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By Arthur Utley
DANVILLE – The final round of 35th Virginia State Golf Association Super Senior Stroke Play Championship at Danville Golf Club featured three different finishes by three age-group champions.
First-round co-leader Jack Allara (Hidden Valley CC) shot a 3-over-par 73 on Thursday for a 36-hole total of 6-over 146 on the par-70 layout to win the 65-over age group by one stroke in a topsy-turvy ending.
In the 70-over age group, Terry Towler (The Manor GC) started the day trailing by a stroke, shot 4-over 74 for an 11-over aggregate of 151 and won by two.
Harry Lea, playing on his home course, shot a second straight 72 and rolled to a seven-stroke victory in the 75-and-over division.
No player broke par either day. Thirteen-time VSGA champion David Partridge (Hermitage CC) was the only player to shoot 70.
65-over division
Partridge, Tim Vigotsky (Robert Trent Jones GC) and first-round co-leader Rick Bendall (Boonsboro CC) tied for second at 7-over 147.
Partridge, who opened with 77, made the move of the day by going 3-under through 15 holes and into the lead in the stretch-run battle with Allara and Vigotsky. A bogey on No. 16 and a double bogey on 17 ended the Partridge rally.
Vigotsky turned in a 3-over 73 Thursday. After a birdie at No. 14, Vigotsky stumbled with bogeys on three of the last four holes. Bendall (73) fell behind after a front-nine double bogey but managed to stay close enough to slip into the tie for second.
“I had a little bit of trouble on 11 and 12 (consecutive bogeys) and fell into a tie, but I hung in there. The course won. I played pretty good coming in, and I knew I had a two-shot lead on 18,” said Allara, who leads the VSGA Super Senior player rankings. “It never gets old winning.
“Going into today I figured David would go low, and Tim has been playing the best golf of anyone 65 in Virginia. I was just playing real solid, got it up and down and I kept track [of what was happening].”
70-over division
First-round co-leaders Dick Blackburn (Belle Haven CC) and Chips Wooddy (Roanoke CC) tied for second behind Towler. Both shot 77 on Thursday and finished 36 holes at 13-over 153.
“I knew after the front side I had come back and at least gotten a stroke or two ahead. I said this is good I just have to keep it going,” Towler said. “Then I made a birdie and a couple of pars and things were going well and then I started grinding a little too much.”
Towler bogeyed five of the last six holes but Blackburn (four bogeys in a row) and Wooddy (three bogeys and a double) could not take advantage.
“I’ve been playing a lot of these tournaments and this is the first time I’ve ever won my division. I’m really elated,” Towler said.
75-over division
Lea (72-72-144) logged a double bogey on the second hole Thursday then played the remaining 16 holes in even par.
Donald Meyer (Reston National) finished second in the division. Meyer returned a 3-over 73 for a two-day total of 151. George Owens (Princess Anne CC) was third (78-153).
Utley is a retired Richmond Times-Dispatch writer and longtime contributor to VSGA championship coverage.