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Rich Buckner loves match play, and his success in the last two VSGA Senior Amateur Championships shows just how adept he is at performing in the head-to-head format. He's 9-1 over the last two years in match play, with his only loss coming to Keith Decker in the 2016 championship match. He culminated another strong match play run at Keswick Golf Club in August by defeating Duncan Hardcastle to win his first VSGA championship.
Buckner showed this year that he can hold his own in stroke play as well. Less than three weeks later, he tied for third at the 12th Senior Open of Virginia. Those strong showings in the VSGA's signature senior events played a key role in Buckner earning Senior Golfer of the Year honors.
Buckner finished second in the VSGA Senior Player Rankings, just behind Leon Roday. If there was a memorable hole for Buckner this year, it was probably the short par-4 14th hole at Keswick Golf Club. In his semifinal victory at the VSGA Senior Amateur, he flopped a shot from the cartpath to within two feet of the hole for a birdie. In the championship match, he clinched the win by hitting a nifty low punch shot that settled less than a foot from the hole for a kick-in birdie.
2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS