HOT SPRINGS, Va., Aug. 24,
2011 –– Fo
ur of the top five low qualifiers for match play
are a part of the remaining quarterfinal field as
match play got underway today at the 64th
Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur
Championship at The Homestead’s
Cascades Course.
Stroke-play medalist David
Partridge of Manakin continued
his strong play, scoring two late-match birdies
at Nos. 14 and 15 to get past
Lexington’s J.W. Entsminger in the
morning session, 2 and 1. Partridge, a
quarterfinalist in his debut appearance at last
year’s championship, then posted a
wire-to-wire 3 and 2 victory over northern
Virginian Richard Thomas in the round of 16.
In the round of eight, he’ll face
fellow 56-year-old Jack
Allara of Salem, who was one
of three locals to reach the quarterfinals.
Allara didn’t trail in either of his
encounters to open match play, ousting record
four-time VSGA Senior Stroke Play champion
J.P. Leigh (Suffolk) in the afternoon session, 3
and 1.
Also in the top half of the bracket, event
rookie Van Renick, 55,
of Roanoke continues to make the most of his
first start in the championship. The fourth low
qualifier for match play, Renick, who reached
the age eligibility requirement of 55 on Aug.
10, made a downhill right-to-left breaking 40-
foot birdie at the par-3 18th hole to record a
1-up victory over 2010 event finalist John Long
(Centreville). Renick estimates the putt had
4½ feet of curve to it before tumbling
into the hole.
“It was one of those you make once
in a blue moon, but it couldn’t have
come at a better time,” laughed Renick,
the sales and marketing director at Ballyhack
Golf Club in Roanoke.
Renick moved back to Virginia two years
ago after spending about 20 years in Atlanta,
where he worked in the golf marketing business
and competed in state championships. He had
never played The Homestead before seeing it
for the first time during a practice round this
past weekend. Admittedly, he’s quickly
developing an affinity for the Cascades layout,
which places a premium on shot placement and
distance control.
“It’s an incredible place to be
making your rookie debut,” Renick said
with a laugh. “This is a lot of fun. It has
the juices going again.”
In the round of eight, Renick will face
another northern Virginian in 59-year-
old John
Hoffman of Fairfax. The fifth
low qualifier for match play, Hoffman won three
of the final four holes of his round of 16 match
to close out Virginia amateur legend Vinny Giles
of Richmond, twice a winner of the VSGA
Senior Amateur Championship.
Four former VSGA Senior Amateur victors
made it to the match play portion of the
championship, but three were eliminated in
Wednesday’s opening round
encounters. The only past champion to
advance was 60-year-old Mike
McDonald of Williamsburg, who
ousted 2007 winner Bob Morris in the morning
before besting Jeff Flax (Virginia Beach) after
the lunch break. McDonald took control of an
all-square match in the round of 16 by winning
five of the final seven holes, playing that
stretch in a solid even par, counting the
concessions that are typically a part of match
play.
In the bottom half of the bracket,
McDonald will take on John
Price, 60, of Fairfax. Price, the
second low qualifier for match play, was two
holes down through 11 holes to Bill
Nunnenkamp (Blue Ridge) in the afternoon; the
southwest Virginian reached the round of 16
by besting 2004 champion John Cuomo
(Richmond), 1 up to open match play. Price
rallied from the modest one hole down deficit
to collect three straight wins from Nos. 12-14
to gain a 1-up lead. Nunnenkamp returned the
encounter to all square at No. 18 before Price
won the match with a par at the first extra
hole, the par-4 first.
On the same side of the bracket, Hot
Springs resident and Homestead member
Jack Vardaman, 71, also
used extra holes to advance. Three holes
down with three to play against opponent Skip
Zobel (Virginia Beach), Vardaman proved he
knows every swale and valley of the Cascades,
making consecutive birdies at Nos. 16 and 17
to get within one. He claimed the par-3 18th
with a par to continue the match and
completed the late rally by scoring a deciding
bogey-win at the 19th hole, the par-4
first.
In the quarterfinals, Vardaman will meet
Centreville’s Tim
Vigotsky, 57, who advanced by
besting friend Pat Tallent of Vienna, the third
low qualifier for match play, in the afternoon, 3
and 1. Vigotsky and Tallent have teamed
together in four-ball events on countless
occasions. But Vigotsky was in command of
the match much of the way, building a three
holes up advantage through nine holes en
route to victory. Vigotsky collected four birdies
altogether against Tallent, the finalist at the
2010 USGA Senior Amateur Championship.
The championship’s quarterfinals
and semifinals are set for Thursday, Aug. 25,
prior to the scheduled 18-hole championship
final on Friday, Aug. 26.
