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By Chris Lang
CHARLOTTESVILLE — The last two winners of the Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship will battle it out Friday at Birdwood Golf at Boar’s Head Resort in the final match of the 74th playing of the event.
Tazewell’s Buck Brittain, who won the title in 2020 at Westwood Country Club, will square off against Midlothian’s Steve Serrao, winner of the 2019 title at The Cascades Course at The Homestead, in Friday’s 18-hole final, set to begin at 8 a.m.
“He’s tough,” Serrao said. “I have to come out tomorrow like I did today against Keith (Decker). I’ve got to come out aggressive and come out not afraid to lose. … I was aggressive, and I was confident. I just have to have that mentality tomorrow morning against Buck, because he’s not going to give me anything.”
For Serrao, the path to the final was a touch nervier than it was for Brittain, who after two rain delays defeated Montpelier’s David Jordan 6 and 4 in the second semifinal match. Serrao, who like Jordan is a member at Willow Oaks Country Club, held a 4-up lead with four holes to play when the first semifinal resumed after the delay.
But Danville Scott Blankenship was game, making a par on the par-5 15th after Serrao had hit his drive into a penalty area and adding a birdie on the par-4 16th to cut the lead to 2 up. Serrao won 2 and 1 when both players made par on the par-3 17th.
“I had a good swing on 17, a good wedge,” Serrao said. “I felt like the nerves were there, but I battled them and hit a good shot. I’m just happy to get through. So happy.”
For Brittain, who noted earlier this week that he was playing with a lot of confidence in this event thanks to his success in it last year, the championship hinged not on anything that happened on Thursday, but on his twilight shot on Wednesday. On the second extra hole in his round-of-16 match against Robert Nussey, Brittain hit his second shot into a penalty area, then flew the third shot over the green, leaving him a delicate flip shot to get up and down for par. He executed it smoothly and won the match the advance.
Serrao knows he’s in for more of that Brittain consistency in Friday’s final match.
“When he makes a mistake, you know he’s still going to scramble to make a par,” Serrao said. “That’s daunting to play against. … He’s not going to give you a hole or two. If he gives you a hole or two with bogey, that’s a jackpot.”
SEMIFINALS
#9 Serrao def. #12 Blankenship, 2 and 1
When the horn blew the first time, signifying lightning in the area, Serrao had hit his tee shot on 14, while Blankenship was still on the tee waiting to hit his. The players returned to the course, Serrao made par while Blankenship made bogey, and Serrao headed to the 15th tee needing only to tie one hole to claim his spot in the final.
Serrao sprayed his drive on 15 to the right, Blankenship hit his in the middle of the fairway, and the horn blew again. Serrao didn’t even have a chance to search for his ball and went into another lengthy delay stewing about the drive.
“If I had hit a decent drive on 15, it would have been different,” Serrao said. “But I spent all that time here angry with myself, and the tension was building up.”
After Blankenship made a 15-foot birdie putt on 16 to cut the lead to 2 up with two to play, Serrao headed to the 17th tee and convinced himself to just hit a solid shot. He did and made a comfortable par and won when Blankenship missed his long birdie putt.
#2 Brittain def. #22 Jordan, 6 and 4
The match was tight through the first five holes, with Brittain holding a 1-up lead going to the 6th tee. He rolled from there, winning four straight holes to take a 5-up lead to the turn. After wasting a 4-up nine-hole lead and needing extra holes to beat Jack Allara in the first round, Brittain let no such thing happen Thursday. Though Jordan won the 10th with a birdie, Brittain won 12 and 14 with birdies to seal the victory.
QUARTERFINALS
#9 Serrao def. #1 Keith Decker, 6 and 5
Serrao blitzed Decker out of the gate, building a 4-up lead through seven holes against the three-time champion and stroke-play qualifying medalist. Serrao’s lead was never in doubt after that, and he closed the match out on the 13th hole. He shot 7 under par for those 13 holes.
#12 Blankenship def. #29 Kevin South, 19 holes
An eagle-birdie-par start helped South, the 1987 VSGA Junior Stroke Play champion, bolt to a 3-up lead through three holes. But Blankenship didn’t waver. His eagle on the par-4 5th gave him a jolt, and he tied the match by the turn. South built a 2-up lead late thanks to a birdie on the par-5 15th. But Blankenship rallied with birdies to win the next two holes. After both players parred 18, Blankenship snugged his approach on 1 and tapped in for the winning birdie.
#2 Brittain def. #7 Matt Sughrue, 4 and 3
In a matchup of past Senior Open of Virginia champions, Brittain took a 3-up lead through six holes and led at least 2 up the rest of the way. Brittain started his match a touch more than 12 hours after closing out his round-of-16 victory over Nussey at the very end of Wednesday’s golden hour.
#22 Jordan def. #3 Jon Hurst, 1 up
In a matchup of the last two VSGA Senior Stroke Play champions, Jordan sank an 18-foot birdie putt on 18 to eliminate Hurst. Jordan never trailed in the match, but it was a grind down the stretch. Jordan took a 1-up lead at 14 but Hurst immediately tied the match with a birdie on 15. The players tied the next two holes with pars, setting up the dramatics on 18. Hurst’s long birdie attempt came up just short, and Jordan sank his to claim the win.
Lang is the VSGA’s manager of media and communications.