KESWICK — Virginia Beach’s Evan Beck shot a three-day aggregate 10-under-par 206 to finish three strokes clear of Richmond’s Jordan Utley and win the 46th Virginia State Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship on Sunday at Keswick Golf Club. Beck successfully defended the title he won last September at Fawn Lake Country Club in Spotsylvania.
Beck (Princess Anne CC) made just one bogey in 54 holes. Utley (Hermitage CC) shot 67-74-68—209 to finish second, though his second-round struggles left him a tall hill to climb in Sunday’s final round. Roanoke’s Justin Young (Hidden Valley CC) shot 67-70-74—211 to finish alone in third at 5-under.
STARTING SLOW: In each of his final two rounds, Beck made nine consecutive pars on his front nine before picking up steam on the back. He shot 5-under on his back nine (he started on 10) in Saturday’s second round to surge into the lead, and he shot 2-under on the back nine on Sunday to get to the finish line.
“He has so much experience that he wasn’t going to falter,” Utley said. “We had to do something special to beat him.”
A COSTLY THREE-PUTT: Both Young and Beck were even through nine holes and both made birdie on the par-4 10th. Beck parred the par-3 11th, but Young made a three-putt bogey to fall two shots off the pace. He never recovered. He made another bogey on 12 and one more in the driving rain on 18.
“That’s a putt I should make. I should have backed off,” Young said. “I heard a gas cart start off in the distance, and it caught my attention. You’ve got to back off stuff like that. The putter, I missed some short ones that I usually make, and it was hard to get the momentum going after that.”
TURNING POINT: Utley began the day five shots off the lead but gained ground early by making birdie on each of the first two holes. He was within three of the lead after a birdie on No. 12 and burned the edge on long birdie putt on 13 that could have cut the margin to two. Instead, Beck saved par there then made a 12-footer for birdie on 14 to open a four-stroke margin.
“I hit a lot of really good putts, but when you’re putting from 30 or 40 feet, you’re not expecting those to go in,” Utley said. “It would have been nice to get that, but I wasn’t walking to the green expecting a two-shot swing there.”
FIRST-ROUND LEADER: Young and Utley posted 5-under rounds of 67 to share the 18-hole lead.
SECOND-ROUND LEADER: Beck’s 5-under 67 vaulted him into the lead at 8-under 136, one stroke better than Young.
QUOTABLE
Beck on the birdie putt on 14
“Every shot is huge. It really felt good to make that birdie there. It really felt good to get it up and down on 15. I tried to hit a 120 shot from 140, but I misjudged the wind and hit it over the green and hit it up and down. I did the opposite on the next hole. Didn’t judge the wind properly and hit not enough club and didn’t get it up and down and made my only bogey.”
Beck on opening the tournament with 51 bogey-free holes
“That would be my record, I would think. I would have loved to have gone bogey free for the whole tournament, but I was happy to get it done. A win is a win.”
Beck on his overall year
“It’s been fun. I’ve been fortunate to play in a lot of events this year. I’m not sure how that’s going to change going forward, but I hope to play in as many things as I can. I always love playing in VSGA stuff – I have since I was 9 years old. It’s great seeing all the guys I grew up playing with and getting to play places like Keswick. This place was unbelievable this week.”
Beck on Utley’s putting
“He made so many feet of putts. He was telling me how hard he’s been working on it, and it’s paying off. He putted really nicely this week. I played with him all three days and was just constantly watching him make it from everywhere.”
Utley on starting five shots back
“Yesterday was the problem. I made too many mistakes yesterday. You’re spotting JY four and Evan five to start the day, that’s a very tall hill to climb. Fortunately, I was able to make a move on the first couple of holes to remind them that I was still here too. But it just got challenging on that back nine. The wind kicked up. It was hard to get it close. When you’re trying to make up shots, you’ve got to try for birdies. I had some good chances and made good runs at it late, but it just wasn’t enough.”
Young on the all-par start on the front nine
“I was just trying to focus on my own game and not on anybody else. I just couldn’t get anything going – nor could Evan – on the front. I was hoping after I hit the good shot on 10, I was hoping it would spark something. But maybe it went the other way.”
FUN FACTS