Championship website | Scoring | Preview | Record book: Mid-Senior | Super Senior
Dates: Monday, September 23 - Wednesday, September 25
Format: The Mid-Senior Amateur is for players ages 60 and older. The Super Senior Amateur is for players 65 and older and is split into three age divisions: 65+, 70+, 75+. One round of stroke-play qualifying in each division on Monday. The top 16 players will advance to match play in both the Mid-Senior and 65+ divisions, with the top eight advancing in the 70+ and 75+ divisions. All divisions will play morning and afternoon matches on Tuesday. On Wednesday, the Mid-Senior and 65+ divisions will play morning and afternoon matches. The championship matches in the 70+ and 75+ divisions will be held Wednesday morning.
Host site: Danville GC
Day 3: Champions crowned in four age divisions
DANVILLE -- Bob Bailey (Mid-Senior Amateur), Dave Pulk (Super Senior 65+), Robert Gardiner (70+) and George Owens (75+) all claimed titles on Wednesday as the 9th VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur and 30th VSGA Super Senior Amateur championships concluded at Danville Golf Club.
Mid-Senior: (2) Bob Bailey d. (4) Keith Decker, 1 up
Bailey ended the Virginia Golf Hall of Famer's four-year reign as Mid-Senior Amateur champion, beating Decker in a rematch of last year's title match at Greene Hills Club. Bailey made his move on the back nine at Danville. Decker led 2 up after making a birdie on No. 1o, but Bailey quickly sliced the lead in half with a birdie of his own on 11. Bailey won 14 with a birdie to tie the match, then won 16 with a pair to take a 1-up lead. Decker then won 17 with a par, sending the match to the final hole tied, where Bailey made par to claim the victory.
Bailey is a past winner of the VSGA Four-Ball Championship, pairing with Robert Nussey Jr. to win in 2019. Decker was denied his second VSGA victory of the year but remains by far the VSGA's all-time leader with 35 wins.
65+: (2) Dave Pulk d. (1) David Partridge, 3 and 2
Pulk, the 2019 VSGA Mid-Senior winner, claimed his first title in a Super Senior Amateur. A member at Two Rivers CC and a two-time Senior Open of Virginia champion, Pulk made a furious rally after Partridge -- another Virginia Golf Hall of Famer -- won three straight holes to take a 3-up lead through six. Pulk answered with two straight hole wins on 8 and 9 and tied the match with a win on 10. Pulk then won 13 and 14 with pars before clinching the match with a birdie on 16.
Partridge won the VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play title earlier this year. He lost in the title match for the second straight year, having fallen to Jack Allara in 2023 at Greene Hills Club.
70+: (2) Robert Gardiner d. (1) Jim Woodson, 1 up
Gardiner became the first repeat winner in this age division since John Cuomo in 2019 and 2020. He defeated Woodson, a two-time VSGA Super Senior Four-Ball champion, in a back-and-forth match in which neither player held more than a 1-up lead. Woodson held that advantage after 16 holes after making a three on the par-3 16th, but Gardiner won No. 17 with a bogey and No. 18 with a birdie to seal the match. Gardiner defeated Dayton Slater in last year's championship match at Greene Hills Club.
75+: (3) George Owens d. (4) Ron Janicki, 2 and 1
Owens won his third 75+ title against a third different opponent, having defeated Roger Pitkin in 2020 and David Stewart in 2019. Janicki won the first two holes, but Owens patiently plugged away until he tied the match with a par on No. 7. He took his first lead with a par on No. 9. Owens won Nos. 12 and 14 and won the match when he and Janicki tied the 17th hole.
Day 2: Defending champions in all age divisions advance
DANVILLE -- All four defending champions at the 9th VSGA Mid-Senior Amateur and 30th VSGA Super Senior Amateur championships advanced in their respective match play brackets on Tuesday. Morning action on Wednesday includes the semifinals from the Mid-Senior and Super Senior 65+ divisions along with the championship matches in the 70+ and 75+ divisions. The championship matches in the Mid-Senior and Super Senior 65+ are scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
Mid-Senior
Four-time defending champion Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) was among the four players to advance to Wednesday's semifinal round, having record a 3-and-2 win over Dave Rowson in the round of 16 and a 5-and-4 victory over Dave Spencer in the quarterfinals. Having eliminated all possible Daves from the bracket, Decker turns his sights to top seeded Pete Johnson of Willow Oaks CC. Johnson, who received a bye into the quarterfinals, quickly fell behind 3 down after four holes to Mike Krulich in his quarterfinal match Tuesday afternoon but briskly turned the tide by winning the 7th and 9th holes to pull within 1 down at the turn. He then won five of the next six holes to roll to a 4-and-3 victory.
