50th VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship

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Dates: Friday, September 18 - Sunday, September 20

Format: 54 holes of stroke play, with the field cut to the low 50 percent and ties after Saturday's second round. If there is a tie atop the leaderboard after 54 holes, a sudden-death playoff will be utilized to determine a champion.

Defending champion: Joey Jordan

Host site: Bay Creek Resort 

Virginia Golfer story: The VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship is still flying along after 50 years

Day 3: Utley rolls to second Mid-Amateur victory

(Jordan Utley, left, is congratulated by 2025 VSGA Mid-Amateur winner Joey Jordan Sunday at Bay Creek. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

CAPE CHARLES -- Jordan Utley provided precious few openings during a dominant Sunday round at the 50th VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship. Any time his closest pursuer -- close friend and fellow Hermitage Country Club member Sam Beach -- would roll in a long birdie putt, Utley was there to match, leaving Beach to lament that he had simply run into a buzzsaw during Sunday's final round.

Utley posted a 5-under 31 on the back nine (Bay Creek Club and Resort's Palmer front nine) to pull away from the field, giving him a final tally of 13-under 203 and a five-stroke victory over Beach for his second VSGA Mid-Amateur title in three years. This one felt a little different than two years ago at Country Club of Petersburg, where Utley had secured a desperately sought individual breakthrough in VSGA championships. On that Sunday in 2024, Utley clinched the title with a 25-foot birdie putt and unleashed a huge scream and fist pump on CCP's 18th green.

This time, it was about a 30-foot putt for birdie on No. 17 that helped Utley maintain a five-stroke lead. He still let out a fist pump, but it was more muted and confident, the mark of a player who had been there before.

"I was exceptional at staying in the process," Utley said. "I was able to slow my heart rate down today, which was not always easy in prior years. Staying present was really working today, and it was nice to continue to see the ball roll well, because where you generally see nerves is on the putting green. I felt like I had a really good handle all day."

Utley's round on Sunday started in bizarre fashion. He spoke on Saturday afternoon of the slight pressure on sleeping on a lead -- he came into Sunday two strokes clear of Drew Brockwell. But he didn't expect that pressure to manifest in such a strange way. A moment after starter Jeff Minnix introduced Utley, he stepped to the tee, addressed his ball ... and cold topped it 10 yards into the rough.

"Comepletely inexplicable," Utley said. "I didn't have a great warmup session, but you don't expect bad warmup sessions to lead to that type of a shot. It was definitely a bit of a shock, but being able to make a putt to save double and take any momentum I could take from it, that was huge."

He ralled to save double bogey on the par-4 opener, and quickly shook off the error as an anomaly. If anything, it seemed to galvanize Utley. Soon after Beach rolled in about a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 3, Utley drained a 12 footer of his own to match. He then stuck it close on No. 4 and made the birdie putt, made bogey on No. 5, then rallied with a birdie on No. 6. It was Utley's round the rest of the way. He played the final 11 holes at 6-under, with six birdies and no bogeys.

"He was flawless after the first hole, making birdies left and right, and I just couldn't keep up," Beach said, adding of the long birdie on 17, "That was just icing on the cake. I was what, four down going into that hole. I made birdie, and he made birdie. At that point it was too late."

Utley's five-stroke victory was the largest in the Mid-Amateur in a decade -- Matt Chandler won his final Mid-Am title by six strokes in 2016. It earned Utley a spot on the Virginias' Captain's Putter roster, a thought that was far from his mind entering the weekend considering this was the first VSGA individual event he had entered in 2026.

"Winning mid-ams is very important," Utley said. "I still have a deep-down goal to maybe get an Amateur, but at 40 years old, this is as special as it gets. Being able to represent Virginia as a second-time mid-am champion, it's an honor for sure."

Beach shot a Sunday 67 to finish at 8-under 208 for the championship. Brockwell, who set the Friday pace with an 8-under 64, finished solo third at 7-under 209. Brandon Ramsuer was fourth at 3-under 213, and Matt Pritchar was fifth at 2-under 214. All earned exemptions into the 2027 VSGA Amateur, set for next June at Keswick Club.

NOTABLE 

• Keswick Club's Philip Harrison had the surprise round of the day. After opening with a pair of 79s, Harrison posted a 7-under 65 on Sunday to move up 25 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 17th.

• Virginia Beach National's Kevin Olson also had a strong final round. After opening 81-75, he carded a 4-under 68 to move up 15 spots and into a tie for 20th.

• 2017 champion Justin Young shot a 1-under 71 and finished alone in sixth at 1-under 215 for the three days. Last year's champion, Joey Jordan, finished in eighth at 3-over 219.

Day 2: Steady finish helps Utley to two-stroke lead

(Jordan Utley sizes up his tee shot on No. 13 Saturday at Bay Creek. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

CAPE CHARLES -- The wind swirled Saturday at Bay Creek Golf Club and Resort, especially on the exposed holes that run along the Chesapeake Bay. Predictably, the scores rose as well. There was no 64 in the offing, just a chance for the best players at the 50th VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship to show how to navigate difficult conditions and score when opportunities arose.

