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College Preview 2015-2016

DRIVING TOWARD THE FINISH LINE

Adam ball enters his final year at VCu where he’s had a record-setting career.

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Area News

CCV’s River Course TO HOST CHAMPIONS

by Ryan King TOUR PLAYOFF EVENT

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hen PGA Tour officials, including commissioner Tim Finchem, visited the Richmond area back in February, it was apparent that serious consideration was being given to the area as a host for a playoff event on the Champions Tour. After an announcement in early September the speculation is over. The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course will host The Dominion Charity Classic, to be played November 4-6.

Currently, the Champions Tour has a one-tournament playoff called the Charles Schwab Cup. Players that finish in the top 30 on the points list qualify for the final event of the year played in Arizona. But starting in 2016 the Champions Tour will implement a playoff series similar to the PGA Tour’s Fed-Ex Cup where the top 100 players from the points list qualify for the first playoff event before being pared down in two more tournaments until the Tour Championship, when only the top 30 remain for a shot at the ten million dollar prize. The Dominion Charity Classic will be the final event before the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The announcement of the event was held at CCV and featured PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, Dominion Resources CEO Tom Farrell, and Champions Tour stars from Virginia, Curtis Strange and Bobby Wadkins.

“Today’s announcement is such an important part of the next chapter in Champions Tour history as we look to launch the Champions Tour Playoffs in 2016,” said Finchem, who graduated from the University of Richmond in 1969.

“Richmond is a special place to me, and the love of golf amongst the community here is second to none. Adding a respected corporate leader like Dominion Resources as title sponsor and the historic Country Club of Virginia as host course makes this the perfect setting to host the Champions Tour Playoffs next year. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and Champions Tour, my congratulations and apprecia-

tion to Dominion, Country Club of Virginia and the entire community that has helped make today possible. I have no doubt the Dominion Charity Classic will be one of the finest events of the Champions Tour season.”

The no-cut format features three days of competition (Friday-Sunday), with players participating in Pro-Am events on Wednesday, Nov. 2, and Thursday, Nov. 3.

CCV’s James River Course was founded in 1928 and designed by William Flynn. Rees Jones completed a full renovation of the course in 1992 before Lester George worked on restorations during the first decade of this century. The James River Course hosted the Southern Amateur in 1935 and 1967, as well as the 1955 and 1975 U.S. Amateur Championship.

“This is great news for my hometown of Richmond and the surrounding region as the Dominion Charity Classic is going to benefit and enhance this community in a big way, just like all Champions Tour and PGA TOUR events do at each location on the schedule,” said four-time Champions Tour winner Wadkins, who was born in Richmond and still lives in the area. “This tournament will be instrumental in the outcome of the Charles Schwab Cup.” Strange, a two-time U.S. Open champion and World Golf Hall of Fame member, said, “As a proud Virginian, I am thrilled that the Champions Tour is coming back to the Commonwealth. I am also excited to be playing one of our state’s best, the Country Club of Virginia in Richmond.

Dominion Resources, our partner, has such a great presence in this state, and their company’s involvement as title sponsor is another way of illustrating their commitment to our community.”

Richmond last hosted a Champions Tour event in 1990 when the Crestar Classic enjoyed an eight year run at Hermitage Country Club where past winners included Jim Dent, Chi-Chi Rodriguez and Arnold Palmer.

Clark picks up two RGA titles

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randermill’s Tyler Clark shot a one-under par 71 at Kinloch GC to win the regular division of the Richmond Golf Association’s Tournament of Champions. Clark topped Tommy Lesperance, Ted Dougherty and Allan Day by a shot, while Brent Higgins finished fifth with a two-over par 74.

In the senior division, Leon Roday defended his title when he shot an even-par round of 72 at his home course. Rick Lareau, of Hermitage CC, finished one shot back to take second. Salisbury’s Jim Hudson finished third while David Kopsick of Hunting Hawk and Rick Bauer of CC of Petersburg shared fourth.

Boyd Peete, of Hermitage CC, who earlier this summer won the RGA Junior Championship, shot 71 to top Rob Witherspoon by five shots to win the junior division.

At the RGA Four Ball Championship, played at the Country Club of Petersburg, Robert Nussey Jr and Tyler Clark, both playing out of Brandermill, shot 64 to win by two over the team of Steve Serrao of Willow Oaks and Alex Sleeker

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Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

Outdoor Club Fitting Contact Jay Canada or Matt Rutherford

Located at Bogey’s Sports Park 1675 Ashland Rd Richmond, VA 23233 Phone: (804) 784-6070 Mulligansgolfshop@gmail.com http://www.mulligansgolfshopva.com

GOLF VIRGINIA

REPORT

P.O. Box 5392 Glen Allen, VA 23058 804 346-0075 Fax 804-346-0081 virginiagolfreport.com

Editor Patrick K. Kane editor@virginiagolfreport.com Contributing Writers Adam Smith, PGA Sean Taylor, PGA Steve Slotterback, PGA Ryan Redding Frank Giordano Parker Reynolds Ryan King Paul Thomas Brad King

RGA President Arthur Utley(L) with Tournament of Champions winner Tyler Clark.

of CCV. Current RGA Amateur champion Scott Reisenweaver and 2014 RGA Mid-Am champion Scott Bemberis, who both play out of Salisbury, shot 67 to finish third.

Virginia Golf Report is a bi-monthly magazine covering Golf in Central Virginia. Reproduction of any part of this publication is strictly prohibited without prior consent of the officers of Virginia Golf Report, LLC. We accept no responsibility for discrepancies in advertisements. Virginia Golf Report is available by subscription for $15 a year. Contact Virginia Golf Report for more details.

Establishments needing additional copies should also contact the Virginia Golf Report at (804) 346-0075 or email us at editor@virginiagolfreport.com 2007: Virginia Golf Report, LLC., All other photos besides those labeled, are provided by the Virginia Golf Report. College headshots courtesy of respective school. Copy and or use of photos without written permission is prohibited.

COVER PHOTO- Photo of Adam Ball

Jr. Courtesy of Chris Kowalczyk/Director of Creative Content/VCU

Golf Biz

The Club Scene: Is Golf Dying? Part 3 the Final “IT IS TIME FOR THE GOVERNING BODIES THAT BENEFIT MIGHTILY FROM THE FACILITIES, PGA MEMBERS, AND CUSTOMERS TO TRULY INVEST BACK INTO GOLF.”

