78th VSGA Senior Amateur Championship

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Dates: Monday, August 11 - Friday, August 15

Format: Two rounds of stroke-play qualifying, with the top 32 players advancing to match play, which begins on Wednesday. Rounds of 32 and 16 on Wednesday; quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday; 18-hole championship match on Friday morning.

Host site: Bay Creek Resort

Final match: Brittain earns fourth Senior Am title

(Paras Pandya, left, congratulates Buck Brittain on the 15th green at Bay Creek on Friday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

CAPE CHARLES -- Tazewell's Buck Brittain added another line to a spectacular senior golf resume on Friday at Bay Creek Resort, jumping out to an early advantage before closing out a 4-and-3 victory over Midlothian's Paras Pandya in the final match of the 78th Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship.

Brittain became just the second four-time winner of the event -- with all four titles coming this decade. Only Moss Beecroft, a Virginia Golf Hall of Famer, has more titles, and his total of six certainly feels within reach. Brittain won his 11th overall VSGA title, eighth in history, just behind the 12 won by regular four-ball partner Jon Hurst. 

Brittain also became the first player to record back-to-back Senior Amateur victories twice, having previously accomplished the feat in 2020 and 2021.

"It's so hard to do," Brittain said. "You can't play great every day, and you have to figure out how to win when you're not having your best day."

Brittain spoke Thursday of limiting mistakes and making his opponents beat him, and that game plan served him well on a muggy Friday morning on the Eastern Shore. He opened a 1-up lead on the first hole when he made birdie and Pandya missed his birdie putt. Pandya three-putted the second green, allowing Brittain to go 2 up with a par. Pandya made a birdie on the par-5 3rd to quickly cut into the lead, but Brittain pushed it back to 2 up on the par-3 6th when Pandya again three-putted. Brittain won the next two holes to go 4 up and Pandya was never able to cut into the lead after that.

Pandya rode a hot putt to a 20-hole win over Scott Shingler in the semifinals, but it was equally as cold in Friday's title match.

"Look, golf's a four-letter word, you know?" Pandya said. "We can have hot days, we can have cold days. Honestly, what we work toward and practice for is keeping our bad days reasonable. Everybody gets a hot day. I had one of those yesterday, and I didn't have enough in the tank today. Buck's a great player and a great friend. I'm really happy for him. It would have taken a really good match on my end to make it a match, and I didn't have it today. That's the way golf is. I'm not upset about it. It's just the way the cookie crumbles, so to speak."

Pandya finally drained a long putt on 15 to get up and down from the rough above the left greenside bunker for birdie, but Brittain drained a nervy 5-footer to match and close out the victory.

NOTABLE

• For Brittain, the marathon week was good prep for the upcoming U.S. Senior Amateur Championship, to be held the final week of August in Texas. Jon Hurst and Duncan Hardcastle -- both of whom were in the field this week -- are also playing.
• Pandya is exempt from qualifying for the VSGA Senior Amateur for three years, thanks to his appearance in the final match.
• Brittain's win was the first comfortable victory in a final in this event since Cam Young dispatched Mark Boedicker 5 and 4 in 2018 at Golden Horseshoe's Gold Course.

QUOTABLE

• "Neither one of us were playing our best, but I was making fewer mistakes. I didn't putt overly well, but I made some putts early, got ahead and kept the pressure on him." -- Brittain
• "Paras is a super guy and he's a great player. I wanted him to have to make birdies to win, and when he didn't do that, once I got a little bit ahead, I felt like I could hold him off." -- Brittain
• "I've done very well when I've had long matches in that first match. I don't know if it works me into grind mode, but it seems to work in my favor." -- Brittain, who won his first match this week in 21 holes.
• "As a senior, I play less 36 holes in a day than I used to, and it is tiring. So I think this was good training for (match play at the U.S. Senior Am), if I can get that far. Being in southwest Virginia, from October to March, I don't play. Every year, it's harder and harder to get it back. For whatever reason, it's the middle of the summer when I get back to where I feel like I should be." -- Brittain
• "I really took away a lot. It's funny. Every one of these tournaments, we end up hanging out with the same guys. That's part of the fun of it, to be honest with you. But we always talk about that upper tier of player, and that's clearly Jon (Hurst), Steve (Serrao), Buck (Brittain) and Scott (Shingler). Then there's the second tier, and I'd probably put myself in that category. I was over my tips a little bit this week. But it was just great to get something out of my game and try to push it to that next level. ... I beat some really good players en route to getting to this match, and I just came up one match short. I don't feel the least bit disappointed. I had a good week. I'll take mostly positives out of this week."

