5th VSGA Multi-Format Team Championship Event Hub
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Format: Two-person scramble (first round); Modified alternate shot (second round)
Host site: The Dominion Club, Glen Allen
Round 2: Beach brothers claim title
(pictured: Sam Beach and Ben Beach)
GLEN ALLEN -- After Ben Beach had nudged his birdie putt close, younger brother Sam Beach tapped in for par on the 18th hole on Tuesday at The Dominion Club, securing the title for the side in the 5th Virginia State Golf Association Multi-Format Team Championship.
The Beach brothers followed their opening-round, two-person scramble 61 with a 2-under 70 in Tuesday's modified alternate shot round, their two-day aggregate total of 13-under 131 allowing them to finish two shots clear of runners-up Justin Young and Scott Shingler.
Jed Rasnick and Daniel Houchins shot 62-72--134 and finished third. Four sides tied for fourth at 8-under 136.
"It's so fun watching him play," Ben Beach said of his younger brother. "And we grew up literally a five-minute bike ride from this golf course. We had a great day today and also yesterday, so yeah, this was just a really good time."
In Tuesday's round, each player on a side teed off, with the side choosing the best ball for the second shot. If Player A's ball was chosen, Player B hit the second shot, and players alternated until the ball was holed.
The victory gave the Beach side an exemption into next month's VSGA Four-Ball Championship, which will be held at Piedmont Club in Haymarket.
Notable and quotable:
- The Beach side finished with four birdies and two bogeys, with both missteps coming on par 3s. The second one, on No. 17, opened the door for Shingler and Young to potentially catch the leaders on the final hole. Shingler hit what he called his best drive of the day on the par-5 18th, but it might have been a little too good--it rolled through the fairway and into the lake flanking the right side of the hole. "I was telling him on the tee that we were going to have 7-iron in," Shingler said, before realizing the ball was wet. The side used Young's drive, which was in the fairway, but Shingler hit it into the right greenside bunker, leaving Young a difficult out, one he was unable to execute. "Any time you get the ball up against the lip, you just don't know what it's going to do," Young said. "I got right underneath it." Shingler escaped on the next shot and Young tapped in for par.
- It wasn't enough, though, as seeing Young and Shingler's predicament, the Beach side played it safe on the final hole, laying up to a number on their second shot, setting up a solid approach to the green and a two-putt par to clinch the win. "Keep it left. Just lay it up, chip it on there and hopefully make birdie, or at least par," Sam Beach said.
- Shingler on the Beach brothers' play: "They played a very solid round of golf. They got out of position a few times today but they managed to save par. We just couldn't get anything going again on that front side. It was disappointing, but they played a good round of golf."
- Sam Beach on alternate shot: "I definitely think it's a tough format, because you don't want to handcuff your partner. I think we played well. We got a couple of birdies in to keep us under par. But it's always a tough format when you're playing with your partner and you don't want to put him in a bad spot. You feel bad when you do. But we were able to keep it in play."
- Only three sides shot under par in the modified alternate shot format: The Beach brothers, Austin Gray and Cory McIntosh (-1, 71), and Adam Houck and Tom Vlahakis (-2, 70). Houck and Vlahakis won the second flight by two strokes over Robert Nuon and Patrick Song.
- John Rosenstock, who paired with Trey Wren to win last year, teamed with Ryan Bishop after Wren moved to Florida. They shot 64-74--138 and finished alone in 9th.
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Round 1: Three share lead after 18 holes
(pictured: Mason McCoy, left, and Riley Tuttle)
GLEN ALLEN -- Three sides shot rounds of 11-under-par 61 on Monday at The Dominion Club and share the lead after the first round of the 5th Virginia State Golf Association Multi-Format Team Championship.
Mason McCoy and Riley Tuttle, Scott Shingler and Justin Young, and Ben and Sam Beach each posted 61s to enter Tuesday's modified alternate shot round one stroke clear of Jed Rasnick and Daniel Houchins, who eagled their final hole to return a 10-under 62.
Andrew Crowley and Matt Hedley are tied for fifth with Zack Wehrman and James Webb after each side returned rounds of 9-under 63.
Tuesday's second and final round is scheduled for a 9 a.m. shotgun start. In modified alternate shot, both players on a side tee off on a hole before selecting a shot for the second shot. If Player A's tee shot is chosen, Player B will shoot next, with each player alternating until the hole is completed.
Notable:
- After a relatively slow start, Shingler and Young caught fire on the back nine. They shot an 8-under 28 on the inward nine that included six birdies and an eagle.
- The brothers Beach (Ben is two years older than Sam) are playing in a team competition for just the second time. They attempted to qualify for this year's U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship last year but did not advance. Sam played professionally for several years before regaining his amateur status.
- McCoy and Tuttle made four birdies in a row on the back, part of a 6-under 30 on the inward nine.
- Crowley is a past VSGA Four-Ball Champion, having won with Clark Taylor at Hermitage CC in 2021. Shingler and Ben Beach have also been on winning VSGA Four-Ball sides.
- Past event champions Brandon Ramsuer and Ryan Taylor are part of a four-way tie for eighth at 8-under, three back of the lead. Also in that group are John Rosenstock and Ryan Bishop. Rosenstock was part of the winning side of this event last year, playing with Trey Wren. Harold Dill and Conor Cafferty are tied for eighth as well. Dill was part of a winning VSGA Four-Ball side in 2016.
- Sam Beach ended his side's round with a chip-in for birdie on the par-3 3rd hole.
Quotable:
- Ben Beach on his brother: "I was hoping he'd never have to play amateur golf again but here he is. It's been fun. Hopefully we'll play a lot more together."
- Shingler on the difference between his side's front and back nines: "On the front, we couldn't get it close enough to have reasonable runs at it. We stayed patient and started hitting some better shots. Justin hit some great 3-woods on the back nine to get us on the par 5s in two. And we were fortunate enough to make eagle on the par 4 (15th)."
- After starting the back with five birdies and an eagle, any thought of a perfect back-nine card? "We joked about it once, but we didn't want to get ahead of ourselves," Shingler said. "After we made that eagle on 15, I mentioned that I didn't think we've ever run the table. And it jinxed us, of course." (They parred the 16th.)
- Young on where you want to be after the first round in this format: "You want to be at least within three of the lead. We would have taken that. To be where we are, tied, after the start we had, it feels like a bonus. We feel good about the format tomorrow."
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