T

his past Saturday I took my son to his travel soccer game in Harrisonburg, VA and as I looked across the fields there were hundreds of kids playing soccer in an organized fashion. Keep in mind that this was only one level of ability playing on these fields. What are the soccer clubs and organizations doing that golf is not? The parents are still spending the money, the kids are putting the time into the sport, but why are they not playing golf ?

Analyze a traditional soccer club organization versus a golf course and you will notice why one sport is exploding and one is declining. The soccer club is made up of “paid coaches” and “volunteer coaches” to meet the volume of kids playing the sport. The paid coaches (yes plural) teach and coach 95% of their time. Consequently, they coach approximately 4 to 5 different teams (60 – 75 kids).

In addition, during the non-soccer months, the paid coaches work with all the camps. Let’s take the lead from soccer, as the only thing that is holding youth golf back is prioritization of money.

Golf is in desperate demand for a different operating structure. The days in which the facility are solely responsible to bear the burden of bringing new players into the game should be over. This

year FOX Sports paid the USGA $93 million to televise the U.S. OPEN and other USGA events.

Let’s be real. Is this going to add another golfer at any facility across the states? I think not.

If the 15,000 golf courses in the U.S. had a “paid PGA coach” to grow the game and instruct kids and players, what would happen to the growth of the sport? If the paid PGA coach’s sole role was to coach and teach 95% of the time as well as instruct golf camps wouldn’t this work?

The solution is a matter of prioritizing money for the growth of the game. Each facility could apply for up to a $30,000 grant from the governing golf bodies to fully staff a “paid PGA coach” at their facility. This would be based on the amount of instruction given at each property and grow the game initiatives successfully performed. Not only would this help the players, and juniors at each property, it would also help the facility financially to foster a more loyal and growing clientele. The challenge is that running the golf course and growing the game are two entirely different skill sets, yet they continually fall on one pair of shoulders.

Currently the USGA has $392 million in assets on their balance sheet. The last time I checked

they didn’t own one golf course. The PGA Tour generates over $1 billion in revenue annually and the PGA of America is not far behind. It is time for the governing bodies that benefit mightily from the facilities, PGA by Sean Taylor, PGA members, and customers to truly invest back into golf.

All the grow the game programs are only worth the paper that they are printed on unless you have someone that can dedicate his or her time to solely growing the game at each property. Since the golf professional is wearing too many hats, the growth of the game always gets placed on the back burner, thus the decline cycle continues.

I’m not placing the blame on any organization, however collectively, we should pull together to be able to put millions back on the golf course again!

Sean Taylor, PGA, is the founder and CEO of Up to Par Management, a club and hospitality management company that specializes in golf and country club operations. Courses they manage include Lexington G & CC and Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia. They also manage the historic Robert E Lee Hotel in downtown Staunton.

Adam C. Smith PGA Director of Instruction Salisbury Country Club Golf Digest Best in State 2008 MAPGA Teacher of The Year PGA Magazine Instruction Advisory Board AdamSmithGolf@gmail.com

golf Fitness Quick-tip: Caloric burn Are you going to work on your golf fitness during the off-season?

Here is a great tip to start your workout campaign: Get a good caloric burn by exercising early in the morning, as soon as you wake up and well before breakfast. Overnight, your body is burning calories; fasting while you sleep. So, you want to get your golf specific fitness done right after you wake up. Think about it, if your last meal of the day was at 7 PM and you did not snack before bed, then you have a good opportunity to continue a healthy caloric burn, first thing in the morning.

Get outside and go for a 30 minute power walk. If the weather is not conducive, then try a walk on a stationary treadmill. Set the machine for a 4 mile per hour walk at an incline of 7 degrees. Swing your arms and take long strides. A good cardiovascular routine will help you build endurance for your game of golf. And if you think about it, doing it first thing in the morning after a good night’s sleep is a great way to spend 12 hours of your day fasting and burning calories.

Send me an email if you have any questions or if I can help you find a personal trainer near you. Enjoy this fitness tip and enjoy your game!

6

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

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MORE THAN A VAN DRIVER

Patrick K. Kane, Editor

Derek Bard(L) gets on-the-course guidance from UVA Head Coach, Bowen Sargent.

The U.S. Amateur finalist credits Sargent with turning around his game as a struggling freshman.

Photo courtesy of Jim Daves/UVA/Assistant Athletics Director for Media Relations

In My Opinion

From national contending Division I programs to NCAA DIII schools with no scholarships, college golf coaches are impact-makers in their player’s lives

W

hen I played college golf, my golf coach was a van driver.

Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t mind me calling him that. He was actually the assistant basketball coach and at that time, assistant basketball coaches didn’t make a whole lot of money. The head basketball coach doubled as the athletic director so he did what he could to get our coach a little extra income. We didn’t mind. He got us to the course on time, was always there waiting for us on the 18th green, and he always knew where all the best—and cheapest—places to eat were located, even in the smallest towns in the south.

It’s kind of always been a joke in golf circles, calling college golf coaches van drivers. And while many still do drive the van, most do a whole lot more.

Teacher, psychologist, recruiter, motivator, fund-raiser, tournament administrator, media advisor, grocery buyer, chef and promoter are just a few of the many responsibilities of the modern-day college golf coach. And don’t forget maybe their most important responsibility: Being a role model to young adults. How a coach reacts to adverse conditions, bumps in the road, as well as winning and losing, is often times mirrored by the players.

Some of the lucky programs get to fly to exotic locations, but most spend a lot of time traveling the highways and back roads in the team van. That may be where the coaches do their most important work, helping to shape and mold young men and women into future contributors of society.

A couple of years ago a YouTube video of a college golf coach going ballistic on his players after a poor finish, went viral. He coached a team at the DIII level that had a solid reputation and was consistently ranked in the top 20. Driving back to school, in the team van, the coach gave his best impression of an old-school tyrant who was trying to get his players to respond by telling them they stunk. Let’s just say the language used wasn’t mild.

I certainly don’t know that coach personally, he might be a good guy who just had a bad day and temporarily lost it while forgetting the fact that every

player in his van was equipped with an IPhone that can double as a recording device. But I can say without much hesitation that he’s not representative of the college golf coaches that I’ve gotten to know and deal with. Not even close.

When I call or email these women and men for a statement about a player or their team, I usually get a response within 24 hours. An ACC coach once called me back while he was on his annual family beach vacation. He wanted to make sure I got the information I needed so that one of his players got the recognition he deserved.

When I go to a tournament to cover the action, I don’t find the coaches inside the clubhouse drinking coffee or watching Sports Center on TV. They’re out on the golf course, with their players, doing what they need to do to motivate and bring out the best in each player. That’s not always easy to do with players who are sometimes still teenagers. Players who may be dealing with more than a struggling golf game. Young people facing the challenges of school work, or relationship issues, lofty parental expectations, or the pressures of trying to balance time constraints placed on college athletes.

