43rd VSGA Senior Four-Ball Championship

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Dates: Wednesday, May 7-Thursday, May 8

Format: Two-round 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: Orchard Creek

Day 2: Serrao brothers claim crown

(Steve and Jay Serrao celebrate their title at Orchard Creek. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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BY CHRIS LANG

WAYNESBORO -- Right after Steve Serrao sunk an uncomfortable putt for par on the 8th hole Thursday at Orchard Creek, he and brother/partner Jay Serrao regrouped a bit. Steve gave his younger brother a pep talk, telling him to just play his game, and success would follow. They weren't playing poorly, mind you. They were 4-under for the day during the second round of the 43rd Virginia State Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship. But they were aware that treading water wasn't going to be enough on a day where many in the field were going super low.

Whatever the conversation was, it worked. Steve responded by chipping in for eagle on No. 9 and making birdie on No. 10. Both players birdied 11, and Jay brought the heat at the end, making consecutive birdies on the final two holes to give them a one-stroke edge with only one group left on the course. When Cam Young's birdie putt on 18 came up short, the Serrao brothers clinched a title that they've desperately sought after for years.

The Serraos posted rounds of 66 and 62 for a two-day aggregate total of 16-under 128 to nip Young and David Jordan by a stroke, giving them their first title in five tries together in the event.

The brothers have played golf together for decades, starting as high school teammates and eventually in events like the Willow Oaks Four-Ball, hosted at Steve's home course. Jay, a member at Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club in Virginia Beach, is more than two years younger than Steve. They had some close calls in the regular VSGA Four-Ball Championship but never broke through. Once Jay turned 50, their partnership resumed. They've won together before, claiming the last two titles in the VSGA Senior Multi-Format Team Championship. But this is the title they've chased ever since Jay joined the senior ranks.

They went to 18 needing at least a birdie, and Jay came through with an outstanding 2-iron approach on his second shot into the par-5 hole. That left him 40 feet for eagle, and he snugged it to a foot for a tap-in birdie that gave the side the lead. Young, who won the VSGA Senior Four-Ball with Steve Serrao in 2018, has battled back injuries over the last few years, but a birdie on 17 kept his side in the hunt. Young eagled 18 in Wednesday's first round, but he couldn't dial up the same magic on Thursday. His second shot was 121 yards short of the green, and he didn't quite get enough of a pitching wedge to get it to reasonable birdie range. Jordan found himself out of position the entire hole, and when his chip for birdie from left of the green failed to drop, Young needed to sink a tough bomb for birdie to force a playoff. His putt came up short and left, leaving the Serrao brothers to celebrate.

NOTABLE

• The Serraos' victory earned them a spot into the VSGA Four-Ball Championship in two weeks at Williamsburg Golf Club. They like the track. Steve won the VSGA Senior Stroke Play there last year, and Jay was tied for second.
• Two sides of brothers have won the VSGA Four-Ball Championship, most recently Sam and Ben Beach. But the Serraos are the first brother tandem to win the Senior Four-Ball.
• Plenty of low scores were posted Thursday in perfect conditions as players became accustomed to Orchard Creek's quirks. 2024 champions Keith Decker and Scott Shingler shot 62 to finish fourth at 13-under 131. Scott Bemberis and Paras Pandya posted a 63 to finish in third at 14-under 130. David Partridge and Dave Pulk shot 63 to rise 23 spots up the leaderboard and finish in a tie for 10th at 9-under 135.

QUOTABLE

• "We had a little pep talk. I told him he's awesome. Just hang in there and play your game. Next hole, he hit a great second shot, freed me up to hit a great second shot, then I chipped in (for eagle) before he had a chance to chip his." -- Steve Serrao on his conversation with Jay after No. 8.
• "I tell you, we almost won the regular division twice -- once at Bide-A-Wee, and I can't remember where the other one was. It would have been nice to get that one as brothers. But we've been out here five years now (as seniors), at least I have. We've been close. So this was exciting. It was fun." -- Jay Serrao
• "We heard something was happening, but we didn't want to look at the leaderboard. We were going to wait until the 16th tee, because that's kind of a risk-reward hole. What else were we going to do? We were pedal to the metal the whole time, so what was looking at the scoreboard going to do? We waited until we had to make a decision on how to play a hole." -- Steve Serrao
  

   

• "Listen, give Steve and Jay a lot of credit. What did they shoot? 62? We shot 7-under. We played really well. We had a couple of opportunities coming in. I didn't make one. David didn't make one. But take nothing away from the week. We had an awesome week together. It's hard to win a golf tournament. Steve and Jay played great, and they won. I don't think we lost. They won." -- Cam Young
• "Tip your hat to the Serraos. They are tough, they had a great round today, and we got beat." -- David Jordan
• "When you're in the hunt like this, the adrenaline is flowing. I knew I had to hit pitching wedge, but I also know I couldn't hit it over the green. It was the only club I could hit. I guess I didn't make great contact with it and came up short. It happens." -- Young
• "This is why we go through the pain of stretching and working out at our age, because it hurts to play golf. We do it to keep fighting to get in this position." -- Jordan
• "For me, it was great to be back in the hunt. I just love being back in contention again. Certainly I would have liked to have won, but give Jay and Steve the credit." -- Young

Day 1: Final-hole eagle secures lead for Young/Jordan

(David Jordan and Cam Young read a putt on the 11th green at Orchard Creek on Wednesday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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BY CHRIS LANG

WAYNESBORO -- The par-5 18th at Orchard Creek isn't a two-shot hole for most. But for a long hitter like Cam Young, if you hit your drive in the right spot and leave yourself the perfect angle for an approach, it's doable. That's exactly what happened on Wednesday during the first round of the 43rd Virginia State Golf Association Senior Four-Ball Championship.