Day 4: Pandaya outlasts Shingler in epic semifinal, will face Brittain in title match

(Scott Shingler congratulates Paras Pandya after Pandya holed out from the fairway for eagle on 11 on Thursday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

CAPE CHARLES -- Someone had to lose. It's the nature of sport. (Unless we're talking soccer, but that's another subject...)

When Paras Pandya rolled home another 15-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole of his semifinal match of the 78th VSGA Senior Amateur Championship with Scott Shingler on Thursday at Bay Creek Golf Club and Resort, it left Shingler in the unenviable position to match. Again.

Shingler's 10-footer uphill putt slid to the left. He hung his head in disbelief. One of the most incredible matches he had ever been involved in was over. As the players walked off the second green at Bay Creek's Nicklaus Course, Pandya emerging the victor in a marathon filled with birdies, an eagle and precious few mistakes, Shingler embraced his opponent.

"We're going to go have a steak dinner, have some wine, talk about this one forever," he quipped.

Pandya, who had never won a Senior Amateur match before this week, advanced to face three-time champion Buck Brittain in Friday's 18-hole final. Brittain had to survive his own extra-holes affair, taking advantage of a rare Dave Williams Jr. mistake on the first playoff hole to win in 19 holes.

But the talk afterward was about Pandya and Shingler, and three-plus hours of jaw dropping, top-me-if-you-can golf.

Consider:

• Both players shot 64 over the 18 regulation holes. Imagine, you shoot 8-under, and it's not good enough to win.
• The first 10 holes were won by a birdie. No pars here today, sir.
• That streak came to an end on No. 11, but only because Pandya jarred a 117-yard gap-wedge shot for eagle. The ball hit the flagstick with an audible "whap!" and cozily disappeared into the cup.
• On No. 12, Pandya made about a 20-foot birdie putt. Shingler matched from roughly the same distance, smiled, and jokingly yapped, "take that!"
• The players were feeding off each other so much that they were fist bumping and slapping hands after nearly every birdie. That just doesn't happen in a highly competitive match with a spot in a championship on the line.
  
• It finally ended on the par-3 13th, when both players made par.
• There were two bogeys in regulation, one by Shingler on No. 4 and one by Pandya on No. 13.

"This was incredible," said Shingler, who for the first time in four years didn't reach the Senior Amateur final match. "It's too bad that someone had to lose. What are you going to do? The card said we shot 64 each, and those were legitimate birdies. It was a hell of a match. He played great. We both played great, and he just made one more putt at the end."

"Going into that match, I really didn't have any expectations," Pandya said. "It almost helped me mentally that I was playing someone as good as Scott. I mean, you'd be insane to bet on me in that match. I had a beer (between the quarterfinals and semifinals) and got some lunch, and it just kind of freed my mind up. I just said, make him beat you. Don't give him anything, and just see what happens. For whatever reason, on the range, in between rounds, I was hitting a couple of dozen balls, and the swing that I have not had all week, just appeared. And thank God, because it would have been hard to beat Scott without that."

Pandya didn't fluke his way into anything. After a breezy 6-and-5 win over Michael Trueworthy in the morning, he faced Shingler at his best. Shingler, the 2023 winner, needed 20 holes to get past plucky Elmer Amaya in the quarterfinals but quickly returned to birdie-machine form in the semifinals. Neither player found a 20-foot birdie putt they didn't like, and when Pandya got up-and-down from a greenside bunker on 9 and rolled home a long birdie putt, it was clear something special was happening.

"To do this against a friend like Scott, it was so fun," Pandya said. "He hits it like a tour pro. It was fun to watch and fun to be a part of. I'm glad by the grace of God that my game showed up. It certainly wouldn't have felt as good if one of us had a bad day and the other one won. To get a guy on a day like this, it's just fun, whether it's Scott or anyone. This is why we practice, this is why we do all of the stuff that we do. It's good to have a day like this."

Brittain, who is seeking his fourth Senior Amateur title, quickly dispatched Jack Allara 7 and 6 in the quarterfinals but found the going much tougher against Williams, who advanced by winning a tense quarterfinal with Jon Hurst 1 up. In that match, Williams chipped in for birdie on 16 and took advantage of Hurst's bunker misfortune on 18 to advance. Hurst needed two shots to escape a fairway bunker after an errant tee shot, and when Hurst couldn't jar home his par chip, Williams won on a conceded short par.