The college golf coaches I know are great role models for the players to learn from. Some do such a good job that their former players go on to coach teams themselves, wanting to experience the reward of making a difference in a young person’s life.

I’ve been at college golf tournaments when the coaches arrive before the sun rises and leave after the sun sets. I’ve seen coaches working with struggling players late into the night, trying to give that golfer a glimmer of hope for the next round. I’ve seen them consoling a player who doubled the last hole of a tournament to cost his team the title. And I’ve seen coaches hand delivering sandwiches and drinks and umbrellas to their players, right on time.

That’s just what a college golf coach does, besides drive the van.

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

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College

College Preview Section 2015/2016

College Preview 2015/2016

THE FINAL CouNtDoWN

by Patrick K. Kane

Adam Ball enters his senior year at VCu having already won three individual titles and two A-10 team championships. He’ll look to add to those totals before moving on to the next stage of his golf career

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Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

A

COVER STORY

dam Ball has had one goal on his mind for a long, long time: Playing professional golf for a living. College golf was always just another step on the journey, never the last stop. So he makes no qualms about the fact that he can’t wait for that next phase and challenge to begin.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, VCU has been an awesome experience for me,” Ball said shortly after returning from the U.S. Amateur where he advanced to match play before falling in the second round. “I’ve enjoyed my teammates; it was great to play college golf with my brother and to have been coached by my dad. My game has grown and I’ve matured and grown up. But I’m ready to be done; ready to play golf for a living.”

So many young golfers, like Ball, have that same ambition. But Ball has shown numerous times since showing up on the junior golf scene with his first VSGA Junior Championship win as a 15-year-old, that he embraces the big-time moments, even at the national level against the best players in the world.

He savors the spotlight and doesn’t shy away from the pressure-filled moments that often separate champions from the rest of the pack.

“I love pressure,” said Ball. “I’ve played against the best and I’ve beaten them. And when I haven’t, it wasn’t because I felt like the situation was too big or too overwhelming. I actually like that.”

Some might think statements like that are a little brash or cocky. But Ball has backed up those words at each level—junior, college and amateur—that he’s competed at.

The first time he strayed outside the comforts of Virginia and found himself on the national stage was at the 2011 U.S. Junior Amateur. Ball caught fire in match play and knocked off several highly ranked players including current University of Texas First Team All-American Beau Hossler. Suddenly Ball found himself in the semifinals of arguably the biggest junior event in the nation and his opponent was none other than Jordan Speith.

Ball jumped out to an early 2-up lead but Speith displayed to onlookers what was soon to be seen by the entire golfing world just a few years later. Speith birdied seven of the next eleven holes to claim a convincing win before moving on to the finals where he won his second U.S. Junior crown.

It’s a match that Ball admits he thinks of often.

“He beat me like a drum, but I still came out of that match with a ton of confidence,” said Ball.

“The whole week, beating Beau and some of the other players, really went a long way in showing that I could play with some of the top players in the country.”

Two years later, Ball was back in the spotlight, this time in the U.S. Amateur at famed Brookline near Boston. Again, on the national stage, Ball’s game came alive. He reached the quarterfinals and showed a national audience that the kid from

Richmond, with the distinctive swing and aggressive game, could hang with the big boys.

Then this past summer, fresh off leading his VCU team to an A-10 Championship where he won medalist honors, Ball picked up a huge individual win when he won the prestigious Monroe Invitational. Winning the title was monumental, but the way he won it was even more eye-opening.

Ball shot a course-record tying round of 8-under par 62 to come back from a seven shot deficit after 54-holes and win his biggest amateur title to date.

It moved him up in the world amateur rankings and again served notice that he was one of the elite amateur players in the United States.

“I do believe Adam has the talent, desire and guts to be successful at the next level,” said Matt Ball, Adam’s dad who doubles as his son’s swing coach and college coach at VCU. “He’s never backed down from a challenge and his game keeps growing as the levels of competition and course set-ups get tougher and tougher.”

Coach Ball wasn’t always sure his son was going to play for him at VCU, especially after Adam’s success at the U.S. Junior Am put him on the radar of some of the top collegiate programs in the nation.

“That was very special to me that our relationship as both father and son as well as player and coach was strong enough that he always knew it would be great to play for dad,” said Coach Ball about the moment when he found out that Adam had committed to play for him at VCU. It hasn’t always been easy, admitted Ball, who said he encouraged Adam to live on campus and have his own space so he could grow and mature and make mistakes on his own.

“It’s difficult to step back at times,” said Ball, who himself played college golf at VCU in the late 80’s. “We’ve had our moments, but all in all he just wanted to be a kid and grow up. I’ve always said boys become men in college and have always tried, as a coach, to help move them in that direction over the years.”

Coming to VCU also meant Ball would be playing two years alongside older brother Matthew, who graduated in 2014 as a former All-CAA performer. When VCU qualified for postseason play in 2014, Coach Ball said the achievement kind of “ made our mark on the golf world as a family” as one of the few, if not only, college golf teams to qualify for the NCAA tournament with two brothers in the lineup and dad at the helm.

While playing with his brother and staying close to home were definitely important factors in Ball choosing VCU, the biggest key may have actually come down to knowing that his dad—the only instructor Adam has ever had—wasn’t going to tinker with a swing that many other coaches may have tried to change.

“He knows my swing better than anyone,” said

Ball about his dad. “I trust it and believe in it and we really haven’t changed much through the years.”

Would other college coaches or instructors have been inclined to make major adjustments the first time Ball hit a rough patch in his game?

“I’m pretty sure most any teacher would have tried to change his swing as soon as he got to a bad streak of ball-striking,” said Coach Ball. “Very rarely has his bad been really bad, but with how his left foot moves and his head drops, most teachers would disagree with both of those as being effective ways to play. I think that had something to do with his decision to come to VCU.” Ball said he’s tried to nurture his son’s swing while many others may have pushed for change, knowing Adam had the physical talent to make changes without a major struggle.

“We’ll never know unless he decides in his future to make those changes,” said Ball, when contemplating whether swing changes would have helped or hurt his son. “But I am a believer in trusting yourself under pressure and he trusts what he has.”

The 16-year head coach at VCU pointed to players like Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson, all having pretty significant idiosyncrasies in their swings that either they, or their instructors, chose not to change.

“It’s his swing,” said Coach Ball. “He’s always set the club well at the top and hit it where he was looking.”