None did so better than 2024 VSGA Mid-Amateur champion Jordan Utley, who posted a second straight round in the 60s to open a two-stroke lead over 18-hole leader Drew Brockwell heading into Sunday's third and final round. Utley followed his opening 68 with a 3-under 69 on Saturday for a two-day total of 7-under 137. Brockwell couldn't replicate Friday's magic, following his 64 with a 3-over 75, and sits two shots back of the lead. Sam Beach and Brandon Ramsuer are four shots back at 3-under 141.

Utley, Brockwell and Beach comprise the final grouping, which will go start at 10:50 a.m. in Sunday's single-tee start. Forty-four players -- exactly half of the starting field -- made the 36-hole cut a 14-over 158 or better.

NOTABLE

• Utley, a member at Hermitage CC, was the only player to post two rounds in the 60s over the championship's first two days. After making five birdies and two bogeys over the course of his first 11 holes, he finished his round by grinding out seven straight pars to keep Brockwell at bay. 

• In the ultimate show of golf being golf, Brockwell made eight straight birdies one day and was fishing a golf ball out of the Chesapeake Bay the next. Though the Lakeside Park Club member made three birdies on Saturday, he had to work around a double bogey on the par-3 13th and a triple bogey on the par-4 5th. On the par-3, the wind caught his ball just enough to send it sailing right of the penalty area and into the bay. For reference, the long bunker right of the green empties directly into the beach below. His relief point was in the bunker, well short of the hole, and he failed to get up and down for bogey. Brockwell, who opened the day at 8-under, fell all the way to 3-under after the triple but managed to make two birdies coming in to stay within striking distance of Utley.

• Beach, like Utley a member at Hermitage, opened with an even-par 72 on Friday and looked like he might go super low on Saturday, opening on the back nine (Palmer front) with an eagle and a birdie. He added another eagle on the par-5 15th to get to 5-under for the round, but struggled after that, making four bogeys and two birdies to finish with his 69.
• Ramsuer, another Lakeside Park Club member, made 13 pars, three birdies and two bogeys to stay around the lead.
• Ford Colony's Matt Pritchard posted a second straight 1-under 71 and enters the final round five shots back of the lead.
• Along with Utley, two other past champions are inside the top 10, though both will likely need to take it deep on Sunday to have a chance at another title. Justin Young, Roanoke CC member and 2017 winner, rallied after an opening round 75 to post a 3-under 69 on Saturday and get back to level par for the tournament. He's tied for seventh with Stephen Bain. Defending champion Joey Jordan struggled to a 4-over 76 on Saturday after opening with a 2-under 70 and is tied for 10th at 2-over, nine shots back.
• The biggest turnaround on Saturday went to Cutalong at Lake Anna's Bryan Snow, who shot Saturday's low round, a 4-under 68, a day after posting a 7-over 79.

QUOTABLE 

• "It was definitely breezy and gusty, and you had to stay patient. Some of the flags, you really couldn't go at, so you had to just take your 30 footer. But I did get off to a really good start. It was really nice to roll in some putts and keep it stress free. When I got into some trouble, I was able to scramble and get out of it. The back nine was just a hold-on-tight situation. Don't do anything stupid. Don't make mistakes. Drew was having a couple of stumbles, so I didn't want to back up while he was backing up. So I just tried to stay focused on just figuring out ways to make pars." -- Jordan Utley

• "It's got to help, there's certainly not a negative to it. Certainly, there's added pressure with sleeping on a lead, but it's just golf. There's some perspective that I've gained from working on the process, and making sure I'm comfortable with myself, rather than worrying about the results. Today was a perfect example of that. Just sticking to what I do best, and whatever happens, happens." -- Utley on the experience of having won this event in the past.
• "I really didn't hit many bad shots. I finished at 3-over, but I feel like I hit the ball pretty good. That's just what happens. On 13, I legitimately hit it in the bay -- you saw it -- and I hit it within three yards of where I was aiming. It just happens that the wind caught it the right way. It happens. On 5, that was probably my one bad swing I made all day. I caught a couple of tough breaks. I'm not really upset with how I played. I hit it well. I finished well to give myself some momentum going into tomorrow. I'm not upset. That's just golf." -- Drew Brockwell
• Brockwell, on his triple on 5: "I hit it right and it landed on the cart path, and I find it in the hazard, just this far off the cart path. It was a little sandy underneath, so I'm like, let's just chip it back in play and make five at worst, it's not going to kill me. And it was so soft, and I hit it 10 yards. It ends up on the cart path, and I had 150 yards. I tried to hit it over the trees and it turned into one mistake after another. Something I thought would be fine ended up costing me a little bit."
• "I looked at the leaderboard after I made the triple, just to see where I was at. I know it was windy, I know it wasn't the easiest day. I couldn't have been in like, 15th. I was still right around there. I saw I was only a couple back, Jordan was leading, and no one was really catching Jordan. If I could get a strong finish, I'd be pretty happy." -- Brockwell

• "I had nothing to lose, eight shots back. So I just wanted to go right at it and see what happens. I got off to a hot start and kind of fizzled, fought back, then fizzled again. It was a lot of birdie-bogey, birdie-bogey golf. Overall, it was kind of tough out there. The wind was swirling. But I felt pretty good about the score." -- Sam Beach

• "One second, you're downwind, and you're thinking one club. The next second, you're into the wind and you're thinking two more clubs. You've got to get the wind right. If not, you're going to come up way short, or airmail it. You've got to figure out what the wind is doing at the time, commit, and hit it quickly." -- Beach
• "Same as today. I have nothing to lose. Just go out and make as many birdies as I can and see what happens." -- Beach on his approach to Sunday.

