VSGA Junior Boys' Golfer of the Year: Michael Brennan

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In 2016, when the VSGA Amateur Championship visited Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, Michael Brennan was the answer to a trivia question. Who was is the youngest player in the field? At just 14 years old, Brennan held that distinction. His first trip to the VSGA Amateur ended quickly, with back-to-back 78s leaving him five shots out of match play. Still, the experience of playing against the state's best was beneficial for Brennan, who hadn't yet even started his freshman year of high school.

A year later, Brennan was much more than a curiosity. He was one of the state's best juniors, but his success didn't stop there. Brennan snuck into match play at the 27th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship in June before winning four straight matches to claim the title. A week later at the VSGA Amateur, he finished one stroke clear of past Amateur champion Scott Shingler to earn stroke-play medalist honors. Unfortunately for Brennan, the guy who qualified for match play as the No. 32 seed happened to be Mark Lawrence Jr., who ended Brennan's run in the round of 32 and went on to win the championship.

Brennan wasn't done opening eyes around the state, however. He posted a first-round 71 at the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia to hang around the lead, then blitzed Ballyhack for a record-tying 64 in the second round. Brennan finished three shots behind champion Ryan Zylstra, but he tied for low amateur honors with Ji Soo Park, a three-time Amateur finalist. Brennan's strong play throughout the summer earned him invitations to the Virginias' roster for both the Virginias-Carolinas Junior Boys Matches and the Captain's Putter Matches.

Having accomplished so much so early, it's easy to forget that Brennan is still two months shy of his 16th birthday. With plenty of time left in his junior career, it's clear that Brennan will be a force on the state scene for the foreseeable future.

2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• The 15 year old tied for low amateur honors at the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia after shooting a 7-under 209 over three days, a run that included a second-round 64, tying Ballyhack GC’s competitive course record.
• Stroke-play qualifying medalist at the 104^th VSGA Amateur Championship. Lost in the first round of match play to eventual champion Mark Lawrence Jr.
• Won the 27^th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship, beating fellow River Creek member Andrew Jacobs for the title.
• Won the Middle Atlantic Amateur Championship at Laurel Hill Golf Club, besting Scott Shingler in a playoff.
• Selected for the Virginias’ roster for both the Captain’s Putter Matches and Virginias-Carolinas Junior Boys’ Matches. Went 2-1 in his Captain’s Putter matches.