By Chris Lang
POWHATAN — For the second time in three years, the Virginia State
Golf Association Club Championship produced a first-time winner.
Paced by the top four-ball side
of Elliott Wilson and Sam Beach, Independence Golf Club posted a 7-under-par
137 in the morning shotgun Monday at The Foundry Golf Club, a score that held
up despite a fierce afternoon challenge from defending co-champion Hermitage
Country Club of Manakin-Sabot. Independence, located in Midlothian, held off
Hermitage and The Foundry Golf Club by one stroke to claim its first title in
the event.
The VSGA Club Championship
features four-player teams that include two four-ball sides. The combined score
of the two sides is the team’s score.
Wilson, a professional, and
Beach posted a 5-under-par 67, the best score of the day. They were a stroke
better than Hermitage’s Jordan Utley and Kevin Miller and Kinloch Golf Club’s
Starell Cox and Rick Jarvis, each of which returned scores of 4-under 68
Monday.
Independence’s other four-ball
side of Scott Bemberis and TJ Austin posted a 2-under 70, giving Independence the
one-stroke edge over its closest pursuers.
Both of Hermitage’s entries in
the event finished in the top five.
Hermitage’s “A” team, featuring
Ben Beach, Ryan Bishop, Greg Gerczak and Ben Keefer, posted a 6-under 138 with
both sides shooting 3-under 69s on the day.
They tied for second with The
Foundry, which was vying for its second Club Championship win in the last three
years. The Foundry’s “B” team of professional Jay Woodson, Ralph Reahard, Ted
Dougherty and Samuel Banks shot a 6-under 138.
Hermitage’s “B” team finished in
fourth place at 4-under 140. Utley and Miller each made an eagle on the par-5
on the back nine as part of their 4-under 68—Utley on No. 10 and Miller on No.
16. The “B” team’s other side--Pete Toole and Brent Holsten--shot an even-par
72.
The Federal Club in Glen Allen,
which shared the championship last year with Hermitage, finished in fifth at
3-under 141 thanks to its “A” team, which featured Tom Vlahakis, Adam Houck,
Charlie Drummond and Christopher Kapsak.
Midlothian’s Salisbury Country
Club finished alone in sixth after posting a 2-under 142. Five teams shared
seventh place with 1-under 143s: Kinloch Golf Club (Manakin-Sabot), Mount
Vernon Country Club (Alexandria), Stonehenge Golf & Country Club
(Midlothian), The Country Club of Virginia (Richmond) and The Dominion Club
(Glen Allen).