bend, especially in key parts of the 36-hole final with the 17-year-old Stanford, who has committed to Virginia Tech. He halved No. 2 in the afternoon match by holing out a delicate, downhill chip. He extended his lead to 3 up on No. 12 by getting out of a greenside bunker and holing a 12-foot birdie putt. “I typically get talked about as a guy who hits it pretty far,” Lawrence said. “But I work on my short game more than I work on anything else, and actually, what I feel is the best part of my game is my chipping. I have a lot of confidence in my wedges around the green, just because I’ve worked at it a lot.” STANFORD’S SURGE Stanford has one year of high school golf remaining at George Marshall before heading to Blacksburg. He burst onto the scene last summer by winning the VSGA Junior Stroke Play title at Winchester Country Club. This year, he finished tied for seventh at the State Open, took eighth at the Junior Stroke Play Championship and won four matches to reach the final at River Bend. On the way, he beat four college players: Virginia Tech’s Drew Brockwell, Liberty’s Isaac Simmons, Yale’s Teddy Zinsner and Christopher Newport’s Alex Price. “It’s just such a confidence builder, because I beat so many good players to get here,” Stanford said. “It’s great to know that I can get compete with them. Especially in this match. Mark got up pretty big early, but I was able to hold on throughout the rest of the match, and I’m proud of myself for that.” MEMORIES MADE After the match, Lawrence took an opportunity to reflect on his career, and some of his favorite memories from playing in VSGA events. THE WINNER’S BAG Putter: Bettinardi Armlock Wedges: Cleveland RTX 4 (46, 50, 56 and 60 degrees) Irons: Srixon Z-Forged (4-9) Hybrid: Nike VR S Covert (21 degrees) 3-Wood: Srixon 15 degree Driver: Callaway Epic Flash Ball: Titleist Pro V1 Results Friday’s Match Play Semifinals: #1 Mark Lawrence Jr. def. #20 Vince Wheeler, 2 and 1. #6 David Stanford def. #31 Alex Price, 5 and 4 Saturday’s 36-Hole Championship Match: #1 Mark Lawrence Jr. def. #6 David Stanford, 3 and 2 “I’ve gotten to meet and know so many people that I’ll be friends with forever,” Lawrence said. “It’s been an honor to compete and represent the VSGA in team matches. Some of those junior team matches were so much fun. There’s a lot of stuff that stands out. It’s just been a blast playing in everything.” David Stanford vsga.org S EPTEMBER/O CTOBER 2020 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 13