Bob Bailey (James River CC) and Keith Myers (Blue Hills GC) will meet in the second semifinal. Bailey topped John Williams 4 and 3 in one quarterfinal, while Myers ousted Danny Hopkins 4 and 2 in the other.
65+
Three of the top four seeds from stroke-play qualifying advanced to the semifinals -- David Partridge (Hermitage CC), Dave Pulk (Two Rivers CC) and Mike Howell (International CC). The exception? Jack Allara (Hidden Valley CC), the 11th seed and defending division champion. Partridge and Howell will square off in one semifinal in a matchup of the last two VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play 65+ champions. Pulk and Allara will meet in the other in a matchup of players often paired together in four-ball competitions.
Partridge defeated Bill Sibbick and Alan Barber by identical 3-and-2 scores to advance. Howell beat Mark Funderburke and Mike Ligon, the latter in 20 holes. Pulk took out Skip Zobel and George Riefler. Allara defeated David Pleasants and Don Portis, also by identical 3-and-2 tallies.
70+
Top seed Jim Woodson (Mill Quarter Plantation) won twice on Tuesday to advance, ousting James Bryant and Jeff Hudgins by identical 4-and-3 counts. He'll meet Gardiner, who survived a 20-hole match with Ed Markowski before beating Dayton Slater -- the 70+ VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play winner -- 3 and 2.
75+
Last year, Janicki topped John Casstevens in the final match at Greene Hills Club. To win his second straight title, he'll have to defeat George Owens, Casstevens' long-time four-ball partner and two-time 75+ Super Senior Amateur champion. Janicki defeated Ray D'Amore and Mike Ancel in Tuesday's action, while Owens beat Casstevens and Terry Towler, who won this year's 75+ Super Senior Stroke Play title.
Day 1: Match play brackets set
DANVILLE -- The match-play brackets are set at the 9th Virginia State Golf Association Mid-Senior Amateur and 30th VSGA Super Senior Amateur championships. Match play will begin Tuesday morning. Five players earned stroke-play qualifying medals on Monday: Pete Johnson (Mid-Senior), Dave Pulk/David Partridge (65+), Jim Woodson (70+), and Mike Ancel (75+).
Mid-Senior
Johnson (Willow Oaks CC) fired an even-par 70 to finish a stroke clear of Bob Bailey (James River CC). Four-time defending champion Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) returned a 7-over 77 and tied for seventh. Johnson was 3-over through four holes but recovered with six birdies and three bogeys the rest of the way to end at level par. Because only 13 players entered this event, Johnson, Bailey and No. 3 seed Danny Hopkins earned byes into the quarterfinals. Decker will be the No. 4 seed and open against Dave Rowsey on Tuesday morning.
65+
Pulk and Partridge, who teamed up at the VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship back in May, each carded even-par rounds of 70 to share medalist honors. Pulk finished with two birdies and two bogeys. Pulk was 3-over on the front nine but rallied to play the rest of his round at 3-under to finish level. Partridge will open match play against Bill Sibbick, while Pulk will face Skip Zobel, another old four-ball partner of his.
70+
Woodson fired a 1-over 71 that included a stretch of three straight birdies on the back nine. He nipped defending age division champion Robert Gardiner by one stroke for medalist honors. Woodson will be the top seed in the eight-player bracket and face off against James Bryant. Gardiner will open his title defense against Ed Markowski.
75+
Ancel worked around a double bogey on No. 9 to finish at 4-over 74. Defending age division champion Ron Janicki shot a 7-over 77 and will be seeded fourth. Ancel opens match play against Walter Anderson, who won the title two years ago at Meadowbrook Country Club. Janicki will face Ray D'Amore in the first match of his title defense.