MIDLOTHIAN — The
74th Captain’s Putter Matches begin Friday, Oct. 18 at Greensboro
Country Club’s Farm Course in North Carolina. Six current Virginia State Golf
Association champions and two current West Virginia Golf Association champions
highlight the Virginias roster for the event.
The Captain’s Putter is an annual set of matches pitting top
golfers from the VSGA and WVGA against top players from the Carolinas Golf
Association (North and South Carolina). The Carolinas won last year’s event at
Spring Creek Golf Club in Zion Crossroads and leads the all-time series
50-22-1. The teams will play four-ball and alternate shot matches on Friday
before battling in singles matches on Saturday.
The six winners of 2018 VSGA championships on the Virginias
roster are Brandon Cigna (Four-Ball), Steve Serrao (Senior Amateur), Marshall
Tinsley (Mid-Amateur), Bob Bailey (Senior Four-Ball), Dave Pulk (Senior Open,
Mid-Senior Amateur), and Leon Roday (Super Senior Stroke Play, Super Senior
Four-Ball). The 2018 WVGA champions playing are Sam O’Dell (Four-Ball) and Jim
Grimmett (Senior Four-Ball, Senior Amateur).
Team captains are Tim Rash and Bruce Matson, the immediate
past VSGA president.
The complete team:
REGULARS
- Buck
Brittain (The Virginian GC, Tazewell): Reached the round of 16 at the VSGA
Amateur. … T7 at VSGA Mid-Amateur. … T28 at Delta Dental State Open of
Virginia. … Two-time Senior Open of Virginia champion. … Part of winning side
at this year’s Hidden Valley Four-Ball Invitational.
- Brandon
Cigna (Laurel Hill GC, Arlington): Teamed with Matt Sughrue to win the VSGA
Four-Ball Championship in May. … Advanced to the round of 16 at the U.S.
Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … Member of the Virginia team at the 2018
Virginia-West Virginia Matches.
- Jess
Ferrell (Fairmont, W. Va.): Third in West Virginia Player of the Year
standings. … T11 at West Virginia Open. … T10 at West Virginia Amateur.
- Dustin
Groves (Glenmore CC, Charlottesville): With Jordan Utley, advanced to round
of 32 at 2019 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … T19 at Delta Dental State
Open of Virginia. … With Utley, T8 at VSGA Four-Ball Championship.
- Tyler
Gulliksen (Fort Belvoir GC, Alexandria): Qualified for U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship
and U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … T4 at VSGA Four-Ball Championship
(with Adam Houck). … Advanced to match play at VSGA Amateur.
- Bryce
Johnson (International CC, Oakton): Advanced to round of 16 at VSGA Amateur
after T6 finish in stroke-play qualifying. … T19 at Delta Dental State Open of
Virginia. … Top 10s in three VSGA Player Rankings events.
- Sam
O’Dell (Hurricane, W. Va.): Teamed
with Pat Carter to win West Virginia Four-Ball Championship. … Participated in
U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship.
- Philip
Reale (Charleston, W. Va.): Leads West Virginia Player of the Year
standings. … T2 at West Virginia Amateur. … Fourth at West Virginia Open.
- Steve
Serrao (Willow Oaks CC, Midlothian): Qualified for U.S. Mid-Amateur
Championship. … T33 at Delta Dental State Open of Virginia. … Winner of the
VSGA Senior Amateur Championship. … Sixth at VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship.
- Scott
Shingler (Dominion Valley CC, Haymarket): Third in VSGA Men’s Player
Rankings. … With Justin Young, participated in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball
Championship. … T3 at Delta Dental State Open of Virginia. … Top 5 finished in
four VSGA Player Rankings events, including a win at Greene Hills Invitational.
- Marshall
Tinsley (Winton Farm, Forest): Winner of the VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship.
… T10 at Kenridge Invitational.
- Tad
Tomblin (Alum Creek, W. Va.): Fifth
in West Virginia Player of the Year standings. … T7 at West Virginia Open. … T8
at West Virginia Amateur.
- Jordan
Utley (Hermitage CC, Midlothian): With Dustin Groves, advanced round of 32
at U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … Reached round of 16 at VSGA Amateur. …
Third at VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship.
- Justin
Young (Ballyhack GC, Salem): Second in VSGA Men’s Player Rankings. …
Advanced to match play at U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship. … With Scott Shingler,
participated in U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship. … Finished 14th
at Delta Dental State Open of Virginia. … Advanced to match play at VSGA
Amateur. … Three Top-5 finishes in VSGA Player Rankings events.
SENIORS (Note: The minimum
senior age for Captain’s Putter Matches played at a CGA host course is 55.)
- Jack
Allara (Hidden Valley CC, Salem): T8 at VSGA Senior Stroke Play
Championship. … T6 at VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship. … Won Senior Division
at Fox Puss Championship.
- Bob
Bailey (James River CC, Yorktown): With Robert Nussey Jr., shot 59 and won
the VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship. … Participated in U.S. Senior Amateur
Championship. … Reached round of 16 at VSGA Senior Amateur. … T11 at Senior
Open of Virginia.
- Rich
Buckner (Robert Trent Jones GC, Clifton): Quarterfinalist at VSGA Senior
Amateur. ... T11 at Senior Open of Virginia. … Wins in the senior division at
The Signature at the Federal Club and Golden Horseshoe Golf Club.
- Keith
Decker (Chatmoss CC, Martinsville): Virginia Golf Hall of Famer leads the
VSGA Senior Men’s Player Rankings. … Reached the round of 32 at the U.S. Senior
Amateur. … Quarterfinalist at VSGA Senior Amateur. … T2 at VSGA Senior Stroke
Play Championship. … T7 at Senior Open of Virginia. … Senior wins at The David
King Invitational, Two Rivers Invitational, Willow Oaks Four-Ball and Cannon
Cup.
- Jim
Grimmett (Davin, W. Va.): Teamed with Pat Carter to win West Virginia
Senior Four-Ball Championship. … Won West Virginia Senior Amateur, defeating
fellow team member Harold Payne.
- Phil
Mahone (Farmington CC, Charlottesville): Semifinalist at VSGA Senior
Amateur, having defeated stroke-play medalist Buck Brittain in the round of 32.
… Won Middle Atlantic Senior Amateur. … T6 with Tim Vigotsky at VSGA Senior
Four-Ball Championship. … Two Top-5s in VSGA Senior Men’s Player Rankings
Events.
- Harold
Payne (Hurricane, W. Va.): Finalist at West Virginia Senior Amateur
Championship. … 13th at West Virginia Senior Open.
- Dave Pulk
(Two Rivers CC, Williamsburg): Won the Senior Open of Virginia and the VSGA
Mid-Senior Amateur Championship. … Finalist at the VSGA Senior Amateur
Championship. … T6 at VSGA Senior Stroke Play Championship and T3 at Middle
Atlantic Senior Amateur.
SUPER SENIORS (65 and older)
- Steve Fox
(Barboursville, W. Va.): Fourth at West Virginia Senior Open. … Quarterfinalist
at West Virginia Senior Amateur.
- Leon
Roday (Kinloch GC, Henrico): Won the VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play
Championship and teamed with Jim Woodson to win the VSGA Super Senior Four-Ball
Championship. … Quarterfinalist in the 65-69 division at VSGA Super Senior
Amateur.