RICHMOND — Martinsville’s Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) added to his already impressive record by claiming his 33rd Virginia State Golf Association Championship on Tuesday at Meadowbrook Country Club, winning the 7th VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur Championship. He was joined by three winners in the 28th VSGA Super Senior Amateur: 65+ winner Jack Allara (Hidden Valley CC), 70+ winner Van McCarter (Blue Hills GC), and 75+ winner Walter Anderson (Farmington CC).
MID-SENIOR AMATEUR: Decker kept a unique opportunity alive when it comes to this event, which is for players ages 60-64. He has won in each of the three years he has been eligible to compete, meaning he’ll have the chance to win in all five years he’s eligible should he claim the next two titles.
The VSGA’s winningest all-time player and Virginia Golf Hall of Famer never played past the 16th hole in four rounds of match play, though he had to fight to work his way past upstart Tom Mathews, a member at Independence Golf Club.
Mathews won the first hole with a birdie and took another 1-up lead with a birdie on the par-5 4th. Decker tied the match with a birdie on No. 6, then won the next two holes to take a 2-up lead. Wins on Nos. 14 and 15 gave him the separation he needed to close out the victory.
Road to the championship: R16, d. Dave Spencer 5&3; QF, d. Bob Bailey 3&2; SF, d. Lynn Jones 3&2; F, d. Tom Mathews 3&2.
Stroke-play medalist: Decker (69, -2)
SUPER SENIOR AM 65+: Allara missed much of the season while rehabbing from a foot injury, and he admitted he wasn’t close to 100 percent in sweeping through four players to win his second straight championship in the 65+ division. Included was a win over Kevin MacMillan in the quarterfinals in a rematch of last year’s title match at Spotswood.
Allara snuck into match play after posting a 78 in Sunday’s stroke-play qualifying, but his experience in this event showed as the tournament rolled along. He found himself in trouble in the final against Steve Williams (Eaglewood GC). Williams was 2 up through five holes before Allara won the next five holes to take a commanding 3-up lead. Allara closed out the win when both players made birdie on the par-5 15th.
Road to the championship: R16, d. John Steele, 2&1; QF, d. Kevin MacMillan 4&3; SF, d. Jeff Hudgins 1up; F, d. Steve Williams 4&3.
Stroke-play medalist: Dave Pulk (71, E)
SUPER SENIOR AM 70+: McCarter won both VSGA Super Senior 70+ championships he entered, as he won the Super Senior Stroke Play title back in June at Lake Chesdin GC. He competed in the 65+ division at the Super Senior Four-Ball. McCarter survived a tough match with Slater on Monday afternoon to advance to Tuesday’s two-match marathon, making a downhill birdie putt on the 19th hole.
In the semifinals against stroke-play medalist Lynn Wessman, McCarter won a back-and-forth match, taking the lead for good with a par on 14 and closing it out with a birdie on 17. In the final against Ancel, McCarter held a 5-up lead with five to play and survived a furious rally, as Ancel won the next four holes to force the match to 18. McCarter made par there to secure the win.
Road to the championship: QF, d. Dayton Slater 19 holes; SF, d. Lynn Wessman, 2&1; F, d. Mike Ancel 2up.
Stroke-play medalist: Wessman (74, +3)
SUPER SENIOR AM 75+: Anderson defeated longtime friend Joe Cochran, using steady play early to build a 5-up lead after seven holes. His swing got a little loose after that, and Cochran jumped on the opening, cutting the lead to 2-up by the 12th hole. Anderson used a key up-and-down from the bunker on 14 for par to push the lead back to 3-up, and he closed out the match by hitting a perfect iron shot into 16 green and nailing the birdie putt to win in style.
Road to the championship: QF, d. Jordan Ball 20 holes; SF, d. Jim Malone 3&2; F, d. Joe Cochran 3&2.
Stroke-play medalist: Jim Malone and George Owens (75, +4)
FUN FACTS
- Anderson will soon turn 83. He was runner-up in the 2008 VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship.
- The VSGA moved to three age divisions for the Super Senior Stroke Play in 2020. McCarter became the first player to win his age division in both the Super Senior Stroke Play and Super Senior Amateur in the same year.
- The finalists from last year’s 75+ division (winner John Casstevens and finalist George Owens) both lost in the quarterfinals this year. Those two have won the last two 75+ VSGA Super Senior Four-Ball titles.
- Allara became the first player to repeat as champion in the 65+ division since this event went to three age divisions in 2009. The last player in the single-age division format to repeat was Bill Shrader in 2003-04. Repeats have happened in each of the other two age divisions since the split.
- This marked the first year since 2012 that none of the stroke-play qualifying medalists won their respective age divisions. Seeds of the Super Senior winners were 15 (Allara), 4 (McCarter), and 5 (Anderson).
- Decker’s three victories in the Mid-Senior Amateur have come by counts of 4&3 (twice) and 3&2.