In the semifinal, neither player got two holes ahead until Brittain won 16 with a par to go 2 up, but Williams won the final two holes to extend the match. His drive on No. 1 ended up barely clear of the lip of a fairway bunker, leaving Williams an awkward stance for his approach shot.

"I carried the bunker, but by a foot," Williams said. "So I'm into the bunker to my knee, and I've got my other leg on the bank, and (my grip) is down to the steel, and I just flush it. I thought it was going to be really good, but it ended up in the back bunker. I hit a good putt, but I just didn't get it up and down. It's the way it goes."

Brittain won that hole with a par, and will now look for his fourth Senior Am win against a fourth different opponent, having beaten Bowen Sargent, Steve Serrao, and Shingler in previous finals.

"Paras is a great guy, and obviously he's here, so he's a great player," Brittain said. "Anytime you beat Scott -- I've done it before, but I've lost to him a bunch -- I give (Pandya) all the kudos. That's great playing. But tomorrow's another day. Sounds like if he plays the way he did today, he wins the tournament. But we're not playing today, we're playing tomorrow."

Williams said the semifinal run was "validation" that his game was back after a tough 2024 season.

"This year has been way better," Williams said. "I just feel like everything has been pretty solid this year. It's been fun."

Day 3: Shingler breezes to quarterfinals

(Medalist Scott Shingler rolled to two victories on Wednesday at Bay Creek. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

CAPE CHARLES -- Stroke-play medalist Scott Shingler needed just 25 holes on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the 78th Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship at Bay Creek Resort, comfortably defeating two opponents as he seeks a third straight appearance in the championship match.

Shingler was one of eight to advance on Wednesday. A look at the quarterfinalists:

Scott Shingler

• Seed: 1 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #32 Somsak Chivavibul, 7 and 6; def. #16 Keith Morgan, 6 and 5
• Takeaways: Shingler won the Senior Amateur in 2023 and lost in the final in 2024. So it's no surprise that he's reached this point once again. He was 4-under through 12 holes against Chivavibul, who advanced to the round of 32 via a 4-for-1 playoff on Tuesday. He was even better in the match against Morgan, playing 13 holes at 6-under. He made zero bogeys and gave his opponents zero chance to chip away at early leads. Shingler's length off the tee is a major advantage at most senior events, but even more so at Bay Creek, which is playing at 6,267 yards this week.
• Quoting: "You make match play and everybody's playing well. You can't take any match lightly. I hit the driver well, hit some good iron shots and kept the ball in the right spots on the greens. I just plodded along and tried to win a hole as often as I could."

Elmer Amaya

• Seed: 24 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #9 Alan Myers, 1 up; def. #25 Mikeal Johnston, 2 and 1
• Takeaways: When Amaya posted a 5-over 77 in the first round of stroke-play qualifying, he figured he'd be heading home after Tuesday's second round. He scrapped his way to a 1-over 73 in the second round to sneak into match play, where he won twice despite making just two birdies. So he's definitely playing with house money as he continues into the tournament's fourth day. He also knows he's going to have to start making a few more birdies if he wants a chance to upset Shingler. "It seems like he's making six birdies a round. That's a huge difference. He seems to have a more powerful game than I do. But I'm going to enjoy the round. I'm happy to be here and make it to the quarterfinals," Amaya said.
• Quoting: "I was just happy to be part of it, to come here and see everybody. I think I've surprised myself a little bit. So we'll see what happens tomorrow."

Paras Pandya

• Seed: 4 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #29 Thomas Garner, 1 up; def. #13 Kevin South, 4 and 3
• Takeaways: Pandya must have felt like he was playing in the Richmond City Amateur, having defeated a pair of RVA-area golfers in Garner (Salisbury CC) and South (Magnolia Green GC) en route to his first quarterfinal appearance. After Garner tied the first match with a birdie on 11, the players tied the next five holes before Pandya made birdie on 17 and clinched the match when both players made par on 18. Against South, Pandya broke open a tied match at the turn by winning the first three holes on the back before closing South out with a birdie on 15.
• Quoting: "Listen, I'm happy, it was fun. It's been a great day with great friends. ... It's fun to still be alive, and we'll see how this thing rolls out."

