61st VSGA Four-Ball Championship

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Dates: Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23

Format: 36 holes of stroke play. If there is a tie atop the leaderboard at the end of the second round, a sudden-death tiebreaker will be utilized to determine a champion.

Starting times: Starting at 8:30 a.m. off holes No. 1 and No. 10 both days.

Defending champions: Ryan Stinnett and Jason Pool

Host site: Chatmoss CC

Day 2: Foti and Lamb close the deal, win first VSGA championship

(Jacob Foti, left, and Charlie Lamb celebrate after Lamb's birdie putt sealed their victory on Saturday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

MARTINSVILLE -- Washington Golf & Country Club's Jacob Foti and Charlie Lamb, the 18-hole pacesetters at the 61st VSGA Four-Ball Championship, were sputtering along at even par in Saturday's second and final round at Chatmoss Country Club, a bogey on No. 14 leaving them at even par for the day -- and leaving the championship wide open heading down the stretch.

That was true, at least, until they decided to slam the door with stellar play over the final four holes.

Foti drained a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 16 to put the side back in the solo lead, and Lamb's sublime wedge approach to inside of 2 feet on the tricky par-4 18th led to a birdie and a two-stroke victory. The side finished with a two-day total of 8-under 134, following their opening-round 65 with a 69. After failing to qualify for the championship last year, Foti and Lamb -- both college students -- became another in a line of first-time Four-Ball winners, in their first try in the event.

"We knew coming in that the guys behind us were chasing," Foti said. "We had nothing to lose this year. We were just trying to make as many pars and birdies as we could. We definitely got some adversity out there, but we handled it really well."

Foti (Christopher Newport) and Lamb (University of Georgia club team) finished two strokes clear of Brandon Ramsuer and Kyle Bailey, and Adam Houck and Steve Serrao.

As big as the birdies were for Foti and Lamb, a couple of crucial par saves from Foti helped the side bring home the Wallace McDowell Trophy. Foti got up and down for par on the par-3 15th to stabilize the momentum after both missed the green and made bogey on 14. Then on No. 17, Lamb missed his par putt, leaving Foti to negotiate a slick 8-foot comebacker for par. When it dropped, Lamb pumped his fist from behind, knowing the putt had helped his side maintain a one-stroke lead.

The 6-under sides were in the clubhouse, waiting to see if Lamb and Foti would falter. Lamb's approach put that thought to rest. His shot hit left of the flagstick, hole high, and slowly trickled right toward the cup, stopping less than 2 feet away. Foti jokingly asked his partner if he needed a read. Lamb simply replied, "no, I've got this," and sank it.

The victory earns both players an exemption into next month's VSGA Amateur Championship at Bayville, especially useful for Foti, who finished as second alternate at a qualifier earlier this week at Bristow Manor GC.

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NOTABLE

Foti and Lamb earned a 10-year exemption from qualifying for the VSGA Four-Ball Championship with their victory.
Four sides tied for fourth at 5-under 137: Ben McGrath and Adam Szwed, Brandon Grogan and Blake Carter, Austin Gray and Ren Schiffman, and Robb Kinder and Bobby Dudeck. McGrath and Szwed made the move of the day, jumping 20 spots on the leaderboard, following their 1-over opening round 72 with a 6-under second round 65. Grogan and Carter are Chatmoss members.
Ramsuer and Bailey posted the third-best round of the day, a 4-under 67 that moved them into contention. The second-best round went to Josh Riggleman and Tag Corrigan, who shot a 5-under 66 to move 19 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 16th.
Last year's champions, Ryan Stinnett and Jason Pool, finished tied for 26th at 1-over 143.
The anticipated heavy rain didn't materialize on Saturday unti the very end of the round.

QUOTABLE

"It was a big-time slider. We were talking about it. I had it with more break, Charlie had it with less break. I just committed to more break, and luckily it went in." -- Foti on the birdie on 16.
"I actually didn't hit it as hard as I wanted to, but it happened to drip in, which was nice." -- Foti on the par save on 17.
"It was kind of an in-between number, so I hit a full gap wedge. I didn't want to go right and follow (Foti), but luckily that slope was there and just took it in to about a foot." -- Lamb
"I was comfortable over it. His short game had been unbelievable today, so I knew if something went wrong, we had two good shots of saving par. I just wanted to get something in the middle of the green." -- Lamb on the shot on 18.

Day 1: Foti/Lamb grab one-stroke lead

(Charlie Lamb and Jacob Foti on the 9th green at Chatmoss CC on Friday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

Photo gallery

By Chris Lang

MARTINSVILLE -- There aren't a lot of similarities between the Washington D.C. suburbs and the wide-open spaces of Southside Virginia, but there is one big similarity between Chatmoss Country Club and Washington Golf & Country Club -- sloping, nuanced greens that serve as a defensive mechanism for the golf course.

The first-round leaders at the 61st VSGA Four-Ball Championship, Jacob Foti and Charlie Lamb, are members at Washington G&CC, and they certainly found Chatmoss' difficult greens to their liking, finishing with six birdies and no bogeys on their way to a 6-under 65 on Friday.

They'll enter Saturday's second and final round with a one-stroke lead over Ryan Rettberg (The Federal Club) and Nick Brediger (Keswick Club). Robb Kinder (Royal New Kent GC) and Bobby Dudeck (Williamsburg National GC), and Elliott Wilson (USGA/VSGA GC) and Will MacIlwaine (Hermitage CC) are both two shots back of the lead after posting 4-under rounds of 67.