Perhaps the real question is why anyone would even want to mess with something that has continued to produce results, time after time?

Ball begins his senior year with three individual titles, the career low VCU stroke average record, and the low single season stroke average record.

He’s also helped VCU take home four team titles since arriving on campus. His play on the national level and status as the 73rd ranked amateur in the world has also brought recognition to the program, which in turn should help future recruiting.

“Adam’s been a huge asset that hopefully we can continue building on after he is gone,” said Coach Ball.

As he moves into his final season, Ball said his personal goals are to add to his individual win totals, play well enough to hopefully lock down AllAmerican honors, get more consistent on his shots from 125 yards and in, and keep working hard on his short game so he can score better on days when he doesn’t have his best stuff. Ball would also love to help bring VCU a third straight A-10 championship title for his dad and teammates.

“I’ve loved it here at VCU, it’s been a special place and I wouldn’t change a thing about it,” said Ball, who hesitated for a few seconds before adding, “but I’m definitely looking forward to the next stage.” VGR

Team Previews

VCU

College

D-I

College Preview Section 2015/2016

I

t’s always nice to have every starter return from a championship team. And that’s what VCU head coach Matt Ball has to look forward Coach Matt Ball to this year. In fact, Ball has seven returning players who all saw tournament action last season.

“Last year we were a fairly young team,” said Ball, named the A-10’s Coach of the Year the past two seasons. “We are now mature and should be prepared for a strong season.”

VCU won the A-10 Championship which qualified them for NCAA regionals. They failed to advance to the NCAA Championships but did show that the potential to play with bigger DI programs was within reach.

The Rams shot one of the low final day team scores in a field that included perennial top-20 teams like South Carolina and USC. Back for his final season is Richmonder Adam Ball, the A-10 individual champion who also won medalist honors at the Seahawk Invitational. Ball, who won the prestigious Monroe Invitational over the summer, enters the year as the single season record holder of the low scoring average as well as having the all-time lowest scoring average in program history.

He’ll be joined by fellow senior and All-A-10 selection Steffen Harm, who turned in a 16th place finish at the A-10 Championship.

Juniors Jamie Clare, Hanish Nagrani and Enej Sarkanj have all gone low in tournament play and have experience in post-season tournaments. Osama Khan was probably the surprise for Coach Ball last season as a key contributor in both the A-10 Championship and NCAA regionals. And Errol Clarke, a long-hitting sophomore, has shown dramatic improvement over the summer.

The competition for playing opportunities should raise the level of everyone’s game.

“I really don’t know who will be the starting five in our first tournament,” said Ball. “No matter what, after a strong summer of golf for all the guys, I know we’ll be better than last year, so I’m excited to get going.”

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

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College

College Preview Section 2015/2016

Photo courtesy of USGA.

READY FoR A NEW RoLE

uVA’S Derek bard falls just short of u.S. Amateur title. he enters his junior season as the new team leader and looks forward to a springtime date in Augusta, Georgia

by Patrick K. Kane

V

irginia junior Derek Bard had already turned in an impressive summer of golf before he arrived in the Chicago suburbs to compete for the United States Amateur at Olympia Fields CC. The All-ACC performer finished third in the Monroe Invitational in June and then a week later followed that with a win at the prestigious Sunnehanna Amateur.

Still, few would have predicted the run Bard put together at the U.S. Am when he reached the final match before falling to Bryson DeChambeau, 7 &6, in the scheduled 36-hole final.

Bard said when he arrived on-site at Olympia Fields, he was focused only on qualifying for match play. Scores of 72-70 were good enough to help him accomplish the first goal. Bard moved onto match play and the dominoes, or players,

12

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

began to fall.

“I started to win matches,” said Bard at his postround press conference, “and every match I won, I gained some more confidence.”

Along the way, Bard knocked off some of the top amateur players in the world. In the round of 16 he overcame a two-down deficit after 9-holes to First Team All-American and SEC Player of the Year Hunter Stewart before storming back by winning four of the last five holes to win 2 & 1.

In the quarterfinals he took down the number one ranked amateur in the world, Jon Rahm, another First Team All-American, after falling three-down through ten holes. Bard then won four of the next eight, including two of the last three holes, to win 1-up.

Bard’s semifinal win, over Japan’s top amateur

golfer, Kenta Konishi, had to feel like a breeze after the two previous stressful come-from-behind wins. He never trailed in the match and won 3 & 2.

In the 36-hole final, Bard jumped out to a 2-up lead after seven but finished the first 18 holes 2down after winning the final hole of the morning 18. After lunch the pair came out for the second 18 and DeChambeau hooked his tee ball on the opening hole into the left trees. Bard’s par put him only 1-down and the momentum seemed to be shifting.

But DeChambeau, who won the NCAA individual title in June, reacted like a champion. He won seven of the next nine holes, five of them with birdies, to take control of the match.

It certainly wasn’t the outcome that Bard would have drawn up. But when asked about the week as a whole and what he took out of it, Bard was adamant that it was a great learning experience for him as he moves forward.

“First thing is, I learned a lot about myself, my game,” said Bard. “I realized I can play with people at this level. Just realized that if your down and out, just never count yourself out and just keep grinding away and see what happens in the end.”

Another reason not to be too disappointed is because of the perks that Bard receives for reaching the finals of the U.S. Amateur, which include spots in the 2016 U.S.Open at Oakmont and the Masters.

First things first though. Bard returns to Virginia as the new leader, taking over for his former roommate, four-time All-ACC selection Denny McCarthy, who taught his younger teammate valuable lessons during their time together in Charlottesville.

Bard called McCarthy “the older brother I never had” and said he looks up to him as a person and a player, especially his ability to grind out scores through successful course management.

“One of the main things he does better than anyone I’ve seen is when he doesn’t have his best stuff, he’ll still get the ball around, find the hole and post a good number,” said Bard, who won the individual title at last year’s U.S. Collegiate.

Unlike McCarthy, who was ranked by many as the number one junior in the country when he arrived on campus, Bard was much less heralded when he signed to play at Virginia. And unlike McCarthy, who began his collegiate career in style with early success as a freshman, Bard struggled and failed to qualify for the first two tournaments of the fall.

“I was in a bad spot coming into UVA,” said Bard. “I was playing the worst golf of my life.”

Bard credits his coach at Virginia, Bowen Sargent, for the turnaround.

“He’s huge,” said Bard in response to what Sargent has meant to his success.

“I was lost and I got in and worked with him right away. We started to work on my swing, and the changes were hard at first.

But they kicked in about a month and a half after we started, and I remember I finally broke through in the lineup for that third event in the fall and never left the lineup since.”

