NOTE TO MEDIA: Links to scoring, photos, the first-round reap 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
RESTON — The second and final round of the 36th Virginia State Golf Association Super Senior Stroke Play Championship was completed Tuesday at Hidden Creek Country Club, a first-time VSGA championship venue. Winners were crowned in three age divisions: 65+, 70+ and 75+.
Manakin’s David Partridge (Hermitage CC) added to his VSGA championship tally, winning his 14th overall and first as a super senior in the 65+ division, finishing three strokes clear of Roanoke’s Jack Allara (Hidden Valley CC). Fairfax’s Mike Brown (CC of Fairfax) held on for a one-stroke victory over Williamsburg’s Mike McDonald (Two Rivers CC) in the 70+ division. And in the 75+ division, Vienna’s John Walsh—cheered on by friends—won on his home course, claiming a four-stroke victory over Donald Meyer (Reston National GC).
The 65+ and 70+ divisions played the course as a par 73, while the 75+ plus played it as a par 72.
65+ division
Partridge moved into a tie for third all-time in VSGA championships with his 14th title, joining Chandler Harper and Jim Kite. Partridge has won at nearly every level, as among his wins are two Amateur championships, three Mid-Amateurs, two Senior Amateurs, a Mid-Senior Amateur and now a Super Senior Stroke Play title.
Another win would move him into a tie for second with Vinny Giles at 15.
“I love competing,” the 66-year-old Partridge said. “I’m a super senior at this point. I’ll still compete in other things. I’ll play in the Senior Stroke Play in a couple of weeks, and if I catch lightning in a bottle, who knows, maybe I can sneak up on those young kids. I have 14 at this point, and I’d love to get a few more.”
Only Partridge and Allara managed to navigate Hidden Creek at under par. Partridge posted a two-day, 5-under-par 141, three shots better than Allara, who posted a 2-under 144 thanks to a second-round 71. Allara won this championship in 2020 at Danville Golf Club. Randy Thomas (Shenvalee Golf Resort) also shot 71 on Tuesday for a two-day 146 to finish alone in third at 146.
The key for Partridge?
“I drove the ball reasonably well, and I managed to keep it out of the rough,” Partridge said. “The rough was very penal. It was a hard golf course. We didn’t play a particularly long golf course, but you had to control your ball, and for the most part I was able to do that. I wasn’t as sharp today, but I still hit like 14 greens or something like that. If you hit it into the rough, sometimes it was tough to get it within 30 feet of the hole, it was so tough. There was nothing inappropriate about it. It was just hard.”
The par-5 11th hole proved fruitful for Partridge, who made eagle there in Monday’s first round and birdie there on Tuesday. He finished with four birdies and three bogeys in the second round but responded whenever Allara put pressure on him. Case in point: The par-3 17th. Allara’s tee shot settled four feet from the cup for a certain birdie, and Partridge—up by four shots—played for a two-putt par to maintain a three-shot lead heading to the final hole.
70+ age division
Brown, who played college golf at North Carolina, rediscovered the competition bug several years ago, as he went into semi-retirement and finally had time to devote to his game.
“I didn’t want to play unless I could put in the practice to play well,” Brown said.
Now the golf coach at nearby Robinson High School, Brown has fun swapping competition stories with his players, some of whom are quite accomplished. One of them, Melanie Walker, recently qualified for the U.S. Junior Girls’ Championship.
“The kids love the fact that I compete,” Brown said. “I have some that are very good golfers, and we trade competition stories. I think it gets them excited, and that’s what a golf coach is really there to do—to help the kids understand the fun and joy of competition.”
Brown tapped into that competitive spirit as his lead narrowed to nothing down the stretch. He and McDonald walked off the 15th green tied after McDonald made birdie and Brown made bogey. The two remained tied until McDonald missed by a hair with his tee shot on 17. That was enough to send him into the rough and scurrying to make bogey.
“The rough here is punitive, very hard to chip out of,” Brown said.
Brown made par on 17 and the two competitors each made par on 18, sealing Brown’s win. Bill Nunnenkamp (Blue Hills GC) shot 76-76—152 to finish three strokes behind in third. Ronald Janicki (Laurel Hill GC) finished fourth at 153, and 2020 champion Terry Towler (The Manor GC) took fifth at 154.
“I love a match that comes down to the last shot,” Brown said. “I play better in those situations. I think that’s what competitive golf is about.”
75+ age division
Walsh departed the 18th green with a comfortable four-shot victory, with members of his Hidden Creek “gang” waiting to celebrate with him. “These guys usually beat my brains in,” Walsh said with a laugh. All of the plaudits went Walsh’s way on Tuesday, however.
He finished with an even-par 72 on Tuesday for a 1-over two-day aggregate of 145. He made two birdies and two bogeys early in his round before finishing with 10 straight pars, which was enough to claim the victory.
“I kept it in the fairway and I made a few good up-and-downs coming in, a couple of good 4 or 5 footers to save it,” Walsh said.
Walsh said he paid attention to live scoring early but abandoned the practice after a few holes.
“I didn’t want to know,” he said. “I know a couple of guys behind me were capable of shooting low scores. But I just decided to play my game.”
As the round progressed, Walsh’s gang gathered to follow him in for the final few holes, giving him a sense of motivation to finish the job.
“A little home cooking helps,” he said. “They know I’m capable of whacking it off the world every once in a while, and they were probably surprised I didn’t. It was a lot of fun.”
As Walsh played steady golf, no one behind him was able to mount a charge. George Owens (Princess Anne CC) posted a 4-over 76 and finished six strokes behind in third at 151. Roger Pitkin (Army Navy CC) also shot 76 and finished fourth at 152.
Lang is the VSGA’s manager of media and communications.