Michael Trueworthy

• Seed: 21 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #12 Dave Pulk, 3 and 2; def. #28 Keith Decker, 4 and 2
• Takeaways: Trueworthy hasn't played a ton of competitive golf outside of winning the senior club championship at his home course, Virginia Beach National Golf Club. He looked to change that this year, competing first at the VSGA Senior Stroke Play at Fredericksburg CC in June, where he finished tied for 14th. Trueworthy shot 68 to earn medalist honors at the Princess Anne qualifier for this event and shot 77-71 here to comfortably earn a match play spot. His length off the tee was definitely an advantage in both matches, but beating a pair of past Senior Open of Virginia champions in Pulk and Decker shows he's no fluke.
• Quoting: "I haven't played here in years, not since I was a kid. I played a practice round here Tuesday but I played it further back. Then I played in the first round and it was up and I was having trouble deciding what to hit, that's why I shot so bad the first day. I kind of figured it out the second day, and I played pretty good. ... I'm just going to keep trying to play the way I'm playing right now." 

Buck Brittain

• Seed: 2 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #31 Scott Bemberis, 21 holes; def. #18 Stephen Whitfield, 2 and 1
• Takeaways: Brittain last lost in the first round of the Senior Amateur in 2019, falling to Philip Mahone as the No. 1 seed at the Homestead's Cascades Course. Since then, he's won it three times and advanced to the semifinals two others. If it seems he's inevitable when it comes to this event, it's because it's true. "My whole thought it to make them beat you. Don't do something to give them a hole. Make them beat you, and if they do, congratulate them and go on," he said. Brittain, though, was in danger against Bemberis in the opening round, needed a birdie on 18 to extend the match before winning on the third extra hole. Against Whitfield, he went 2-up through six, responded to Whitfield's win on the 9th hole by winning the 10th, then closed the match out when both players tied the next seven holes.
• Quoting: "He struggled with his driver and I couldn't make a putt. I told him when we started extra holes, either you're going to make a putt and win, or you're going to miss with your driver and I'm going to win, because I can't make a putt. Finally hit it close enough on the third hole to make birdie." -- Brittain on the Bemberis match.

Jack Allara

• Seed: 23 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #10 Bowen Sargent, 19 holes; def. #26 Marc Hogan, 21 holes
• Takeaways: The oldest player in the field at age 70, Allara needed 40 holes to advance to the quarterfinals, beating some stout competition in the progress. Sargent was the finalist at the 2020 Senior Amateur at Westwood Country Club. In the round of 16, Allara took advantage of a Hogan misstep on the third extra hole to secure the win. Allara has had plenty of success on the super senior circuit as of late, having teamed with Jim Woodson to win the Super Senior Four-Ball 70+ title this year at Blacksburg Country Club. The biggest prize for Allara today? Not having to qualify for this event next year, as all quarterfinalists are exempt from qualifying.
• Quoting: "I'm so tired, it's kind of hard to even think about it. I'm happy. It's a pretty good accomplishment, considering everything I've been through." -- Allara, who in recent years has dealt with severe leg and wrist injuries, along with going through quadruple bypass heart surgery.

Jon Hurst

• Seed: 3 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #30 Dean Griffith, 5 and 4; def. #19 Bill McClanan, 2 and 1
• Takeaways: Hurst said he felt fortunate to have survived his round-of-16 match with McClanan, who hit the ball well but failed to convert some putts that would have put real pressure on Hurst. Hurst got up early in both matches -- 4 up at the turn against Griffith and 2 up against McClanan through four. The difference in the second match, though, was that Hurst couldn't quite put his foot on the gas and put his opponent away. Hurst is looking to become the first player since Keith Decker in 2014 to win the Senior Stroke Play and Senior Amateur in the same year.
• Quoting: "I hit my driver really good today. I really did. I didn't hit my irons well. I don't know, I just hit some stupid shots, shots I don't normally hit. Thank goodness he didn't make any putts. Not taking anything away from Bill, but he let me off the hook quite a bit."

Dave Williams Jr.

• Seed: 6 | Road to the quarterfinals: def. #27 Donnie Toney, 3 and 2; def. #22 Michael McCann, 1 up
• Takeaways: Williams advanced to the quarterfinals for the third time, ensuring that he won't have to go through qualifying for the Senior Amateur and Senior Open of Virginia next year like he had to this summer. Williams fell behind 1 down when McCann made a bomb on 16, but he advanced by winning the final two holes with pars. His reward -- a rematch with Hurst, who defeated Williams in the quarterfinals in 2022 when Hurst won the championship at Cavalier Golf & Yacht Club.
• Quoting: "I've hit it really well the last month. There have been one or two bad swings a round, but for the most part, it's been really good. I had to qualify for both events this year, and I got through that with no problem. Even in the qualifying rounds, I made two bad swings -- me and No. 7 aren't getting along, made 6 and 7 on those holes. But otherwise, I feel pretty good."