For Sargent, Bard’s attitude was the key.

“One, it’s easy to work with talent,” said Sargent. “But more importantly, Derek came in with an open mind and willing to listen. Couple that with a strong work ethic and Derek really took off.”

Sargent said Bard was having a tough time managing his swing path relative to his face angle. Once they worked on matching the two up, Bard had the confidence and put in the hard work that was needed to produce results.

“I wish I could take more credit but I can’t,” said Sargent, a former All-ACC performer at NC State. “Derek did most of the work. It’s nice to see a young man achieve his goals.”

After taking a few days off following the grueling week that saw Bard play a total of 145 holes in seven days (not counting practice rounds), the upstate New York resident—who ironincally enough was born in Charlottesville—will get back in town to start his studies and begin the fall season with a little more notoriety than he’s had in his first two years as the U.S. Amateur runner-up. It’s a title that Sargent hopes will give Bard even more confidence going forward but realizes will also bring possible added pressure.

“I think a lot of that will be up to how Derek handles the opportunity in front of him,” said Sargent. “Managing expectations and reality is a tough challenge for a 20-year-old, so how Derek chooses to handle the success at the U.S. Amateur is going to be a different test for him.

If Derek is the type of young man that I think he is, he’ll realize while the week at the U.S. Amateur was great, it was just one week.”

Sargent added that Bard will have to continue to focus on improving and managing his game better, specifically on weeks when his ball-striking is just a bit off.

While the runner-up finish at the U.S. Am failed to land Bard a spot on the Walker Cup team with his former teammate McCarthy, he can look forward to that official invitation with the Augusta National logo on it that usually get sent out sometime around Christmas.

“I can’t wait,” said Bard, who said it’s been a dream since he was a little kid to tee it up in the Masters. “It hasn’t sunk in yet. It’s all been kind of dreamlike for me here, but I’m sure once I look back and reflect on all this, I’ll realize that I’ll be teeing it up with the best names in golf in April.”

VGR Not a bad consolation prize.

Team Previews

UVA

(cont.)

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A

fter All-American and team leader Denny McCarthy rolled in his last putt as a senior, the question for head coach Bowen Sargent had to be who would fill his shoes?

In August, that question may Coach Bowen Sargent have been answered when Derek Bard reached the finals of the U.S. Amateur Championship. Bard, who enters his junior year at UVA, had already won the prestigious Sunnehanna Amateur before his magical run at he U.S Am. The confidence from that should propel Bard into the elite class of college players.

“Last year, Derek was an All-ACC selection but I would imagine he has loftier goals, like All-American, as he’s now ranked inside the top 50 in the world,” said Sargent, the 2010 ACC Coach of the Year who has turned Virginia into a consistent top 20 nationally-ranked program. “There’s no doubt Derek will be our leader and we’ll rely heavily on him both on and off the course.”

Two other players who played key roles on last year’s NCAA Championship qualifying team are Jimmy Stanger and Danny Walker. Sargent said both will need to step up if Virginia is going to accomplish its team goals of winning the ACC Championship and advancing to the NCAA Championships again.

“Both Jimmy and Danny are very capable, but each need more consistency from week to week,” said Sargent. “Between the two there is a lot of experience, as they’ve both played most every tournament. But this year they’ll have to step up their play as the remainder of our team lacks experience in post-season play.”

Kyle Kochevar returns for his senior year after being a solid contributer in the spring season last year. Kochevar went from playing no events as a sophomore to playing in every spring event last year. He finished 20th at the ACC Championships.

The real sleeper for the Cavaliers could be Nick McLaughlin.

After struggling with a bad back last spring and not competing, McLaughlin got healthy over the summer and dominated the New England amateur golf scene. He won five events including the New England Amateur, Massachesettes Amateur, and Massachusettes Public Links Championship.

“I’m really anxious to see Nick healthy and playing with more consistency,” said Sargent. “ He could provide a real boost to our team this year.”

Another sleeper that coach Sargent is high on is redshirt freshman Connor Messick, from northern Virginia. After undergoing some swing changes he’s shown much improvement from his redshirt season. He’ll look to break into the top five should the opportunity arise. The two newcomers to the UVA program are Ashton Poole and Thomas Walsh, talented highly-ranked juniors who arrive on campus with huge potential.

The Cavs will definitely miss the leadership and consistency of McCarthy, but this is another solid team for Sargent, who looks to return to the now familiar yearly postseason spot of the NCAA Championships.

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College

College Preview Section 2015/2016

Team Previews

U of R

(cont.)

Central VA and Surrounding Area Collegiate Players Seniors

R

ichmond loses former A-10 individual champion Danny Pizetoski to graduation but may have found his replacement in sophomore Matt Lowe, the A-10 Rookie of the Year last season Coach Adam Decker who finished as the individual runner-up in the A-10 Championship to VCU’s Adam Ball after shooting 6766 in his final 36-holes. Lowe also picked up a big amateur title this summer when he won the Cardinal Amateur in North Carolina.

Lowe will most likely be joined in the starting five by upperclassmen David Germann and Keegan Hoff, two players who saw extensive tournament play last season when Richmond finished in second place at the A-10 Championship.

Other players who will vie for playing opportunities include former James River High star and Richmond Golf Association Junior champion Jason Park and Suffolk resident John David Sanderson. Mark Reilly and Jimmy Davis will also look to break into the lineup.

Coach Adam Decker also expects big things from freshman Ben Wanichek from Oregon.

“I expect him to come in and be competitive for a spot in the lineup immediately,” said Decker, the A-10 Conference Coach of the Year in 2010 who has seen his team finish as the runner-up in the conference tournament the past two seasons.

Decker would like to see his team move up one spot this year.

“Our goal is to win our conference championship,” said Decker, “and participate in the NCAA Regional.”

Adam Ball

Hometown: Richmond School: VCU

Lauren Eklund

Hometown: Charlottesville School: Old Dominion Univ.

rhett Martin

Hometown: Midlothian School: Bridgewater

Lucas Powell

Hometown: Mechanicsville School: Randolph-Macon

Brandon Bailey

Tiarra Baskerville

Dawson Hobbs

Patrick Johnson

Hometown: Richmond School: Virginia Union

Hometown: South Hill School: U of R

Hometown: Richmond Hometown: Chesterfield School: Hampton Univ. School: Christopher Newport

Tracy Moriconi

Hometown: Richmond School: Randolph-Macon

Taylor Stagg

Alex o’Dell

Michaela Conway

Hometown: Chester School: Lincoln Memorial

Chris Kapsak

Hometown: Richmond School: JMU

Chris o’Neill

Hometown: Crozet School: Longwood

Hometown: Glen Allen School: Univ. of Michigan

Nick Tremps

Andrea Walker

Hometown: Midlothian Hometown: Williamsburg School: Washington & Lee School: College of Charleston

Hometown: Warsaw School: Bridgewater

GOLF VIRGINIA

REPORT

Former RGA Junior champ Jason Park, a James River High grad, will look for increased opportunities in 2015-2016.

