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By Chris Lang
ROANOKE — Salem native Fielding Brewbaker entered Saturday’s final round of the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia tied for the lead. After Friday’s second round, he spoke of how a great story was coming together, and one final puzzle piece was needed to make it complete.
That piece was a tap-in for bogey on 18 at Ballyhack Golf Club Saturday afternoon, sealing his one-shot victory and his first championship in the event. Brewbaker posted a 4-under-par 68 in Saturday’s final round for a three-day, 12-under total of 204, one better than low amateur Justin Young, also of Salem, who happens to be a Ballyhack member.
Afterward, Brewbaker’s wife Erin brought their 10-month-old daughter Madison Rose to the green, and the trio shared a lengthy family embrace.
“Emotionally, it’s the peak,” Brewbaker said. “I mean, backyard, hometown, mom and dad, in-laws, wife, baby, friends, other family. … Emotionally, it’s huge, it’s No. 1. Playing in Tour events is really cool. I’ve done it a few times. But I didn’t win them.
“But this, emotionally, winning it, it’s up there at the top of the peak, for sure.”
Brewbaker won for the first time since winning a mini-tour event in Florida in October 2015, and the victory netted him a $7,500 paycheck. Chester’s Rick Schuller, PGA, a teaching professional at Stonehenge G&CC in Richmond, finished third after shooting 206 and earned $5,000.
Amateurs Jeff Long of Ashburn (Evergreen CC) and Mark Lawrence Jr. of Henrico (Independence GC) tied for fourth at 208, along with Maryland professional Steven Delmar.
Lawrence briefly tied the competitive course record after returning an 8-under 64 Saturday. His time in the record book lasted all of about an hour, as Young came in later with a 9-under 63, sparked by a six-birdie binge on the back nine.
Young, the reigning VSGA Mid-Amateur champion, earned low amateur honors at the Delta Dental State Open of Virginia for the second time in four years, having previously accomplished the feat in 2015.
“I can’t really describe it,” Young said of his back nine. “It’s not something that when you’re in the moment that you can figure out. When it happens, you’ve just got to hop on and ride it.”
Young was three groups behind Brewbaker, who played in the final grouping with Long and Delmar. Brewbaker said he made a conscious decision before the round started not to follow scoring online, choosing to concentrate on his own round, noting that when one strays from that line of thinking, Ballyhack tends to make one pay.
Still, just with how the course was playing, Brewbaker sensed low scores were out there to be had. So he went on a birdie run of his own. He birdied the par-4 14th, the par-5 15th and the par-4 16th to finally gain some separation from the field. His father told him after a bogey on 17 that he had a two-stroke edge heading to the final hole, and Brewbaker then finally realized victory was within reach.
Low scores were the norm on Saturday. Four-time champion Jay Woodson and Tazewell amateur Buck Brittain (The Virginian GC) posted 65s. Schuller and Purcellville teenager Alex Price (Stoneleigh G&CC) shot 66. Thomas Wharton of Washington, D.C., 2017 champion Ryan Zylstra and Roanoke teenager Ross Funderburke all recorded 67s.
Also, amateur James Tyler and professional Ji Soo Park recorded aces on the par-3 3rd hole, a day after amateur Brenton Flynn made a hole-in-one on 3.
“Less footprints because of less players, and the greens were rolling just absolutely perfect,” Young said.
Brewbaker’s victory was special, and not only because much of his family was at Ballyhack to cheer him on during Saturday’s final round. Brewbaker, who played college golf at James Madison University, turned professional after the 2009 U.S. Amateur.
He played much of his golf out of Hidden Valley Country Club at that time, and the head professional there, Tommy Joyce, set Brewbaker up with the general manager and owner of Ballyhack for a round. The club was interested in sponsoring Brewbaker, and soon after that day, an agreement was reached. Ballyhack and Titleist were Brewbaker’s first sponsors and played a huge role in getting his pro career off the ground.
Brewbaker’s bag is still adorned with Ballyhack’s logo, as was the shirt he wore during Saturday’s final round.
“They gave me some money, they gave me a place to practice and play while I was here, and it’s been that way ever since,” Brewbaker said. “I’ve always felt like I’m welcomed out here. Everybody out here is so awesome.”
The same could be said about Brewbaker’s play this week. He was the only player to shoot three rounds in the 60s, and his total of 204 tied Lanto Griffin’s 2015 tally for the best winning score since the championship moved to Ballyhack five years ago.
In the end, he proved to be a worthy champion.