Day 2: Shingler earns second straight stroke-play qualifying medal

(Scott Shingler, file photo. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

CAPE CHARLES -- Scott Shingler posted a 2-under 70 on Tuesday at Bay Creek Resort to earn stroke-play qualifying medalist honors and the No. 1 seed for match play at the 78th VSGA Senior Amateur Championship.

Shingler's 8-under aggregate total of 136 left him two strokes clear of defending champion Buck Brittain, whose second-round 68 tied Jon Hurst for low round of the day honors. Brittain defeated Shingler 3 and 1 in last year's Senior Amateur final. Hurst finished third in qualifying at 5-under 139. Paras Pandya posted rounds of 71 and 70 for a 3-under total of 141 to claim the fourth seed.

Shingler will open match play at 8 a.m. Wednesday against Somsak Chivavibual, who survived a 4-for-1 playoff to earn the final match-play spot. Brittain will meet Scott Bemberis; Hurst will square off against Dean Griffith; and Pandya will meet Thomas Garner. 

Winners of Wednesday's round of 32 matches will advance to the round of 16, which will be held Wednesday afternoon.

NOTABLE

• After making just one bogey on Monday, Shingler had to work around four of them on Tuesday. He made six birdies to finish 2 under.
• Shingler is seeking his third straight appearance in the Senior Amateur final match. He beat Matt Sughrue in 2023 before losing to Brittain last year.
• Brittain, seeking his fourth Senior Amateur title, posted a bogey-free round on Tuesday. Starting on No. 10, he opened his round with a birdie before making nine straight pars. He made birdies on 2, 3, and 8 on his back nine.
• 2018 champion Cam Young worked around a triple bogey on the par-4 8th to post a 1-under 71 on Tuesday. He finished tied for sixth and will open match play against Mikeal Johnston.
• Three-time winner Keith Decker posted a 2-over 74 on Tuesday to finish at 6-over 150 and tie for 24th. He will open match play as the No. 28 seed against No. 5 seed Michael Hays.
• Two-time winner David Partridge tied for 14th at 3-over 147 and will open match play against Bill McClanan. The other past champion to advance to match play was 2017 winner Rich Buckner, who will face Kevin South in the round of 32.

Day 1: Shingler sets early pace in stroke-play qualifying

(Scott Shingler reads a putt earlier this year at the State Open of Virginia. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

CAPE CHARLES -- Scott Shingler won the VSGA Senior Amateur in 2023 and was stroke-play qualifying medalist and finalist in last year's event. He continued his strong play in this championship in the opening round of stroke-play qualifying at the 78th VSGA Senior Amateur Monday at Bay Creek Resort.

Shingler (Dominion Valley CC) posted a 6-under-par 66 Monday to take a two-stroke lead over Kevin Dillard (Army Navy CC) after the first 18 holes of qualifying. After Tuesday's second round of qualifying, the field will be cut to the low 32 players for match play, which begins on Wednesday.

Shingler made five birdies, an eagle, and a bogey in posting his 66. Defending champion Buck Brittain, who is seeking his fourth Senior Amateur title, posted a 2-under 70 to tie for third, comfortably inside the match-play cut line.

NOTABLE

• Shingler opened last year's Senior Amateur with a 66 as well. He posted a second-round 71 to earn medalist honors.
• Players are playing the Nicklaus course (front nine) and Palmer course front nine (back nine) for this week's event, as that rotation is considered the club's "championship course."
• Dillard started on the back nine and was 2 over through five holes before making three straight birdies. He birdied four of the first six holes on his back nine before a bogey on No. 7 dropped him to 4-under for the day.
• Joining Brittain in the tie for third were Dave Williams Jr. (Sleepy Hole GC), Alan Myers (The Federal Club) and Stephen Whitfield (Bayville GC). 
• Jon Hurst, who won the VSGA Senior Stroke Play title earlier this year, posted a 1-under 71 and is in a tie for seventh with 2018 winner Cam Young, Bowen Sargent, 2011 and 2015 winner David Partridge, Paras Pandya, and Chad Seibert.
  
• Eight players were tied for 32nd at 4-over 76 and will scrap for a spot in match play on Tuesday. Included in that group is three-time winner Keith Decker and Duncan Hardcastle, who recently earned a spot in the U.S. Senior Amateur as an alternate.