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Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

Marin Warring

Hometown: Williamsburg School: Bridgewater

Every issue available in digital format online virginiagolfreport.com

Team Previews

Longwood

Juniors

(cont.)

College

College Preview Section 2015/2016

L

Tyler Bennett

Hometown: Richmond School: Christopher Newport

Kyle Hart

Hometown: Midlothian School: George Mason

Caleb Martin

ongwood loses stalwart Blake Carter, an All-Big South performer who finished second in the Big South Championship. They’ll look to junior Clayton Forren, of Rustburg, to step up and lead the way after gaining significant experience through his first two seasons in Farmville.

Longtime head coach Kevin Fillman, the 2007 DI Independent Coach of the Year, said he’ll need a couple of upperclassmen to show more consistent form if the Lancers are to compete for a conference title. Those players include Coach Kevin Fillman senior Alex O’Dell of Crozet and sophomore Nick Contini, two players who showed signs of being key contributers last season. Christian Rivera of Norfolk and Patrick Gobran will also look for playing opportunities.

Fillman, who has led his teams at Longwood to 21 team titles, is also optimistic about arriving freshmen Jordan Boultan of England and Adam Szwed of Woodbridge. He expects both to be a part of his starting five. Sameer Qader is another newcomer to Longwood from Spotsylvania.

“We have not made things very easy on ourselves the past few seasons,” said Fillman. “Our goal is to get headed back in the right direction. We need to get back to being competitive before we can realistically think about starting to win again. It’s our expectation to be competitive.”

Yoseph Dance

Hometown: Richmond School: Drexel

Meredith Hopper Hometown: Ashland School: Radford

mCCARthY CLoSES out AmAtEuR CAREER At WALkER CuP

Jason Park

Hometown: Richmond School: U of R

ryan Parker

Alex Simmons

Photo courtesy of USGA.

Hometown: Charlottesville School: Virginia Wesleyan

Hometown: Callao Hometown: Charlottesville School: Shenandoah Univ. School: Hampden-Sydney

Alex Thompson

Hometown: Richmond School: High Point Univ.

Zach Weaver

Hometown: Williamsburg School: Pfeiffer Univ.

JUNIorS NoT PICTUrED: Matthew Shaw/ Ferrum College, Jeff Brochetti/Lynchburg

F

ormer four-time All-ACC selection and three-time All-American Denny McCarthy, one of the most decorated players in UVA golf history, closed out his amateur career at the recently concluded Walker Cup matches played at Royal Lytham & St.Annes GC in England.

The United States, a favorite entering the week, fell to Great Britian & Ireland, 16.5 to 9.5. McCarthy ended the two-day competition with a 1-3 record.

“It wasn’t the outcome we were hoping for, but nonetheless, we had an incredible week,” said McCarthy after the conclusion of the event for which he was one of just 10 players chosen to represent the United States.

McCarthy opened the week with a win in foursomes, partnering with University of Texas All-American Beau Hossler to win 3 & 1 over the team of Gary Hurley and recent Open Championship 54-hole coleader Paul Dunne. After that he ran into GB & I’s hottest player, Jimmy Mullen in the next three matches.

Mullen won all four of his matches, only the fourth player in Walker Cup history to accomplish that feat for GB&I, and was his team’s hottest player.

“He drove the ball extremely straight and hit on a lot of greens,” said McCarthy about his opponent Mullen, who made the cut as a 19year-old at the 2013 Open Championship. “When you hit a lot of fairways and greens out here, that is going to do pretty well in most matches.”

McCarthy delayed turning professional to give himself a chance to be selected for the prestigious amateur team event that lived up to all of his expectations.

“We had a great group of guys this week,” said McCarthy. “We really did have a blast on and off the golf course. Just what an amazing experience, for me personally, I wanted to go out as—this was the way I wanted to go out as an amateur. And I couldn’t think of a better way.”

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D-II

College

College Preview Section 2015/2016

READY to RISE

New golf coach Lee Coble looks to revive Virginia union program

by Patrick K. Kane

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Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

sistently get three or four other scores in the 70’s.

Conference foes Fayetteville State University and Virginia State have done that, winning not only conference titles, but national titles as well.

Virginia State, whose campus is less than 30 miles south, down I95 in Ettrick, won the DII PGA Minority National Championship in 2011.

Fayetteville State has won that crown seven times. That’s the type of tradition and consistency Coble hopes to develop.

Coble brings a strong golf resume to Union.

He’s a longtime competitive amateur player who is a former winner of the Richmond Golf Association Mid-Amateur Championship. Coble also served as a past president of the Virginia State Golf Association as well as being a committee member of the United States Golf Association.

He has no formal training as an instructor but says he knows enough about the golf swing and the game to be a strong influence on his players.

“I’ve been around the game my entire life,” said Coble. “Obviously my strong suit is going to be the mental side of the game and helping our players manage their attitude on the golf course.”

If his players need help with swing mechanics, Coble says he has resources available for his players. Several area professionals have already volunteered to be of assistance to the team.

“We feel like we’ve already elevated the program from where it was,” said Coble. “We’ve added a bunch of talented players. We’ve upgraded our schedule to compete against the top teams in the region. We’re providing our players the resources they need to be successful, both in the classroom and on the golf course.”

Photo courtesy of J. Junot/VUU

t’s hard not to be drawn into the positive energy and enthusiasm that exudes from second-year Virginia Union University men’s golf coach Lee Coble. He’s on a mission to transform the golf program back to prominence and he’s intent on getting to the top sooner than later.

“I feel confident we can finish in the top three in the Conference Championship this year,” said Coble recently, which would move them up three spots from a sixth place finish a year ago. “Going forward I’d like to see us become a consistent qualifier for the NCAA DII Championships and be consistently competitive at that level.”

Those are lofty goals for a team that has struggled the past few years. How does Coble plan to turn it around?

“We’ve got to improve the recruiting process here,” said Coble,” and upgrade the caliber of players that we bring in.”

Based on the current roster, Coble has done just that.