Young nuked a 3-wood to the front of the green on his second shot, then bombed home a 35-foot eagle putt to clinch a round of 8-under-par 64 for he and partner David Jordan, giving the side a two-stroke lead over three sides heading into Thursday's second and final round.

Three sides shot rounds of 6-under 66 on Wednesday: Philip Mahone (Farmington CC) and David Williams Jr. (Sleepy Hole GC); Steve Serrao (Willow Oaks CC) and Jay Serrao (Cavalier G&YC); and Pete DeTemple (VSGA eClub) and Dean Griffith (Blue Ridge Shadows GC).

Richmond-area golfers Young (Independence GC) and Jordan (Willow Oaks CC) are no stranger to success in partner events. Young teamed with Steve Serrao in 2018 to win the VSGA Senior Four-Ball at The Virginian in Bristol, and Jordan paired with Jon Hurst in 2022 to win the VSGA Senior Multi-Format Team Championship at The Dominion Club. 

They shot 8 under even with a bogey on the par-4 6th hole. They did most of their damage on the inward nine, with Jordan making birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 and Young contributing a birdie on 17 to go along with his eagle on the last.

Mahone and Williams' round could have been even better, considering they posted bogeys on Nos. 11 and 15. Williams made an eagle on No. 5 and added four birdies, while Mahone contributed two birdies. The Serraos posted a pair of 3-under nines for their 66. Steve got hot early, carding four birdies in the first 11 holes. Jay picked the side up late, making birdie on both Nos. 15 and 16. For the Griffith/DeTemple pairing, Griffith finished strong, making birdie on the final two holes.

NOTABLE

• Jordan/Young and Williams/Mahone will tee off in the final group at 12:02 p.m. The Serraos will play with DeTemple and Griffith at 11:51 a.m.
• Three sides finished Wednesday tied for fifth at 5-under 67, three strokes back of the lead: Paras Pandya (Kinloch GC) and Scott Bemberis (Independence GC); Neil Davis (Keswick Club) and Jon Zampedro (Pleasant Valley GC); and Steve Firkins and Kevin South of Magnolia Green GC.
• Defending champions Scott Shingler (Dominion Valley CC) and Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC) posted a 3-under round of 69 and sits in a tie for 15th, five shots off the pace.
• Three-time winners Jon Hurst (Fredericksburg CC) and Buck Brittain (The Virginian GC) are among the seven sides tied for eighth at 4-under 68.
• Orchard Creek is a Fred Findlay designed golf course that features mountain views, plenty of elevation changes, and a lot of blind tee and approach shots, an adjustment for players who tend to play flatter courses. It's generally regarded as a second-shot golf course.

QUOTABLE

• "I hit a perfect drive down the right-hand side, almost to the edge of the rough. I just guessed the yardage (on the second shot) and hit a good 3-wood. I can't hit it high any more, so I knew I had to hit it at the edge of the tree with a little draw, and I absolutely smoked it. I had about 35 feet, David told me exactly where to hit it, and luckily it went in." -- Young on his eagle on 18.
• "We made a few mistakes, but we kind of covered them up." -- Young
• "It's always good to play with a buddy you love and to play well. We've been waiting for this. It was a good day." -- Jordan
• "You've got to commit to your shot. Luckily, I came out to play a practice round while my partner was qualifying to go to the next stage of the (U.S.) Senior Open. I came out and got a feel for the lines, and David listened. We just played well. I don't even know what else to say." -- Young on Orchard Creek
• "Jay's a big hitter. I was hitting it pretty good too. This course is fun to play. You have to be aggressive." -- Steve Serrao
• "This happened to us up at Washington Golf (in the 2022 Senior Four-Ball). We didn't get our practice round in there and then went out and shot 60 on the second day." -- Steve Serrao
• "I'm supposed to be the insurance guy. I hit it short and straight and keep us in the hole, and I let him get the birdies." -- Mahone on partner David Williams Jr.
• "There were a couple of par 3s on the front where (Mahone) had to make a 6- and an 8-footer (for par), and I think that was the key to keeping our round going." -- Williams
• "It got me twice today, just not being used to it. ... The sight lines are tough in a couple of places, but I like it. It's a fun golf course. It's playing fantastic." -- Williams on Orchard Creek
• "When we started out, it just felt so easy. We were cruising right along, making easy pars, having looks at birdie on just about every hole. We got to the back side, we got to No. 11 and I hit mine in the water and he hit his left. We made 6 there. We were lucky enough to birdie the next hole, but then we just sort of treaded water. Some of those 4s that we made down the stretch could have been easy 3s." -- Paras Pandaya on he and partner Scott Bemberis' round.