Virginia Golfer Sep / Oct 2021 | Page 10

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by CHRIS LANG

DiNunzio ’ s Steady Surge

Women ' s Amateur Champion 2021

PIECE BY PIECE , Becca DiNunzio has steadily added to her sterling golf resume over the last few years . In 2019 , the Virginia Beach resident closed her junior career by winning the VSGA Junior Girls ' Championship at Broad Bay Country Club . A year later at rainy Kingsmill Resort , she notched her first VSGA Women ’ s Stroke Play title , edging her Virginia Tech teammate — Emily Mahar — in a playoff .

Becca DiNunzio became the first Virginia Tech player to win the VSGA Women ' s Amateur .
In July at Evergreen Country Club , she finished the job she had started two years prior when she was stroke-play medalist at the VSGA Women ’ s Amateur . She won four matches with relative ease and topped Burke ’ s Alexandra Austin 4 and 3 to win the 96th playing of the Women ’ s Amateur .
“ It means a lot , because any time I get to play in a VSGA event , I have so much fun ,” DiNunzio said . “ I know all of the girls that I ’ m competing against , and I look up to the girls who have won it in years past . To be able to say that I ’ ve won that title too , it ’ s a big honor .”
DiNunzio joined a short list of players who have captured a Junior Girls ’, a Women ’ s Stroke Play , and a Women ’ s Amateur title . The others : Amanda Steinhagen , Lee Shirley , Donna Andrews , and Kandi Kessler Comer . The latter two players are in the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame .
DiNunzio ( Virginia Beach National GC ) was
simply unbeatable at Evergreen . In the qualifying round , she tied the competitive course record from the set of tees being played by firing a 7-under 65 . Her ball striking was the star of the show , leading to many makeable birdie putts . She rarely found herself in trouble . Her closest match was a 2-and-1 win over fellow Virginia Beach resident Emma Landis in the quarterfinals .
DiNunzio has not only ascended on the Virginia stage , but on the national scene as well . She ’ s twice finished as runner-up in the prestigious Donna Andrews Invitational at Boonsboro Country Club , and she reached match play at the North and South Women ’ s Amateur in 2020 . In 2021 , she also played a huge role in leading Virginia Tech to the NCAA Women ’ s Golf Championship for the first time .
In turn , those experiences have helped her grow as a player .
“ College golf , it really tests you ,” she said . “ I ’ ve had a lot of really good learning experiences , especially my freshman year , and then my sophomore year , being able to get into higher level tournaments with the team helped . The team just really held me to a higher standard . It ’ s competitive , and it ’ s just made me a better player .”
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8 V IRGINIA G OLFER | S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2021 vsga . org