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WILLIAMSBURG — At one point during the first round of the 12th Senior Open of Virginia, David Schmidt took a wrong turn, lost his playing partners and couldn’t find his way to the 7th tee.
He had no such problem finding his way to the top of the leaderboard.
Schmidt (Wytheville CC), was one of two southwest Virginians to post 3-under-par 69 on a dazzling Thursday at Two Rivers Country Club. Schmidt and rookie senior Buck Brittain (The Virginian GC) hold a one-shot lead over reigning VSGA Senior Amateur champion Rich Buckner (Robert Trent Jones GC) heading into Friday’s second and final round.
Those three amateurs will comprise the final grouping Friday, which will tee off No. 1 at 9:57 a.m. But a pack of talented professionals are hot on their heels. Defending champion Ricky Touma was one of six players to shoot a 1-under 71, two shots back of the lead.
Four other professionals returned 71: Brendan McGrath, Jon Corliss, Rick Schuller and Dick Mast. Joining them at 1 under is amateur Mike Howell (International CC). McGrath and Schuller both participated in the Senior PGA Championship in May. Mast, who lives in Forest, has made more than 180 starts on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. Corliss, like Schuller, is a past champion of this event.
The group at 72 includes past champions Tim Lewis, Dave Pulk (Two Rivers CC) and David Partridge (Hermitage CC). Chip Sullivan, a four-time State Open of Virginia runner-up who recently returned to Virginia after a stint in Mississippi, also shot 72.
The Senior Open of Virginia is conducted jointly by the VSGA and the Middle Atlantic PGA.
Schmidt’s most impressive accomplishment this year came in June when he qualified for the U.S. Senior Open at The Homestead’s Cascades Course. Like Two Rivers, he played that qualifier without the benefit of a practice round. The lack of local knowledge didn’t seem to hurt him either day.
“I don’t know. I just seemed to keep it in play,” Schmidt said. “It worked out pretty good.”
Schmidt stumbled at No. 14, making a double bogey. But he rallied nicely by making birdies on three of his last four holes, capping his round by chasing in an uphill 25 footer on 18 to finish at 3 under.
Qualifying for the U.S. Senior Open gained Schmidt an exemption into this week’s championship. He called his U.S. Senior Open experience unforgettable, and he’s carried that play into the rest of his season.
“That was unreal, I had a great experience up there,” Schmidt said. “It was a dream come true for me. It was fantastic.”
Brittain played spectacular golf for much of Thursday, getting it to 5 under after a birdie on 14. That hot start included a fairway bunker hole-out for an eagle from 158 yards away on No. 12.
“That was one of the holes I didn’t get to play yesterday (in the practice round) because of the rain,” Brittain said. “I pushed my tee shot, and I didn’t know if I would get in that bunker or not. I’d love to say I was trying to make it, but I was just trying to hit it solid. I got the right kick when it hit the green and it went in.”
Brittain bogeyed 16 and 17 to fall back to 3 under but put himself in excellent position to challenge for his first title in a VSGA sponsored championship.
Buckner, who captured his first VSGA title a month ago in the Senior Amateur at Keswick, shook off an ugly start to his round Thursday, a double-bogey on the par-4 1st. He quickly settled in and played bogey free the rest of the way, making four birdies to get within striking distance of the lead.
After his victory at Keswick, he spoke of his affinity for match play because a disastrous hole isn’t necessarily a round ender. You move on and try to win the next one. He understands there’s a different approach to be had in stroke play, especially with a packed leaderboard.
“You just have to go out and play,” Buckner said. “In this one, you look at the scores, and they’re all bunched. You start playing match play with the people you’re playing with, there’s a chance you’ll get lapped.”
Maryland professional Marty Johnson is tied for 17th after the first round, but he provided one of the day’s highlights when he aced the par-3 7th hole.
Chris Lang is the Editor of Virginia Golfer Magazine and Manager, Digital Media for the VSGA.