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By Arthur Utley
BRISTOL – First-round leaders Leon Roday and Jim
Woodson birdied the final hole Wednesday at The Virginian Golf Club to win the
seventh edition of the Virginia State Golf Association Super Senior Four-Ball
Championship.
Roday (Henrico,
Kinloch CC) and Woodson (Powhatan, Mill Quarter) posted a final-day,
3-under-par 68 to go along with Tuesday’s 7-under 64 to finish the 36 holes with a 10-under
total of 132.
Jeff Hudgins
(Richmond, Country Club of Virginia) and Van McCarter (Blue Ridge, Blue Hills
GC) closed with 4-under 67 for a 9-under aggregate of 133.
Four sides
concluded play at 8-under 134 to tie for third. The Roanoke tandem of Bill
Nunnenkamp (Blue Hills GC)/James Wright (Roanoke CC) began the final round tied
for second and shot 69 on Wednesday. Boonsboro CC partners Bert Allen (Forest) and
John Bruce (Lynchburg) logged a second consecutive 67. Jeff Fleishman
(Williamsburg, Two Rivers CC /Jim Cooper (Kingsport, TN) and Mark Stephens
(Bristol)/Tony Green (Kingsport, TN) each shot 5-under 66 to share the low
round of the day.
Cooper, Stephens
and Green are members of The Virginian.
Arlington residents
and Army Navy CC members Lynn Wessman/Peter Jacobi, Mike Ancel (Newport News,
Newport News GC)/Terry Towler (Dillwyn, The Manor GC) and Tim Vigotsky
(Centreville, RTJ GC)/John Hoffman (Fairfax, Evergreen CC) finished four
strokes back at 136.
Roday and Woodson
were 9-under for the tournament standing on the 18th tee. They were informed
as they played the par-5 that Hudgins and McCarter had posted 9-under.
“My man Woodson
hits a really good drive, good second shot. I hit driver, 3-wood to about 20
feet,” Roday said. “Woodson hit to about 6 feet. At that point Charlie (Green)
told us that [Hudgins/McCarter] were definitely at 9 so we knew I had to
two-putt or Woodson had to make. I hit it down to whatever, 3 feet, but Woodson
drilled it right in the middle of the hole.
“It was a great
putt; a clutch play and that was the birdie that sealed it.”
This was Woodson’s
first VSGA title since winning an Adult/Youth title with his son Jay many years
ago.
“After it was over
with, Leon was just saying on the last hole he hit an unbelievable drive, unbelievable
shot to the green in two. I hit my drive, hit a hybrid up there and then hit a
sand wedge up to the green about 6 feet. He was saying, you play in these
events just to make those kinds of shots under those conditions. It’s what it’s
all about. That’s where all the fun comes from,” Woodson said.
Woodson and Roday
were first-timers in the tournament. Woodson, who became eligible for Super
Senior tournaments when he turned 65 last Sunday, and Roday, the reigning VSGA
Super Senior Stroke Play champion, first discussed the partnership last year
after Woodson finished as a runner-up in the VSGA Senior Stroke Play
Championship.
Roday said he asked
Woodson if he would be eligible for this year’s Super Senior Four-Ball, and
Woodson responded just barely “so my theory was I was robbing the cradle on the
youth movement,” Roday said. “I loved playing with Jim. We had a good time. We
had good chemistry. Anytime you can win a VSGA event it’s an honor.”
The difference
between Tuesday’s 64 and Wednesday’s 68 was putting, Roday said. The pair
logged five birdies, but also two bogeys on Wednesday.
Hudgins and McCarter
were dental school classmates.
“Van’s the one who
really got me started playing golf. So this is fun for me. I just turned 65
June 30th. I finally got to play in something with him,” Hudgins
said.
They were unclear
of where they stood as they finished on Wednesday.
“We knew we were OK
because the VSGA rules guys had given us a little clue, but we didn’t know for
sure,” said Hudgins, who birdied the first hole to get the team rolling.
McCarter, a veteran
of VSGA events, added five birdies to the cause, but they also bogeyed two
holes.
Arthur Utley is a
retired Richmond Times-Dispatch staff writer and frequent contributor to VSGA
championship coverage.