Funder-struck: Funderburke dominates at Virginia Amateur

Furman’s Ross Funderburke won the 109th Virginia State Golf Amateur Championship Friday at Cedar Point Club in Suffolk, Virginia.

A rising senior from Roanoke, Virginia, Funderburke defeated Grayson Wood, 7 and 6, in the match-play final. Funderburke was 3 up after the opening 18 then birdied Nos. 1 and 2 and made an eagle on No. 3 to land at 6 up after 21 holes. He sealed the victory with a birdie on No. 12 to end the match.

Funderburke entered the match play portion of the tournament in sixth place after carding 140 in stroke play. He defeated Ian Hildebrand, 1-up, in round one of match play, then beat Jack Montague, 5 and 4, before scoring a 2 and 1 win over Carlo Pizzano. In the semifinals, Funderburke defeated Evan Beck, 2 and 1.

Beck, incidentally, has been on a roll as of late. The reinstated amateur brought home a big Mid-Am title at the George C. Thomas Invitational at Los Angeles Country Club just over a week ago.

“We are so happy for Ross and really proud of him for this win,” said Furman head coach Matt Davidson. “He has put in a lot of work, and it is fun to watch it pay off and see him improve year after year. To get a big prestigious win like this under his belt should just give him even more confidence. This is certainly a perfect way to start his summer tournament schedule.”

An All-SoCon selection in 2021-22, Funderburke tied for 30th at the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional. He ranked second for Furman with a 72.1 stroke average over 33 rounds during his junior campaign after notching six top-20 finishes in 10 events, including a career-best second-place finish at the Hootie at Bulls Bay, where he registered rounds of 68-68-70=206.