Hurst rolls at rain-soaked Virginia Pub-Links
IRVINGTON, Virg. (Aug. 26, 2012) -- Amid rainy weather and suspensions of play due to soggy conditions over the weekend, Fredericksburg’s Jon Hurst shot a final round best 3-under-par 69 on Sunday to post a three-stroke victory as the 9th Virginia State Golf Association Public Links Championship concluded at the Golden Eagle Golf Club. The championship is for bona fide public course players.
Hurst, 42, returned three straight subpar rounds to finish at 10-under 206 (67-70-69), led wire-to-wire and claimed his first VSGA individual title. Arlington’s Jimmy Delp, 33, the 2009 event champion, closed with 1-under 71 and was second (7-under 209). Zach Hall, 21 of Burgess also carded a final round 71, compiled a 3-under 213 aggregate and completed the three-player contingent to conclude the championship in red numbers.
After Saturday’s second day was suspended at 11:10 a.m. and did not resume, competitors came back on Sunday to complete their second round and then play the final round. Hurst shot 2-under 70 (7-under 137) to finish off his second round, while Delp returned his second straight 69 to begin Sunday afternoon’s final round a stroke off his fellow-competitor’s pace.
In Sunday afternoon’s closing round, which included two suspensions of play due to weather, Hurst, a member at Lee’s Hill Golfers Club in Fredericksburg, shot one under on the outward half to move two ahead of Delp. Both Hurst and Delp made birdie at the par-5 11th, but Hurst made back-to-back birdies from 7 feet at Nos. 15 and 16 to push four strokes ahead and seal the victory.
The start-and-stop nature that accompanies weather delays didn’t seem to bother Hurst, who made six birdies against a bogey in the final two rounds.
“It was two long days, but Jimmy and I were both playing well, so it was a lot of fun,” Hurst said. “I hit some good shots down the stretch. It’s good feeling.”
Hurst picked up his second win in a VSGA player rankings’ event this season, having also won the Chatmoss Invitational in the spring. He also owns eight top-10 finishes in points’ events this season. It’s likely the VSGA Mid-Amateur, Sept. 28-30 at Hidden Valley Country Club in Salem, will determine the points’ leader in the regular division, with Hurst (tied for fourth in among point-earners entering the Publinx), Tazewell’s Buck Brittain (second in the rankings) and Martinsville’s Keith Decker (third in points), all in the hunt.