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By Chris Lang
MIDLOTHIAN – After the conclusion of 18 holes of stroke-play qualifying on Monday at Salisbury Country Club, the match-play fields for the 5th Virginia State Golf Association Mid-Senior Amateur Championship and 26th VSGA Super Senior Amateur Championship are set.
Manakin’s David Partridge (Hermitage CC), the 2018 Mid-Senior Amateur champion, posted a 4-under-par round of 68 to earn medalist honors in the 5th VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur, for players ages 60 and older. He finished one stroke clear of defending event champion Dave Pulk of Williamsburg.
The 26th VSGA Super Senior Amateur features three age divisions. Defending 65+ champion Tim Vigotsky of Centreville shared medalist honors with Henrico’s Leon Roday after both returned 1-under rounds of 71. In the 70+ division, 2018 champion Mike Brown of Clifton was the only player to finish under par, posting a 1-under 71 to earn medalist honors by four strokes over Richmond’s James Bryant and Troutville’s Chips Wooddy.
In the 75+ division, defending champion George Owens of Virginia Beach returned a 3-under 69 to finish four shots clear of North Chesterfield’s Bill Smiley and Glen Allen’s John Casstevens.
Eight players advanced to match play in each division. The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, with the 18-hole championship match in each division scheduled for Wednesday.
5th VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur Championship
Partridge has a keen sense of golf history in Virginia, and though he turns 66 soon, he decided to compete in the Mid-Senior Amateur because he has a chance to make a little more history himself. He’s the only player to have won the VSGA Amateur, VSGA Mid-Amateur, VSGA Senior Amateur and VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur, and should he win again this week, he will have won all of those events at least twice.
“I decided I was going to give it one more chance,” said Partridge, who finished with three birdies, an eagle, and a bogey Monday. “I still feel really good, and I’d like to win all four of those twice, if I could, before I move up to the next division. I figure that next year, it will probably be time for me to go up to the next age division. But I wanted to try one more time.”
Partridge will have to navigate a strong field featuring several past VSGA champions to do so. He’s on the same side of the bracket as 30-time VSGA champion Keith Decker. On the other side, the defending champion Pulk and past VSGA Senior Stroke Play winner Mike Krulich reached match play.
“It’ll take a lot of really good play to win this tournament,” Partridge said.
Krulich and Decker tied for third after shooting rounds of 2-under 70. Herndon’s John Lombardozzi rallied to force a playoff for the final match play spot and defeated Joe Alexander to earn the right to face Partridge Tuesday.
Super Senior Amateur (65+)
Looking for his second title in a row in the 65+ division, Vigotsky (Robert Trent Jones GC) admits there’s a little bit of pressure on him.
“I can’t tell you how many guys have said that I’ve got this target on my back, and that they’re gunning for me,” Vigotsky said. “There’s a little extra pressure trying to defend. Pressure, you sort of bring it on yourself. So you just try to say that it’s just another round, and don’t make it any harder than it already is.”
Vigotsky heads into match play with a little bit of momentum after making a long putt to save par on the 18th, allowing him to tie with Roday for medalist honors. Vigotsky will open match play Tuesday against Dayton Slater, the 2018 champion who survived a playoff to advance to match play.
“You play pretty solid, and you don’t want to give one away there,” Vigotsky said of the final hole.
Vigotsky and Roday finished two shots clear of past VSGA champion Mike McDonald of Williamsburg, who shot a 1-over 73 and finished with back-to-back birdies.
Among those who made the final eight was Salisbury member Jimmy Angel, who tied for fourth with Jeff Flax of Virginia Beach at 2 over 74. The two will meet in Tuesday’s quarterfinals.
Super Senior Amateur (70+)
Brown was the only player in the 70+ group to tame Salisbury on Monday, finishing with two birdies and one bogey for his 71. He’ll open match play on Tuesday against Salisbury member Jim Hudson, who tied for seventh with VSGA Senior Stroke Play champion (70+) Terry Towler of Dillwyn.
