MIDLOTHIAN — The Virginias roster for the 71st Captain’s Putter Matches, which will be played Oct. 14-15 at Kinloch Golf Club in Manakin-Sabot, has been set and features two past USGA individual champions and a number of Virginia State Golf Association and West Virginia Golf Association champions.
The Captain’s Putter is an annual set of matches pitting top golfers from the VSGA and WVGA against top players from the Carolinas Golf Association (North and South Carolina). The Carolinas won last year’s event in Winston-Salem, N.C., and leads the all-time series 47-21-1.
Twenty-seven time VSGA champion Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) is among the 14 regulars on the Virginias roster, which also features eight seniors and two super seniors. Other event champions from 2016 on the roster include Kyle Bailey (Roanoke CC, VSGA Four-Ball Stroke Play); Matt Chandler (Hunting Hills CC, VSGA Mid-Amateur); Sam O’Dell (Hurricane, W. Va.; West Virginia Mid-Amateur); Charles Green III (The Virginian GC, VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play); and Mike Krulich (Ballyhack GC, VSGA Senior Four-Ball, VSGA Senior Stroke Play).
In addition, past USGA champions Vinny Giles (Kinloch GC) and Pat Tallent (Westwood CC) are on the team, as is 2016 USGA Senior Amateur finalist Matthew Sughrue (1757 GC).
Team captains are Giles, West Virginia’s Harold Payne and Gib Palmer, the immediate past VSGA president.
The complete team:
REGULARS
- Bailey: Teamed with Harold Dill III (South Riding GC) to win 51st VSGA Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship. … No. 8 in VSGA Player Rankings.
- Buck Brittain (The Virginian GC): No. 5 in VSGA Player Rankings. … Reached match play at VSGA Amateur. … Won 2016 Cannon Cup.
- Carter: 6th at West Virginia Amateur. … Tied for 8th at West Virginia Open. … Part of West Virginia roster at USGA State Team Championship.
- Chandler: Won third VSGA Mid-Amateur in last five years in September. … Member of winning team at Virginia-West Virginia Matches.
- Decker: Won third VSGA Senior Amateur title in August. … No. 4 in VSGA Player Rankings and No. 2 in VSGA Senior Player Rankings. … Part of Virginia roster at USGA State Team Championship.
- Adam Horton (Elizabeth Manor G&CC): Finished third at VSGA Mid-Amateur and qualified for U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship for the second straight year.
- Jon Hurst (Fredericksburg CC): Two-time VSGA Mid-Amateur champion.
- Jeffrey Long (Evergreen CC): Teamed with Horton to earn spot in 2017 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … No. 12 in VSGA Player Rankings. … Tied for fourth at VSGA Mid-Amateur and tied for 27th at Delta Dental State Open of Virginia. … Won 2016 Northern Virginia Amateur.
- Vincent Nadeau (Spring Creek GC): Runner-up at VSGA Mid-Amateur. … Member of winning team at Virginia-West Virginia Matches. … Won 2016 The Signature at The Federal Club and was on winning side at 2016 Hidden Valley Four-Ball Invitational.
- O’Dell: Won West Virginia Mid-Amateur, tied for third at West Virginia Open and tied for fourth at West Virginia Amateur. … Part of West Virginia roster at USGA State Team Championship.
- Phillip Reale (Charleston, W. ): Part of West Virginia roster at USGA State Team Championship. … Runner-up at West Virginia Amateur and tied for 6th at West Virginia Open.
- Scott Shingler (Evergreen CC): 1 in VSGA Player Rankings. … Part of Virginia roster at USGA State Team Championship. … Runner-up at VSGA Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship. … Participated in 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … Tied for 10th at Delta Dental State Open of Virginia.
- Tad Tomblin (Alum Creek W. ): Runner-up at both the West Virginia Mid-Amateur and West Virginia Open.
- Justin Young (Ballyhack GC): 2 in VSGA Player Rankings. … Teamed with Shingler for runner-up finish at VSGA Four-Ball Stroke Play and at 2016 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball. … Quarterfinalist at VSGA Amateur Championship. … Part of Virginia roster at USGA State Team Championship.
SENIORS
- James Gallagher (Tidewater Amateur GC): Past champion of VSGA Senior Stroke Play Championship. … Qualified for U.S. Mid-Amateur and U.S. Senior Amateur championships. … Runner-up at Canadian Senior Amateur.
- Krulich: 2 in VSGA Senior Player rankings. … Teamed with Pete DeTemple to win VSGA Senior Four-Ball and beat DeTemple in a playoff to win VSGA Senior Stroke Play.
- Rick Moore (Spencer, W. ): Tied for fifth at West Virginia Senior Open. … Fourth at West Virginia Senior Four-Ball.
- Payne: Finalist at West Virginia Senior Amateur. … Tied for second at West Virginia Senior Four-Ball.
- Dave Pulk (Two Rivers CC): Won 2015 Senior Open of Virginia and was runner-up in 2016. … Semifinalist at 2016 VSGA Senior Amateur.
- Leon Roday (Kinloch GC): 4 in VSGA Senior Player rankings. … Semifinalist at VSGA Senior Amateur. … Won 2016 Cannon Cup Senior and 2016 Faulconer Invitational Senior.
- Sughrue: 6 in VSGA Senior Player rankings. … In addition to appearance in U.S. Senior Amateur championship match, won the 2016 Middle Atlantic Senior Amateur.
- Tallent: Past U.S. Senior Amateur, British Senior Amateur and VSGA Amateur champion.
SUPER SENIORS
- Giles: Past U.S. Amateur, U.S. Senior Amateur, VSGA Amateur, Virginia Open and British Amateur champion. … Playing captain for winning U.S. team at Concession Cup in April. … Inductee of the Inaugural Class of the Virginia Golf Hall of Fame.
- Green: Won 2016 VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play title. … No. 1 in VSGA Super Senior Player rankings. … Won 2016 Bay Creek Amateur Super Senior and 2016 Southwest Virginia Open Super Senior titles.