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Dates: Monday, April 1 and Tuesday, April 2
Format: 36-hole stroke-play competition. Day 1 is a two-person scramble in which both players play from the teeing area, one of the tee shots is selected and both players play their second shots from that spot. One of the second shots is then selected, and both players play their third shots from that spot, and so on until the ball is holed. Day 2 is modified alternate shot, in which both players play from the teeing area, one of the tee shots is selected and players alternate shots from there until the ball is holed. Example: Player A’s tee shot is selected, player B plays next, then A and so on until the ball is holed.
Host site: The Dominion Club
Day 2: Ramsuer/Taylor rally for 2nd MFTC title
(Pictured: Ryan Taylor congratulates partner Brandon Ramsuer after Ramsuer nailed a 25-foot birdie putt on No. 16 on Tuesday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)
GLEN ALLEN -- For the first time, the VSGA Multi-Format Team Championship has a multi-time winner.
Ryan Taylor (The Federal Club) and Brandon Ramsuer (Lakeside Park Club) posted a 3-under-par 69 in Tuesday's modified alternate shot round at The Dominion Club for a two-day aggregate total of 15-under 129 to win the 6th playing of the event by one stroke over a pair of runner-up finishers.
Taylor and Ramsuer, the 2020 Multi-Format Team Championship winners, become the first two-time winner of the championship. They shot a 10-under 60 in Monday's two-person scramble round and entered the day two shots behind Marshall Tinsley and Adam Marshall. A par on the par-5 18th clinched the one-stroke win for Taylor and Ramsuer.
Tinsley and Marshall posted an even-par 72 on Tuesday and finished tied for second with Mark Hourigan (CC of Virginia) and Danny Pedrazzi (Hunting Hawk GC) at 14-under 130.
Adam Houck (The Federal Club) and Blake Carter (Chatmoss CC) posted the best modified alternate shot round on Tuesday, a 4-under 68 that allowed them to jump 11 spots on the leaderbord into a three-way tie for fourth with Justin Young (Roanoke CC) and Scott Shingler (Dominion Valley CC), and Nick Hogan (Hermitage CC) and DJ Dougherty (Dominion Valley CC). Each side posted two-day totals of 12-under 132.
NOTABLE AND QUOTABLE:
* See below for a video interview with the winners.
* Ramsuer/Taylor and Tinsley/Marshall came to the 18th tied after lead changes on the previous hole. Ramsuer nailed a 25-foot birdie putt on 16 to put his side up a stroke. On 17, Ramsuer/Taylor three-putted for bogey while Tinsley/Marshall two-putted for par to even things up. Hourigan and Pedrazzi still had a chance to reach 15-under by making a birdie on their final hole (No. 17) but they made par there, turning it into a two-side race.
* On 18, both Ramsuer/Taylor and Tinsley/Marshall found the fairway. Ramsuer laid up to a number about 60 yards out. Tinsley elected to go for the green from about 240 yards out but his approach leaked right into the lake, costing the side a penalty stroke. "We were going for the win," Marshall said, simply. Marshall reached the green with the side's fourth shot, but Tinsley couldn't save par, leaving Ramsuer/Taylor with a simple two-putt to close things out.
* Ramsuer/Taylor's previous victory in the event came in a playoff.
* In 2020, Taylor had met Ramsuer just four days prior to the event, so they weren't all that familiar with each others' games. That's changed in the ensuing four years. They've played in several partner events since and had a clear comfort level in Tuesday's alternate shot round.
* After the round, Taylor said his mind was on a close friend who died of cancer last week, adding that he had a sense of calm over every shot because he felt like he "was playing for someone other than himself."
* Tinsley won the VSGA Mid-Amateur Championship at The Dominion Club in 2019.
* Tinsley and Marshall noted that they struggled to find birdie opportunities on Tuesday, leaving too many approaches in the 20- to 30-foot range.
* Only one side managed to eagle the drivable par-4 15th hole on Tuesday: Joey Jordan and Trent Young. They finished tied for 11th at 8-under 136.
Day 1: Tinsley/Marshall post 58, race to early lead
(Pictured: Marshall Tinsley, left, and Adam Marshall/Chris Lang, VSGA)
GLEN ALLEN -- The Central Virginia side of Marshall Tinsley and Adam Marshall tied a Virginia State Golf Association Multi-Format Team Championship record by posting a 14-under-par 58 on Monday at The Dominion Club to take the 18-hole lead at the 6th playing of the event.
Tinsley (Winton Farm) and Marshall (Falling River CC) will take a two-stroke lead over two sides into Tuesday's second and final round, which will feature modified alternate shot play. Monday's first round was a two-person scramble, and scores have trended low in that format in this championship. Monday was no exception. Tinsley and Marshall's 58 tied the tournament record set by Mikey Moyers and Evan Beck at Spring Creek GC in 2021. Moyers and Beck then went on to dominate the second round as well, finishing 13 strokes clear of the nearest competitors.
Whether that happens again is anyone's guess. Behind the leaders, tied for second, are 2020 champions Ryan Taylor (The Federal Club) and Brandon Ramsuer (Lakeside Park Club); along with Lynchburg-area golfers Allen Clarke (Ivy Hill GC) and Thomas Lawton (Boonsboro CC). Each side posted 12-under-par rounds of 60.
Three sides were tied for fourth at 11-under 61: Mark Hourigan and Danny Pedrazzi; George Ordway and William Crimmins; and Mark Behbahani and Joe Kruper.
Tinsley, a past VSGA Mid-Amateur champion, and Marshall rode a simple formula to their success on Monday: Take advantage of The Dominion Club's par 5s and play mistake-free golf the rest of the way. They eagled three of the four par-5s and made par on the other to play those four holes at a collective 6-under par. They added eight birdies, including four straight from 13-17 after they had eagled the 12th.
Tuesday's final round begins with a 9 a.m. shotgun start.
NOTABLE:
* Two players recorded aces on Monday. Clarke aced the par-3 11th, using an 8-iron from 148 yards out. Steve DeMasters aced the par-3 9th, using a 7-iron from 163 yards out.
* The side of John Rosenstock and Brock Kelley got a lift when it made consecutive eagles on Nos. 1 and 2. After Kelley hit a strong drive, Rosenstock holed out from 102 yards for an eagle on the par-4 1st. They then eagled the par-5 2nd. They're tied for seventh at 9-under.
* In all, 16 eagles were made on Monday, and the course played to a scoring average of 64.81, not surprising considering the format.
* No side broke 70 in last year's modified alternate shot round at The Dominion Club. The record low for an alternate-shot round was Moyers and Beck's 63 at Spring Creek.