“I’ve been playing really well the last month,” the 73-year-old Brown said. “I’ve shot my age about six or seven times.”
Also on Brown’s side of the bracket is defending champion John Cuomo of Richmond, who posted a 4-over 76 but still comfortably made the match-play field.
“It’s golf,” Brown said. “You never know what’s going to happen. I could shoot 80 tomorrow.”
Super Senior Amateur (75+)
Owens (Princess Anne CC) used a stretch of four straight birdies to post his round of 69.
Owens started on No. 10 and made the turn at 1 over and stayed there until making a birdie on the par-5 4th hole. After making birdie on the next three holes, he was well clear of the rest of the field.
“Once you get into match play, you can play good and win, and you can play bad and win, and vice versa,” Owens said. “I try to make a lot of pars. Most of us don’t make but so many birdies in a round, and if you can make some pars, you can win some holes with pars.”
The key for Owens on Monday was figuring out the speed of Salisbury’s fast greens. He three putted three of the first four holes, leading to three bogeys. But once he got a handle on the speed, he settled down and played his final 14 holes at 6 under.
“The greens were a little faster than usual,” Owens said. “They were fast and I had a couple of downhill putts, and that wasn’t good.”
Owens will open his title defense Tuesday against Powhatan’s Tom Hackett, who tied for seventh with VSGA Senior Stroke Play champion Harry Lea (75+) at 5-over 77. David King (3-over 75), Roger Pitkin (4-over 76) and Joe Cochran (4-over 76) also advanced to the quarterfinals.
Chris Lang is the Editor of Virginia Golfer magazine and the VSGA’s manager, digital media.
5th VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur Championship
At Salisbury Country Club, Midlothian
Par 72, 6,380 yards
Monday’s stroke-play qualifying results
David Partridge (Manakin), 32-36—68
Dave Pulk (Williamsburg), 36-33—69
Keith Decker (Martinsville), 32-38—70
Mike Krulich (Blacksburg), 34-36—70
Hung Yim (Midlothian), 32-40—72
Kent Erdahl (Williamsburg), 37-36--73
Byron Ballard (Richmond), 34-40—74
John Lombardozzi (Herndon), 41-35--76
Did not qualify for match play
Joe Alexander (Richmond), 39-37--76
Gregory Minjack (Alexandria), 37-39--76
Gary Cicatiello (Providence Forge), 37-40--77
Dave Hanna (williamsburg), 38-40--78
Mark Collins (Roanoke), 40-39--79
Tom Mathews (North Chesterfield), 41-39--80
Samuel Bailey (Gainesville), 41-40—81
26th VSGA Super Senior Amateur Championship
At Salisbury Country Club, Midlothian
65+ age division
Par 72, 6,188 yards
Leon Roday (Henrico), 36-35--71
Tim Vigotsky (Centreville), 36-35—71
Mike McDonald (Williamsburg), 39-34—73
Jimmy Angel (Midlothian), 37-37—74
Jeffrey Flax (virginia beach), 37-37—74
Randy Leyshon (Kents Store), 37-38—75
Harry Thomas (McLean), 38-37—75
Dayton Slater (Richmond), 38-38—76
Did not qualify for match play
Bert Wilson (Mechanicsville), 40-36—76
Jay Corazza (Midlothian), 39-37—76
Tim Kelley (Henrico), 39-37—76
Ron Clatterbuck (Haymarket), 35-42—77
Rob Tidgewell (Leesburg), 39-39—78
