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Dates: Tuesday, July 22 and Wednesday, July 23
Format: 36 holes of stroke play in three age divisions: 65+, 70+, and 75+. Should there be a tie after 36 holes in any age division, a playoff will be utilized to determine a champion. Only 65+ players are eligible for super senior player rankings points.
Host site: Cedar Point Club
Day 2: Barber, Flax, Grady earn titles
(Jeff Flax and Dayton Slater shake hands after Flax's victory on the second playoff hole. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)
By Chris Lang
SUFFOLK -- Cedar Point produced three tight leaderboards during the 40th Virginia State Golf Association Super Senior Stroke Play Championship, with two players (Allen Barber and Jeff Flax) emerging victorious in playoffs, while another (Tom Grady) won by one stroke.
65+ division
Though there was movement behind it for much of the day, the final grouping of Barber (James River CC), Kent Erdahl (Two Rivers CC) and Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) ultimately had the best chances to win coming down the stretch. Tim Kelley (The Federal Club) made a run from behind, at one point getting to 4-under for the afternoon to pull within a stroke of the leaders. Bogeys on 15 and 18, however, knocked him out of the running, leaving the final grouping to duke it out on 18.
Barber and Erdahl were a shot clear of Decker heading to 18. Decker pushed his drive hard to the right into the trees, leaving a punch out as his only option. Essentially needing to hole out from the fairway for birdie, Decker hit the green well short of the hole. Erdahl was in the left rough off the tee and hit a low liner that settled just to the left of the green, hole high. Barber's approach was on the right fringe, hole high. Erdahl left his chip about 20 feet short but managed to sink a long par putt to stay alive. Barber missed his birdie putt and sank his par putt to force the playoff, which he won with a 5-foot par putt. Erdahl missed a short one that would have extended the playoff.
"It's great," Barber said. "I played really solid today. I didn't make enough birdies, but I only made one bogey all day, which is pretty good. ... Just played really steady. Kent played great too. He made a big putt on 18. I thought I had it won there and he makes an 18-, 20-footer, and then that happens on the playoff hole. There's an old saying in golf that first man in wins, and I made the 5-footer, and he didn't make his 4-footer."
Barber won his sixth VSGA title but his first since the Four-Ball Championship in 2004.
70+ division
Again, the final group decided the outcome of this division. Jeff Hudgins came to the 9th hole (the division started off No. 10) with a one-stroke lead over Flax and a two-shot lead over defending champion Dayton Slater, who was the only one to hit the green on the par-3 hole. Flax was just off the green to the right and hit an excellent lag putt to 3 feet. Hudgins was just off the green to the left, and his second shot came up well short of the hole. Slater bombed home about a 40-foot birdie putt to join the conversation, and when Hudgins was unable to two-putt for par, the three players went to a playoff.
Flax and Slater parred the first hole, and Hudgins bogeyed, eliminating him. Slater's approach on the second playoff hole (18) went well left, and a poor chip left him with a very long putt for par, which he was unable to convert. Flax two putted for par, clinching the victory, his first since moving up to the 70+ division. He won the 65+ division at the Super Senior Amateur in 2020.
"It's hard to accept that you can't compete with the 50 years anymore, but it's still fun to play against the same guys that I've played with all these years, and it's always fun to win," Flax said. "It's been fun. Senior golf and super senior golf has been a lot of fun. I enjoy it a lot."
75+ division
Grady, who lives in Florida but maintains a handicap at Stonewall Golf Club and plays in VSGA championships, said he was oblivious to the leaderboard all day, mostly because he started his second round five shots behind 18-hole leader Bob Jennings. Jennings (Elizabeth Manor G&CC) struggled to a 9-over 81 on Wednesday and quickly fell out of contention. Grady's closest pursuer, Bill Engel, returned an even-par 72 and finished ahead of Grady, who went to the 9th tee (started on 10) with a one-stroke lead, needing only a par to win. He nearly made a long birdie and tapped in for par to secure his first VSGA win since the Super Senior Amateur in 2016.
"I was 1 under after 11, and 13 (No. 3, he started on 10) is that par 5," said Grady, a past Senior Open of Virginia winner. "I gambled on it, and I nearly hit it OB. I had to hit a hybrid from under a tree, end up making a bogey, and I thought hat was it. But I went for it. After that, it was like, go play golf, it's a nice day. Love this golf course. You've got to hit shots left, hit shots right. The rough is horrific if you're off the fairway. The VSGA set it up really nice. They tucked a few pins here or there, and that made it really tough."
Day 1: Tight leaderboards abound at Cedar Point
(Allen Barber was one of three players in the 65+ division to shoot even par on Tuesday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)
By Chris Lang
SUFFOLK -- Cedar Point's championship course was the clear winner Tuesday during the first round of the 40th Virginia State Golf Association Super Senior Stroke Play Championship. Across three age divisions, only one player posted an under-par round -- 75+ division leader Bob Jennings, who posted a 2-under 70.
Three players are tied atop the 65+ leaderboard after 18 holes, with each returning scores of even-par 72: Allen Barber, Keith Decker, and Kent Erdahl. Level par was also enough to grab the lead in the 70+ division, with Jeff Hudgins holding a one stroke lead after shooting 72.
Wednesday figures to feature dramatic finishes in the 65+ and 70+ divisions. There are 12 players within four shots of the lead in the 65+, and four players within two shots of the lead in the 70+
NOTABLE
- Barber got out of position off the tee on 18 and finished his round with a bogey. He made four birdies on the day.
- Decker rallied from a tough mid-round stretch in which he made four bogeys in five holes, including three straight from 10-12. He played the final six holes at 2-under with two birdies to finish at even par.
- Erdahl was 3-under through seven holes but backtracked from there, playing the rest of his round at 3-over.
- Jon Zampedro finished with a 1-over 73 and is alone in fourth, one shot back in the 65+ division. Tim Vigotsky and defending 65+ champion David Partridge were tied for fifth after each returned 2-over 74s.
- Dave Pulk withdrew midway through the first round due to injury.
- Hudgins finished with two birdies, two bogeys and 14 pars. He's one stroke ahead of Jeff Flax and defending 70+ champion Dayton Slater. David Pleasants is alone in fourth after posting a 2-over 74.
- Jennings, a member at nearby Suffolk Golf Course, made bogey on the par-4 4th hole but played the rest of his round at 3-under with three birdies and no bogeys.
- J.P. Leigh and defending 75+ champion Terry Towler each posted rounds of 2-over 74 and stand tied for second, four shots back of Jennings. Tom Grady and Mike Ancel are five shots back at 3-over 75.
- Cedar Point has hosted both the VSGA Amateur (2022) and VSGA Women's Amateur (2023) this decade.