HOT SPRINGS
––Results from round of
32 and round of 16 matches at the 64th VSGA
Senior Amateur Championship at The
Homestead’s Cascades Course (6,256
yards, par 35-35—70) on Wednesday,
Aug. 24 (stroke play qualifying score
indicated).
Round of 32 match play
results
(1) David Partridge (Manakin), 137 def.
(32) J.W. Entsminger (Lexington), 152, 2 and
1
(17) Richard Thomas (Oakton), 148 def. (16)
Chips Wooddy (Roanoke), 147, 7 and 5
(8) J.P. Leigh (Suffolk), 144, def. (25) Bill
Bascom Jr (Keswick), 151, 5 and 4
(9) Jack Allara II (Salem), 144 def. (24) Jay
Klingel (Charlottesville), 151, 5 and 4
(4) Van Renick (Roanoke), 139 def. (29)
George Kapetanakis (McLean), 152 4 and
2
(13) John Long (Centreville), 146, def. (20)
Richard Blackburn (Alexandria), 149, 4 and
3
(5) John Hoffman (Fairfax), 139 def. (28)
Tommy Cayton (Bedford), 152, 4 and 3
(21) Vinny Giles (Richmond), 149 def. (12)
Roger Pitkin (Springfield), 145, 2 and 1
(2) John Price (Fairfax), 138 def. (31) John
Casstevens (Glen Allen), 152, 3 and 2
(18) Bill Nunnenkamp (Blue Ridge), 149 def.
(15) John Cuomo (Richmond), 147, 1 up
(26) Mike McDonald (Williamsburg), 151 def.
(7) Bob Morris (Vienna), 143, 19 holes
(10) Jeff Flax (Virginia Beach), 145 def. (23)
Bert Allen (Forest), 150, 4 and 3
(3) Pat Tallent (Vienna), 139 def. (30) Terry
Banks (Reston), 152, 4 and 3
(14) Tim Vigotsky (Centreville), 146 def. (19)
Jeff Lynch (Roanoke), 149, 4 and 3
(6) Jack Vardaman (Hot Springs), 142 def.
(27) Michael Ancel (Newport News), 152, 4
and 2
(11) Skip Zobel (Virginia Beach), 145 def.
(22) George Riefler (Suffolk), 150, 5 and 4
Round of 16 match play
results
(1) David Partridge (Manakin), 137 def.
(17) Richard Thomas (Oakton), 148, 3 and
2
(9) Jack Allara II (Salem), 144 def. (8) J.P.
Leigh (Suffolk), 144, 3 and 1
(4) Van Renick (Roanoke), 139 def. (13) John
Long (Centreville), 146, 1 up
(5) John Hoffman (Fairfax), 139 def. (21)
Vinny Giles (Richmond), 149, 3 and 1
(2) John Price (Fairfax), 138 def. (18) Bill
Nunnenkamp (Blue Ridge), 149, 19 holes
(26) Mike McDonald (Williamsburg), 151 def.
(10) Jeff Flax (Virginia Beach), 145, 5 and
4
(14) Tim Vigotsky (Centreville), 146 def. (3)
Pat Tallent (Vienna), 139, 3 and 1
(6) Jack Vardaman (Hot Springs), 142 def.
(11) Skip Zobel (Virginia Beach), 145, 19
holes
HOT SPRINGS
––Pairings and starting
times for the quarterfinal of match play at the
64th VSGA Senior Amateur Championship at
The Homestead’s Cascades Course
(6,256 yards, par 35-35—70) on
Thursday, Aug. 25 (stroke play qualifying score
indicated).
Thursday (Aug. 25), Hole No.
1
8 a.m.: (1) David
Partridge (Manakin), 137 vs. (9) Jack Allara II
(Salem), 144
8:10 a.m.: (4) Van
Renick (Roanoke), 139 vs. (5) John Hoffman
(Fairfax), 139
8:20 a.m.: (2) John
Price (Fairfax), 138 vs. (26) Mike McDonald
(Williamsburg), 151
8:30 a.m.: (14) Tim
Vigotsky (Centreville), 146 vs. (6) Jack
Vardaman (Hot Springs), 142
View results for VSGA Senior Amateur