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Dates: Monday, June 10 - Tuesday, June 11
Format: Two rounds of stroke play, 18 holes each day. If there is a tie after 36 holes, a sudden-death playoff will be utilized to determine a champion.
Host site: Williamsburg Golf Club
Day 2: Serrao claims second Senior Stroke Play title
WILLIAMSBURG -- Clinging to a two-stroke lead on the final hole of the 38th Virginia State Golf Association Senior Stroke Play Championship, Steve Serrao found himself in a difficult spot after his drive on the 18th hole on Tuesday at Williamsburg Golf Club. His tee shot on the par-4 finishing hole strayed left into the trees, took two bounces and hit the wheel of the cart of a Rules official. Did the break keep the ball from going out of bounds? We'll never know, but Serrao took advantage of the break in the biggest way, firing the "best 7-iron of his life," 183 yards to a right back hole location, where it stopped a foot from the flag.
Any hope that Serrao's closest pursuers had quickly withered away, and Serrao tapped in for birdie to clinch a three-stroke victory and his second title in the event in the last three years.
Serrao posted a two-day aggregate total of 4-under-par 140 thanks to matching 70s on each day of the competition. He finished three strokes clear of six players tied for second: Bowen Sargent, David Jordan, Jay Serrao, Mike Bulich, Rob Menefee, and Jeffrey Klatt. The three-stroke margin was deceiving, considering a birdie-bogey swing on the final hole was a real possibility after Serrao's wayward drive.
Serrao, a member at Willow Oaks Country Club in Richmond, earned an exemption into the 111th VSGA Amateur Championship, which will be played June 24-28 at Belle Haven Country Club in Alexandria. Serrao now has four VSGA senior titles to his name, having won the Senior Amateur, two Senior Stroke Plays, and a Senior Four-Ball (with Cam Young). He'll look to join Buck Brittain and Keith Decker as the only players to win all four VSGA senior majors when the Senior Open of Virginia visits his home course in September.
NOTABLE
- Bulich, a Williamsburg GC member, entered the day tied for the lead. After a birdie on 11, he held a one-stroke lead over the field, but disaster struck on the par-3 12th when he hit his tee shot into a penalty area. He re-teed and hit his third shot right of the green and failed to get up-and-down, a triple-bogey six dropping him down the leaderboard. He made a valiant rally that included birdies on 17 and 18 to earn his runner-up spot.
- Klatt's T2 finish marked his second straight runner-up finish in the event.
- Defending champion Buck Brittain was one of five players tied for 10th at 1-over 145.
QUOTABLE
- See the video below for a full interview with Serrao.
- "I knew if I was anywhere in contention, my guys would come out. I had 75 text messages yesterday, or more. There's over 40 on my phone right now, I haven't even looked at them. I was just trying to win a tournament. I'm so blessed. You know what? I went to church this morning, and I said, I'm not praying for a win. I'm just praying for courage to do my best. I failed on 12, but I had four birdies on the back. That's not failing. ... I literally fought to the end." -- Bulich
- "I'm glad Steve won. He's a great player. It was great playing with those guys. I always see their names in the paper. But I knew going out, that I was going to have some guys out here, hootin' and hollerin'. What else can you ask for? Yeah, you want to win. But all your buddies are here. Dude, I'm so blessed." -- Bulich
- "It was unbelievable to see him land it back there where he did. I looked a Rob and said, man, I thought we might have had a chance. Not after that." -- Klatt
- "I hit a couple of them too hard, and I hit a couple of really good ones that didn't go in." -- Klatt on his putting.
- "I hope. I've been playing pretty good this year and I'm starting to put it together." -- Klatt on whether a breakthrough is coming after back-to-back runner-up finishes.
Day 1: Bulich, Serrao tied atop packed leaderboard
WILLIAMSBURG -- Williamsburg Golf Club's tricky greens kept players from going low on Monday during the first round at the 38th Virginia State Golf Association Senior Stroke Play Championship. After 18 holes, two players were tied atop the leaderboard at 2-under-par 70, with another 11 sitting within two shots of the lead heading into Tuesday's second and final round.
Mike Bulich, a Williamsburg member, posted one of the 70s, along with Steve Serrao, a past champion from Willow Oaks.
Four players returned 1-under totals of 71: Defending champion Buck Brittain (The Virginian GC), Belle Haven CC member Rob Menefee, Jeffrey Klatt (Medal of Honor GC), last year's runner-up; and Joe Kruper of Old Hickory Golf Club.
Play begins at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday with all players starting on No. 1, with the final group scheduled to tee off at 12:18 p.m.
NOTABLE
- Bulich played steady golf, starting his round with 13 of his first 14 holes, the exception being a birdie on 8. He made birdies on 15 and 16 before finishing with a bogey on 18 to end his round at 2-under.
- Serrao, who won in 2022 at Chatmoss CC, opened with a bogey on Monday before going 3-under on his next nine holes. He ended his round with eight consecutive pars.
- Klatt hit his first approach on the opening hole to two feet before tapping in for birdie, part of a run of three birdies in four holes to start the day. He couldn't sustain the momentum, playing the next 13 holes at 3-over before recovering with a birdie on the last to finish at 1-under.
- Kruper was at 3-under heading to the final hole, but a double-bogey six that included a lip-out bogey putt dropped him into the tie for third.
- Outside of Brittain and Serrao, five other past Senior Stroke Play champions were in the field. Dave Pulk and Pete DeTemple were among those tied at even-par 72; Keith Decker and David Jordan posted 1-over rounds of 73; and Jon Hurst carded at 2-over 74.
- Tony Good withdrew following the first round, citing a back injury.
QUOTABLE
- "Maybe the nerves got me a little bit there. I thought I hit a good shot because the wind was going right, and I hit it to the left side, but it never moved over." -- Mike Bulich on his bogey on 18, where he hit into a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down for par.
- "I just played a tournament Friday, Saturday, Sunday in Suffolk, and when I'm done with this tomorrow, I'm going on vacation. So I feel wonderful. This is probably as good as I've ever played. I just feel comfortable. It's my home track, I've been here for 20 years. So it's just comfortable." -- Bulich
- "It's hard to be aggressive on putts. I started off with a three-putt on 1, then I yipped a birdie putt on 3. Then I didn't birdie the 4th hole with a 7-iron in my hand, so I was off to a slow start. So the greens definitely defend the course. I made birdie on that par-3, No. 5. I almost made it. It was a great shot, then I made the putt, and I started feeling better with my putter after that." -- Steve Serrao
- "I really didn't make anything. I had so many putts finish close or lip out on the back nine. I even changed balls, trying to change my luck. But I think I figured out how some of the breaks work, so maybe tomorrow I'll make some putts." -- Serrao
- "I'll be less nervous. It's less nerve-wracking than when you have a lead, because you're worried you're going to blow it. I'll be more aggressive tomorrow. I feel like I've got a comfort level on the greens, a comfort level with my swing, and tomorrow, it'll be fun. Sometimes when you're trying to defend something, it's not much fun. But when you're able to get after it and go after it, that'll be more fun." -- Serrao
- "I don't know. I think I might have gone brain dead for a second there. The putt coming back was farther than the first one that I missed." -- Buck Brittain on his three-putt bogey on 18.
- "I hit the ball really well. But I didn't putt very well. I reached 10 (par-5) in two and three putted. The only other bogey I had was the only green I missed. But I chipped it up to three feet and I missed it." -- Brittain
- "I think you've got to have patience on this golf course. You need to get it on the right part of the green, or you'll struggled. If I can start making some putts, the way I hit it today, I feel like I can post a good score. So I'll put something up and see what everybody else can do." -- Brittain