Day 1: Sizzling birdie run puts Brockwell in lead

(Drew Brockwell takes a breather after tapping in from six inches for birdie on No. 10 on Friday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

CAPE CHARLES -- Drew Brockwell was scuffling along nearly halfway through the opening round of the 50th VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship on Friday at Bay Creek Resort and Club. His first eight holes: Three birdies, three bogeys, two pars. There was certainly nothing there to indicate he was about to go on an all-time heater.

Eight consecutive birdies later, Brockwell (Lakeside Park Club) had separated himself from the field, and afterward, he even struggled to explain just what happened as he rolled to an 8-under 64 and a four-shot lead after one round of the 54-hole championship.

"It's a feeling I haven't felt before," Brockwell said. "I did something similar at the State Open, but not to that extent. Feels good. The putts were going in, and you just try to keep it rolling as long as you can. It's a great feeling to have, just not one I've had very frequently. It was just a lot of fun."

Brockwell's closest pursuers are past champion Jordan Utley of Hermitage CC and Hidden Valley CC's Stephen Bain, each of whom posted 4-under rounds of 68. Fellow Lakeside member Brandon Ramsuer and defending champion Joey Jordan are six shots back after posting 2-under rounds of 70.

After Saturday's second round, the 88-player field will be cut to the low 50 percent and ties for Sunday's third and final round.

NOTABLE

• Brockwell had made back-to-back bogeys before making a birdie on the par-5 9th. On the par-5 10th, he nearly holed out for eagle, his approach hitting a small ridge just past the green before rolling back to within six inches of the cup. His run finally ended on No. 17 (No. 8 on the Palmer course), but even that was exciting, as he sunk a 30-foot putt to save par.

• Utley, who won the 2024 Mid-Amateur at Country Club of Petersburg and later advanced to the round of 32 at the U.S. Mid-Amateur, scrambled early to save his round and turn at 1-under before finding his footing on the back. He opened the Palmer nine (playing as the back for this event) with five birdies in six holes, getting to 5-under at one point before dropping a shot with a bogey on No. 17.

• Bain made seven birdies and survived a double bogey on No. 7 to stay in the hunt.
• Jordan's title defense got off to a rough start as he doubled the par-4 opening hole. He grinded out seven straight pars before making his first birdie on No. 9, followed by an eagle on 10 and a birdie on 11. Just when he had caught fire, another double bogey on No. 12 halted his momentum. He made two birdies coming in to get to the right side of par.
• Conditions were benign on Friday, with warm temperatures and little wind coming off the Chesapeake Bay, making Bay Creek extremely scoreable. 

QUOTABLE

• "I two-putted 9 for birdie. I hit it to 6 inches on 10. I made probably a 12-footer on 11, a 10-footer on 12, a 6-footer on 13, an 8-footer on 14. I two-putted 15 (par 5) and made a 12-footer on 16. The longest putt I made all day was the par putt on 17, I made like a 30-footer. I just got in a groove and was trying to ride it. I hit a lot of good shots." -- Drew Brockwell

• "I hit it great on the first eight holes, I just couldn't score well. I made a couple of dumb bogeys, and I was like, alright, let's make a couple of birdies on the back nine. There are some scoreable par 5s. Let's see what happened. Then something just clicked." -- Brockwell
• "It was brutal to start. I tell you, it was awful. The putter saved me all day. I made probably 100-140 feet worth of putts today. I made a par save on 3 and a par save on 4 that if I don't make, I could be done for the day. I made those two and I rolled in probably a 20-footer on 5 for birdie that helped me get back into rhythm and routine. I made a couple of mistakes coming in, and when Drew shoots 8-under, you don't want to lose any ground. But if you had told me 68 was my number before today started, I would have taken it." -- Jordan Utley
• "I'm sure it wasn't just our group that was following along. Is he going to going to get another one? Unfortunately for me, I was just trying to keep up. I made birdies on four of the first five holes on the back nne and was losing ground, which is not normal. Great for Drew. He played awesome. Hopefully he cools off a little bit tomorrow and Sunday." -- Utley

• "Hit the tee balls really well, just kept it in play and kept everything in front of me. I really didn't get myself in any trouble at all. Just made a few putts, and it added up to a pretty good score." -- Stephen Bain

• "The wind was kind of down. I imagine this place is pretty tough when the wind is up. But with it being down and kind of dead, and the greens being good, it was pretty scoreable. It was out there." -- Bain