Become a Member
Become a Member
Become a Member
News, Men, Archives, Rules & Competitions, Women

2017 Players Rankings Points Finalized

November 17, 2017

Of the five players that finished atop the various Virginia State Golf Association Player Rankings this season, only one was a repeat winner from 2016: Mimi Hoffman, who topped the senior women’s division.

The conclusion of the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship in Houston this week marked the end of the 2017 player rankings’ season. The players who topped the season-ending points list were as follows (click links for full rankings):

Lawrence Jr., a junior at Virginia Tech, was the top point earner in the men’s regular division by more than 100 points despite competing in just four events. He earned 250 points for his semifinal appearance at the U.S. Amateur Championship and 240 points for winning the 104th VSGA Amateur Championship. He finished fourth at the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia for another 180 points and earned 53 points for a t-9 finish at the Eastern Amateur.

Scott Shingler (Dominion Valley CC) finished second with 612 points. Shingler, who topped the men’s player rankings points in 2016, fared well in the VSGA’s signature events, with a top-10 finish at the State Open and a quarterfinal appearance at the VSGA Amateur. He tied for second at the VSGA Mid-Amateur and the Fox Puss Invitational and finished second at the Middle Atlantic Amateur after losing in a playoff.

A late-season surge that included titles in the Mid-Amateur and Four-Ball Match Play championships helped Justin Young (Ballyhack GC) finish third with 532 points. Teenager Michael Brennan (River Creek Club) was fourth with 450 points, two points more than fifth-place finisher Jimmy Delp (Laurel Hill GC).

Greenlief moved to No. 1 in the women’s player rankings after the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship. She reached the round of 16 at that event, moving her past Alexandra Austin (Springfield G&CC) on the points list. Greenlief won the 92nd VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship in July, her first victory in the event. She also teamed with Austin to reach match play at the U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball Championship and win the VSGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship.

Along with her title at the Women’s Four-Ball, Austin won the Keefer Cup and the Women’s District of Columbia Golf Association Championship. She was a quarterfinalist at the VSGA Women’s Amateur.

Virginia Tech teammates Elizabeth Bose (Sewells Point GC) and Amanda Hollandsworth (Great Oaks CC) finished third and fourth, respectively. Bose (360 points) won the Women’s Eastern Amateur and was a semifinalist at the Women’s Southern Amateur. She reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Women’s Amateur.

Hollandsworth (241 points) won the 40th VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship. Karishma Thiagaraj (Dominion Valley CC), who along with Greenlief and Austin represented the VSGA at the U.S. Women’s State Team Championship, was fifth with 203 points.

In the men’s senior division, Roday finished just ahead of Rich Buckner (Robert Trent Jones GC) in a tightly contested race. Each player competed in 15 player-rankings events. Roday compiled 686 points, Buckner 669. Each player won VSGA titles, with Roday taking the 2nd VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur and Buckner claiming the 70th VSGA Senior Amateur. Roday also won senior division titles at the Fox Puss Invitational, The Signature at The Federal Club, The Faulconer Invitational and Two Rivers Invitational.

Roday was also part of runner-up sides in both the VSGA Senior Four-Ball and VSGA Four-Ball Match Play (senior division) championships.

In addition to Buckner’s Senior Amateur win, he tied for third at the 12th Senior Open of Virginia and was part of the winning side in the senior division at the Willow Oaks Four-Ball. In all, he had 11 top-five finishes in 15 player-rankings events.

Keith Decker (Ballyhack GC) was third with 475 points. He was part of the winning side at the 35th VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship and reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Senior Amateur Championship. Philip Mahone (Farmington CC) finished fourth with 418 points, and Scott Reisenweaver (Salisbury CC) was fifth with 390 points.

McCarter bested fellow Blue Hills member Bill Nunnenkamp for the top spot in the super senior division. McCarter racked up 352 points in nine events. Nunnenkemp had 338 points in 12 events. McCarter finished fourth at the VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship and won the super senior division at the Bay Creek Amateur. He had five other top-five finishes in player rankings events. Nunnenkamp won the super senior division at the Allegheny Amateur and was second in the super senior division at The Signature at The Federal Club.

Jeff Johns (Dominion Valley CC) finished third with 236 points, just ahead of Bob Rotella (Glenmore CC), who had 225 points. Jim Higginbotham (Spring Creek GC) rounded out the top five with 214 points.

Hoffman finished with 472 points in eight events to top the senior women’s division, finishing clear of Mary Cabriele (CC of Fairfax), who had 357 points. Cabriele defeated Hoffman in the title match at the VSGA Senior Women’s Amateur. Hoffman was also the runner-up at the VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship and the Women’s District of Columbia Golf Association Senior Championship.

Shelley Savage (Army Navy CC) was third with 311 points, followed by Natalie Easterly (CC of Virginia) with 275 points and Joanne Kitusky (The Dominion Club) with 213 points.

A number of players earned exemptions in top events for the 2018 season due to their high finishes on the 2017 VSGA player rankings list. Some players are already exempt into this events. Those who earned exemptions solely on player rankings are as follows:

  • VSGA Amateur Championship (top 20 eligible): Brandon Cigna (Laurel Hill GC), Jimmy Delp (Laurel Hill GC), Adam Horton (Elizabeth Manor G&CC), Adam Houck (The Federal Club), Jon Hurst (Fredericksburg CC).
  • Delta Dental State Open of Virginia (top 10 eligible amateurs): John Rosenstock (Elizabeth Manor G&CC), Delp, Hurst.
  • VSGA Senior Amateur Championship (top 15 eligible): Scott Reisenweaver (Salisbury CC), Tim Vigotsky (Farmington CC), Jon Zampedro (Chantilly National G&CC).
  • Senior Open of Virginia (top 10 eligible amateurs): Allen Barber (James River CC), Phil Mahone (Farmington CC), Leon Roday (Kinloch GC), Reisenweaver.