Six new players arrive this fall on the Richmond campus, many with strong resumes, looking to impact the program in a big way. They’ll join the lone returning starter, Brandon Bailey, a Richmond senior who finished 23rd at the CIAA Championship in 2015 and Antwan Benjamin.

While Coble has high expectations for his six newcomers, he knows it’s probably not realistic to expect dramatic change overnight.

“These guys can all play, but it’s a process,” said Coble. “Most of these kids are making the move from high school to college and it takes time to settle in. But overall, I’m ecstatic where we’re at right now.”

Two players, Bart Kaminski and Robel Woldagabriel, transferred to Virginia Union from Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida. They’ll bring experience to a young team. The four freshmen expected to step in and compete for spots in the top five include Ricardo Andrews, Sergio Escalante, Landon Isaacs and Paul Meints.

Virginia Union is an NCAA DII program that competes in the CIAA, a conference made up of other Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The school has had some individual success stories, most recently with multi-time AllCIAA performer Mason Simpson of Richmond.

Simpson won the CIAA Championship twice and was named CIAA Player of the Year when he closed out his incredible collegiate career in 2013.

But like many schools at this level, Virginia Union struggled to find a supporting cast who could con-

Photo courtesy of J. Junot/VUU

I

Senior Brandon Bailey from Richmond, is the only returning starter, with six newcomers arriving on campus.

But it’s long-term success that Coble is ultimately striving to achieve.

“I’m looking to re-establish a winning team here at Virginia Union,” said Coble. “The President, Dr. Claude G. Perkins, and the Athletic Department, want a strong golf program and I really believe that we can turn it around and be successful and create a new winning environment. We’re already on our way.”

A PERFECt FIt FoR WILLIAmSbuRg’S WEAVER

Photo courtesy of Sean Meyers

Zach Weaver

by Ryan Redding inding the right fit when picking a college can be stressful and overwhelming, especially when you’re looking for an affordable place to not only further your education, but play college athletics as well. Such was the case for Williamsburg native Zach Weaver. The Lafayette H.S. graduate finally settled on Pfeiffer University, a small, private liberal arts school in the southern Piedmont region of North Carolina.

“When I was still in high school, it took me a long time to find Pfeiffer,” said Weaver. “I would email many coaches all the time trying to find a place to play golf in college and most of the time they either had a full roster or the school was too expensive.”

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Team Previews

W

But Weaver’s perseverance paid off when he found what turned out to be a perfect fit with Pfeiffer. “I thought it would be a great place to improve my golf game and also get a great education,” he said. “I was very fortunate to find Pfeiffer and I wouldn’t pick any other school to play at than here.”

Success at the next level hasn’t come easy for Weaver or his team at Pfeiffer. Last season the Falcons finished tournaments in the middle of the pack, which is also where Weaver found himself most of the time. His best finish was a T15 at the King Invitational last September.

“I had a 74 average last season, which isn’t terrible, but I never had any high finishes,” said the junior, who qualified for both the State Open of Virginia and the VSGA State Amateur over the summer. “I want to be able to compete a little better this season and start getting my name out there.”

Weaver knows that in order to do that, he’ll have to improve the mental side of his game. “From an individual standpoint, I had some good rounds that have proved to me that I can shoot low in a tournament,” he said. “My biggest thing is to put two of those good rounds back to back and see what happens.”

Weaver thinks the addition of a new coach, David Gianferante, has both he and the team moving in the right direction.

“He has been around this game for a long time,” said Weaver. “He has helped me mentally to stay focused throughout the entire round and how to really shoot the best score that I possibly can. I know he will do many great things for this program and we are heading in a great direction.”

And it appears Weaver is correct. The Falcons opened their 2015 season with a second place finish at the Cutter Creek Golf Invitational in Wilson, N.C. Weaver was able to put together back-to-back solid rounds of 73-73 to finish the tournament in second place.

With a new coach stressing the importance of confidence and belief, Pfeiffer and Weaver are moving in the right direction.

(cont.)

Hampden-Sydney

College

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College Preview Section 2015/2016

D-III

ith DIII All-American Brian Burt gone to graduation, Hampden-Sydney and head coach Mac Main will look for leadership from upper classmen Alex Simmons, Austin Fockler and Aaron Persily.

Simmons, a third-team All-ODAC selection, from Charlottesville, had a strong summer of amateur play including a top-ten at the Kenridge Invitational, qualifying for match play at the VSGA Amateur Championship and making the cut at the State Open of Virginia.

“Alex is living proof that hard work and dedication pays off,” said Main, the 2013-2014 ODAC Coach of the Year, when he guided HS-C to a final ranking of 19th nationally in DIII. Fockler, a Richmond resident who attended St. Christopher’s, and Persily, turned in strong freshman campaigns and will look to build even more consistency as they compete in a very competitive conference that includes perennial top-20 program Guilford College.

Other returning players who will look to break into the traveling team include Virginians Guy Cheatham, Hill Donihe and Parker Smith, as well as Trent Tuttle.

Newcomers that Main thinks have the potential to step in and make an immediate impact include Will Snyder and Jamie Agnew.

Main emphasizes a “team-first” attitude at HS-C and that concept has been key to the team’s success since he took over the program in 2012. He expects that success to continue this year.

“Each year we plan to compete in events with the top ranked teams in DIII golf, and to win several of these tournaments, including winning our ODAC Championship,” said Main.

“This will ensure a trip to compete in the NCAA National Championship, another of our team goals. We strive to win national championships.”

Randolph-Macon I

t’s tough to replace a player who finished inside the top ten in every tournament he played in during his senior season. But that’s what head coach Ed Turnage is going to have to do, as Richmond’s Kyle Fuller, an All-ODAC selection who was also named R-MC’s first All-American, has graduated. Turnage will look for two sophomores, Kirby Struhar and Matt McDonagh to lead the way. Both turned in impressive freshman campaigns as Struhar finished with a scoring average of 77.5 while McDonagh finished 7th at the ODAC Championships.

Coach Turnage also has four incoming freshmen who could help out immediately, including former Benedictine star Trey Rezzetti and Deep Run High team member Christian Fagan. Other newcomers include Chase Childers and Jacob Berryman.

Turnage calls upperclassmen Dalton Taylor, Lucas Powell, Nick Stottlemyer, Adam Tuttle, Peter Shaner, and Connor Jones all “talented players and fine young men that can help the Jackets win our conference.”

Randolph-Macon will play six events during the fall schedule which Turnage hopes will give his young squad a chance to get some much needed tournament experience and ready to make a run at the ODAC championship in the spring.