Doug Banks (Ashburn), 40-38—78
Dale Matthews (McLean), 40-39—79
Craig Lund (Annandale), 39-40--79
Jim Woodson (Powhatan), 37-42--79
Joe Coates (Midlothian), 38-42—80
Jeff Johns (Haymarket), 39-42--81
Jim Wolk (Virginia Beach), 37-50--87
Jeff Cosby (McLean), 43-45--88
70+ age division
Par 72, 5,816 yards
Mike Brown (Clifton), 35-36—71
James Bryant (Richmond), 35-40—75
Chips Wooddy (Troutville), 40-35—75
Jim Malone (Charlottesville), 37-39—76
John Cuomo (Richmond), 36-40—76
Patrick Gregory (Midlothian), 39-38—77
Jim Hudson (Midlothian), 39-39—78
Terry Towler (Dillwyn), 38-40—78
Did not qualify for match play
Ronald Janicki (woodbridge), 39-39—78
Mike Ancel (Newport news), 39-40--79
Ty Corbin (HENRICO), 38-42—80
Barry Shea (Danville), 42-39--81
Ray D'Amore (Herndon), 41-40—81
Don Kelly (williamsburg), 46-39—85
Randall Carrier (Virginia Beach), 43-44--87
John Andrako (Richmond), 46-42—88
Charles Brown (Suffolk), 46-43—89
75+ age division
Par 72, 5,449 yards
George Owens (Virginia Beach), 32-37—69
John Casstevens (Glen Allen), 37-36—73
Bill Smiley (N Chesterfield), 36-37—73
David King (Potomac Falls), 37-38—75
Roger Pitkin (Springfield), 34-42—76
Joe Cochran (staunton), 35-41—76
Harry Lea (Danville), 38-39—77
Tom Hackett (Powhatan), 38-39—77
Did not qualify for match play
Jordan Ball (Richmond), 39-41—80
Gary Zimmerman (Henrico), 37-43—80
Rich Fischer (Fairfax), 39-43—82
Donald Meyer (Washington), 38-46—84
Charles Ballou (Alexandria), 46-41—87
Al Chamberlain (Alexandria), 47-45—92
Andrew Richardson (Chesterfield), 50-42—92
Tuesday’s matches
Mid-Senior Amateur quarterfinals
#1 David Partridge (Manakin) vs. #8 John Lombardozzi (Herndon), 8 a.m.
#4 Keith Decker (Martinsville) vs. #5 Hung Yim (Midlothian), 8:09 a.m.
#2 Dave Pulk (Williamsburg) vs. #7 Byron Ballard (Richmond), 8:18 a.m.
#3 Mike Krulich (Blacksburg) vs. #6 Kent Erdahl (Williamsburg), 8:27 a.m.
Mid-Senior Amateur semifinals
Beginning after lunch
Super Senior Amateur 65+ quarterfinals
#1 Leon Roday (Henrico) vs. #8 Dayton Slater (Richmond), 8:36 a.m.
#4 Jeff Flax (Virginia Beach) vs. #5 Jimmy Angel (Midlothian), 8:45 a.m.
#2 Tim Vigotsky (Centreville) vs. #7 Randy Leyshon (Kents Store), 8:54 a.m.
#3 Mike McDonald (Williamsburg) vs. #6 Harry Thomas (McLean), 9:03 a.m.
Super Senior Amateur 65-69 semifinals
Beginning after lunch
Super Senior Amateur 70+ quarterfinals
#1 Mike Brown (Clifton) vs. #8 Jim Hudson (Midlothian), 9:12 a.m.
#4 John Cuomo (Richmond) vs. #5 Jim Malone (Charlottesville), 9:21 a.m.
#2 James Bryant (Richmond) vs. #7 Terry Towler (Dillwyn), 9:30 a.m.
#3 Chips Wooddy (Troutville) vs. #6 Pat Gregory (Midlothian), 9:39 a.m.
Super Senior Amateur 70-74 semifinals
Beginning after lunch
Super Senior Amateur 75+ quarterfinals
#1 George Owens (Virginia Beach) vs. #8 Tom Hackett (Powhatan), 9:48 a.m.
#4 Dave King (Reston) vs. #5 Joe Cochran (Staunton), 9:57 a.m.
#2 Bill Smiley (North Chesterfield) vs. #7 Harry Lea (Danville), 10:06 a.m.
#3 John Casstevens (Glen Allen) vs. #6 Roger Pitkin (Springfield), 10:15 a.m.
Super Senior Amateur 75+ semifinals
Beginning after lunch