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Dates: Wednesday, May 15 and Thursday, May 16
Format: Two rounds of four-ball stroke play. If there is a tie after 36 holes, a sudden-death playoff will be utilized to determine a champion.
Host site: Westwood Country Club
Day 2: Shingler/Decker rally to claim title
Photo gallery
VIENNA -- One side's pursuit of history ended on Thursday at Westwood Country Club. Another side's pursuit came to fruition.
Scott Shingler (Dominion Valley CC) and Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) rallied from two shots down to claim a two-stroke victory at the 42nd Virginia State Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship, ending Jon Hurst and Buck Brittain's three-year stranglehold on the event. Hurst (Fredericksburg CC) and Brittain (The Virginian GC) finished as runners-up.
Shingler and Decker posted a two-day 11-under-par aggregate total of 67-64--131 and became the first side in history to win both the VSGA Four-Ball and Senior Four-Ball championships. Shingler and Decker won the Four-Ball in 2012 at Spring Creek Golf Club.
Hurst and Brittain were attempting to inch closer to the record of five straight Senior Four-Ball titles, set by Virginia Golf Hall of Famers Jim Kite and Bob Moyers in the 1990s.
Brittain and Hurst posted rounds of 65-68 to finish at 9-under 133 and alone in second. Carlos Aranda (Springfield G&CC) and Tony Good (The Hollows GC) tied for third with Steve Serrao (Willow Oaks CC) and Jay Serrao (Cavalier G&YC). Each side posted rounds of 66-68--134 to finish three strokes behind at 3-under.
NOTABLE
- Shingler made a birdie on 18 to give his side a two-shot cushion over the field.
- Brittain and Hurst were aware that they were two strokes behind Shingler and Decker with three holes to play. After making par on 16, they each hit their shots into the par-3 17th long, leaving 40-plus foot birdie putts. Brittain's speed was perfect on his attempt but the ball finished left of the hole. Hurst attacked and hit his several feet past.
- On 18, Brittain hit his approach into the par-4 green left, meaning Hurst had to jar his approach for eagle to send the event into a playoff. His shot was on line but came up well short.
- Decker won his 35th VSGA championship, including six Four-Balls, one Four-Ball match play, and three Senior Four-Balls.
- Shingler is now halfway to the VSGA "Senior Slam," having won the VSGA Senior Amateur last season. He needs to win the Senior Stroke Play and Senior Open of Virginia to complete it.
- Aranda has finished inside the top three in three of the last four Senior Four-Balls.
- The top five finishers and ties earned exemptions into next year's Senior Four-Ball Championship. Sides tied for fifth included Scott Bemberis/Paras Pandya, Peter Beeman/Bill Musto, Kevin Dillard/Jeffrey Klatt, Philip Mahone and Dave Williams Jr., and David Partridge/Dave Pulk.
QUOTABLE
- See the video below for an interview with champions Keith Decker and Scott Shingler.
- "We were surprised on 17 where our shots ended up," Hurst said. "It's hard to believe we mis-clubbed like that," Brittain added. "It doesn't seem right."
- "I knew we needed two birdies. I saw Scott make his birdie on 18. I was looking through the binoculars back there. So I told Buck, we need to hit a good one here, and make a birdie. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I thought we were hitting into the win. It was a normal 6-iron for me, and I hit it 190." -- Hurst
- "We actually walked to the tee with a 6-iron and a 5-iron, and we still went long." -- Brittain
- "It's hard to win. People don't understand this. Any time you win, it's a good feeling. But we like playing together. We razz each other and have a good time." -- Hurst
Day 1: Three-time champs hold one-stroke lead
Photo gallery
Jon Hurst and Buck Brittain celebrate Brittain's birdie on No. 12 Wednesday at Westwood CC (Chris Lang/VSGA)
VIENNA -- Three-time defending Virginia State Golf Association Senior Four-Ball champions Jon Hurst and Buck Brittain survived an early hiccup to shoot a 6-under-par 65 Wednesday at Westwood Country Club to take the 18-hole lead at the 42nd playing of the event.
Hurst (Fredericksburg CC) and Brittain (The Virginian GC) hold a one-stroke lead over four sides: Carlos Aranda (Springfield G&CC) and Tony Good (The Hollows GC); Steve Serrao (Willow Oaks CC) and Jay Serrao (Cavalier G&YC); Peter Beeman and Bill Musto (Trump National GC Washington DC); and David Partridge (Hermitage CC) and Dave Pulk (Two Rivers CC).
Five sides shot 4-under-par 67 and enter Thursday's second and final round two shots off the pace. The final grouping of Brittain/Hurst and Aranda/Good will tee off at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Players battled misty, damp conditions on a cool May day. Brittain and Hurst made eight birdies and worked their way around a double bogey on the par-5 2nd hole. Starting at No. 7, they birdied seven of eight holes to surge to the top of the leaderboard.
NOTABLE:
- Brittain won the 2020 VSGA Senior Amateur at Westwood, beating his partner Hurst in the semifinals on the way to the title.
- Three sides featuring Westwood members competed. Rick Peel (playing with Trump National's Bradley Love) is tied for 14th at 2-under. Mark Carlson and Chris Stout are tied for 35th, while Tim Krouse and David Farrell are tied for 39th.
- Westwood's three par 5s yielded no eagles on Wednesday, and only one -- No. 8 -- played to an under-par average (4.93).
- The oldest player in the field is 70-year-old Tim Vigotsky. The oldest side, by combined age, is Partridge (69) and Pulk (67). Both have won multiple VSGA super senior championships.
- One side withdrew on Wednesday. Darrell Craft hurt his back on the 10th hole, and his partner Steve Firkins tried to carry on by himself but withdrew the side after the 15th hole.
QUOTABLE:
- "It was misty, and the hole played like 900 yards. I hit it down the wrong side. It just didn't go well." -- Hurst on the double bogey on No. 2.
- "We started to get in the groove around No. 7. We hit some good shots and had some good opportunities." -- Brittain
- "It would nice to get four straight and have the opportunity to (tie the record of five straight wins). But we'll either be the winner or we'll be first loser." -- Hurst
- "I said to (Brittain), at least it was early. That was the benefit. It was the second hole of the day. The weather was kind of crappy right then." -- Hurst on the double bogey
- "A lot of ham and egging today. We missed a couple of short putts on the front nine. Then on the back nine, I think we maximized our score based on the way we hit it. We did some good scrambling and put ourselves in a good position. We're just trying to stay near Jon and Buck, because those guys can run away." -- Steve Serrao
- "The rough was tough. The ball wasn't going as far because it was a little wet. But the course was perfect. There were a lot of other courses that we probably couldn't have played today." -- Steve Serrao
- "We're trying hard to still compete with them. Obviously, there are a lot of 50-year-olds in the field. But we just love to play. If we play our butts off, then maybe we have a chance to win, especially if we putt better than we typically putt. We're just out here keeping these young kids honest." -- Partridge
- "I think we still hit it far enough to compete in the regular senior events." -- Pulk
- "I haven't played a lot of tournament golf the last few years. I've been so busy with other things. But when David said, 'let's partner in something' -- and we were both exempt for this tournament -- we said, let's do it." -- Pulk