NOTE TO MEDIA: Links to scoring, photos, and the event preview can be found on the event portal at the link posted above. Please click on the “Media” tab to find those items.
By Chris Lang
ALDIE — Richmond’s Adam Houck, who earned all three points for the Virginia team in this weekend’s 37th Virginia-West Virginia Team Matches, can’t wrap his brain around the Commonwealth’s dominance in the series, which continued Sunday at The Club at Creighton Farms.
The 14-member Virginia team won nine of 14 singles point to break a deadlock and win the Matches 16-12, running Virginia’s unbeaten streak to 11 in the series. (The only blemish was a tie in 2018.) Thus, Ye Old Feudin’ Stick remains in Virginia’s possession for another year.
“I don’t understand why the record is what it is. It doesn’t make any sense to me,” said Houck, a member at The Federal Club who ran his Matches record to 5-1 this weekend. “Top to bottom, they’ve got really good players. And for some reason, it continues to shake out this way. … Maybe the luck keeps going our way? I can’t explain why.”
West Virginia led 4-3 after Saturday’s foursome matches. Virginia rallied to win four of seven points in afternoon four-ball to tie the matches at 7 heading into Sunday’s singles matches. The big key Sunday: Virginia’s regulars took five of eight points, and Virginia’s super seniors bounced back from a tough day Saturday to sweep their West Virginia counterparts in singles.
Combine those with a split of the two senior matches, and it added up to a victory.
“It’s cool,” said David Stanford, an Army Navy CC member and one of two juniors who played for Virginia. “I think I’ve played in four of these matches—two adult ones and two junior ones—and we’ve won all four. Hopefully we can keep that going.”
Stanford, who will attend Virginia Tech next fall, went 2-1 on the weekend and picked up a singles win Sunday against West Virginia mid-amateur stalwart Sam O’Dell, winning 2 up. The match turned on the par-4 13th hole. Both players had difficult third shots after wayward approaches. O’Dell had a downhill lie left of the green in thick rough, nearly out of bounds. Stanford’s approach nestled just outside a penalty area near a rock.
Stanford hit a terrific shot to within 25 feet and drained the putt for par. O’Dell was unable to convert his par, giving Stanford the lead. He won four straight holes (10-14) to turn a 2-down deficit into a 2-up lead.
The importance of being able to win a match against someone with O’Dell’s resume wasn’t lost on Stanford.
“I’ve heard he’s done very well for himself, and those experienced players are hard to beat in match play,” said Stanford, who played for the Virginias’ Captain’s Putter team last year. “I’ve learned I can play (with experienced players) and I can beat them. These matches have helped me gain experience. I hope to accomplish some of the same things that they have.”
Other winners on Sunday for Virginia were seniors Jon Zampedro and Philip Mahone; super seniors Tim Vigotsky and Jack Allara; and regulars Blake Carter, Stanford, Houck, Ryan Bishop and Mikey Moyers.
West Virginia winners on Sunday were seniors Pat Carter and Tim Mount; and regulars Chris Williams, Cam Roam and Philip Reale. Carter was West Virginia’s only player to finish the weekend undefeated, going 2-0-1 in his matches. The Matches will return to West Virginia in 2022.
Lang is the VSGA’s manager of media and communications.
37th Virginia-West Virginia Team Matches
At The Club at Creighton Farms, Aldie
Saturday’s foursome (alternate shot) matches
Sam O’Dell/Cam Roam (WV) d. Kelly Chinn/David Stanford, 1 up
Hutson Chandler/Jeff McGraw (WV) d. Blake Carter/Mikey Moyers, 4 and 3
Adam Houck/Steve Serrao (V) d. Jess Ferrell/Philip Reale, 6 and 5
Ryan Bashour/Chris Williams (WV) tied Ryan Bishop/Marshall Tinsley
Buck Brittain/Scott Reisenweaver (V) d. Scott Bibbee/Tim Mount, 5 and 3
Pat Carter/Jim Grimmett (WV) tied Philip Mahone/Jon Zampedro
Steve Fox/Harold Payne (WV) d. Jack Allara/Tim Vigotsky, 3 and 1
West Virginia leads 4-3 after foursomes
Saturday’s four-ball matches
Carter/Moyers (V) d. O’Dell/Roam, 2 and 1
Chinn/Stanford (V) d. Chandler/McGraw, 6 and 4
Ferrell/Reale (WV) d. Bishop/Tinsley, 3 and 2
Houck/Serrao (V) d. Williams/Bashour, 2 and 1
Carter/Grimmett (WV) d. Brittain/Reisenweaver, 3 and 1
Mahone/Zampedro (V) d. Bibbee/Mount, 1 up
Fox/Payne (WV) d. Allara/Vigotsky, 2 and 1
Matches tied 7-7 after four-ball
Sunday’s singles matches
Zampedro (V) d. Bibbee, 2 and 1
Mount (WV) d. Reisenweaver, 4 and 2
Carter (WV) d. Brittain, 4 and 3
Mahone (V) d. Grimmett, 5 and 4
Vigotsky (V) d. Fox, 5 and 4
Allara (V) d. Payne, 2 up
Carter (V) d. Chandler, 4 and 3
Williams (WV) d. Serrao, 2 up
Stanford (V) d. O’Dell, 2 up
Roam (WV) d. Chinn, 3 and 1
Houck (V) d. McGraw, 4 and 2
Bishop (V) d. Ferrell, 1 up
Reale (WV) d. Tinsley, 6 and 4
Moyers (V) d. Bashour, 4 and 3
Virginia wins matches 16-12