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Photo courtesy of Methodist Athletics

College

D-IlI

PERseverance

Fredericksburg’s Mason Stutler goes from not playing as a freshman to First-Team All-American as a junior.

by Ryan Redding

A

fter coming off a National Championship season in which he won two tournaments and garnered an array of honors including First Team All-American, First Team All-Conference USA South, and All-Region status, you may think Mason Stutler has had an easy road to success.

But that would be doing a disservice to all of the hard work and perseverance it’s taken to get to this point.

At Mountain View H.S. in Fredericksburg, Stut-

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Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

ler was a two sport standout. A four-time letterman in golf, he was also a third team All-District and honorable mention All-Area basketball player.

But when it came time to choose which sport to play in college, the choice was easy for Stutler.

“I wanted a small school with a great golf program,” he said. “Not only does Methodist University have an outstanding golf team, but the Professional Golf Management program is one of the best in the country. I felt that since I was pursuing a career in the golf industry, it would make sense to play golf over basketball.”

However, life doesn’t always go according to plan. There’s often bumps in the road along the way which can either send you off on the wrong track, or help narrow your focus and spur you on to greater success. When Stutler was cut from the Methodist golf team his freshman year, he chose the latter.

“That was a wake-up call for me,” he said. “I

realized that if I wanted to make the golf team and play in tournaments, I would have to dedicate myself to practicing the way I did in basketball. I realized that relying on my talent was not going to be good enough to get where I wanted to be.

I had to improve all areas of my game as well as improve my mind.”

All of that hard work and practice has paid off for the now Senior. Last season, Stutler won his first career college tournament at the Golfweek Fall Invitational by shooting four under par. He followed that up with another win at the Jekyll Island Intercollegiate by shooting nine under par.

He added four more top 10s and finished the season with a scoring average of 72.8.

Stutler’s on-course success helped the Monarchs to another spectacular season in which they won three times before finishing second in the USA South Conference Tournament. At the Division III National Championship, Methodist made up five shots on the final day and overtook LaGrange by three strokes to claim their 11th NCAA Division III title in school history. Posting a 292 on the final day, the team had to wait over an hour to see if their score would hold up.

“My favorite college golf memory is celebrating on the putting green at Grandover Resort in Greensboro after we found out that we were the 2015 National Champs,” said Stutler who plays out of the Gauntlet GC. “That was special for me because we had worked towards that goal all season long and had continued to battle even though we were five strokes behind the leaders entering the final round.”

With so much success, it would be easy to get complacent. But Stutler and his teammates are having none of that. Going into this season, his goals remain lofty. “My goal for this team is to battle to play our best in every round of every tournament,” he said. “We have the potential to be competitive at a very high level as we were last year. My goal for us is to prepare for every tournament like it’s the National Championship.”

As a senior, Stutler’s role on the team has also expanded. He was named Captain of this year’s team. His coach, Steve Conley, explains why. “He brings stability and consistency to our team,” said Conley. “But more importantly, he is a great person who is admired and liked by everyone.”

Stutler is eager to step into that leadership role.

“I want to be a positive leader and role model to the guys on the team,” he said. “For us, our biggest key to success is how close we are as a team and how competitive we are with each other. We push each other daily, whether it be in practice or qualifying, and I believe that is what really prepares us for tournament golf.”

Methodist University opens the season ranked first in the Division III Bushnell Golfweek Coaches Poll.

Strong Summer raises expectations for simmons 22nd in the conference. His best finish was a second place showing at the Roanoke College Invitational where he shot rounds of 71-81 to help Hampden-Sydney to a runner-up finish behind Ferrum.

Although the team found some success in the fall, winning the Virginia State Intercollegiate, Simmons wasn’t happy with his individual performance and felt he had to reset his mindset going into the spring season.

“Coming off what was my best summer of golf I had played, I had high expectations,” he said. “Unfortunately I put too much pressure on myself. I regrouped during the off season and focused in on my mental ability to play rounds. It showed in the spring. I was performing at the level that I knew I could.”

Simmons is quick to give credit for some of that success to his teammates, especially All-American Brian Burt.

“Earning an All-ODAC spot was an honor,” he said. “My teammates, in my mind, were all-conference teammates. Brian also keyed my success. Playing constant matches against him in practice where we would always try and one up each other pushed me to get better.”

College

D-IlI

Simmons’ competitive streak is rooted in a different ball striking game though. His early trajectory had him on a baseball path, but an arm injury his junior year of high school altered that course. Golf became his primary focus and he soon found himself playing and practicing every day which led to a rapid improvement in his game and the realization that he could play at the collegiate level.

That desire to get better not only helped Simmons earn a spot on the Hampden-Sydney golf team, it led to a start in his very first collegiate tournament, the Tom Kinder Memorial, in which he finished T-7 and helped lead the Tigers to a 10shot victory.

His college coach, Mac Main, says Simmons’ strong work ethic is what sets him apart. “He is devoted to improving his level of golf and practices on a daily basis, rain or shine,” said Main. “His efforts have paid off and Alex has made huge strides in his performance on the course.”

Simmons enters the fall season looking to capitalby Ryan Redding ize on what was a very successful 2015 summer. ampden-Sydney junior Alex Simmons is look“I played in the Kenridge Invitational at Farminging to ride the momentum of his breakout ton where I finished 4th and that really sparked sophomore campaign in which the Charlottesville my summer,” he said. “Following that I played in native and Albemarle H.S. graduate garnered Third the VSGA State Amateur where I advanced to Team All-ODAC conference honors. the round of 32 and then the State Open where I Simmons played in nine events in 2014-15 and made the cut.” Simmons capped off the summer had a stroke average of 78.1 per round, good for with a 3rd place finish in the Jefferson Cup and an 8th place finish at the Valentine Invitational at Hermitage Country Club.

Central VA and Surrounding Area Collegiate Players (cont.)

In his first tournament of the Sophomores 2015-16 season, Simmons placed 12th and led his team to a 7th place finish at the Tom Kinder Memorial hosted by Bridgewater College.

Simmons has had plenty of help and support along the way. He’s quick to credit his dad and mom, his swing coach, Rob McNamara, his girlfriend, and even members from the club he works at as a bag Lyberty Anderson Sara Eadie Guy Cheatham Austin Fockler Megan Frederick Casey Gafney boy during the summer, FarmingHometown: Chesterfield Hometown: Fredericksburg Hometown: Richmond Hometown: Richmond Hometown: Spotsylvania Hometown: Chesterfield School: Univ. of Virginia School: Shenandoah School: Hampden-Sydney School: Hampden-Sydney School: Radford School: Bridgewater ton Country Club in Charlottesville, who have shown constant support and encouragement.

“I have an array of mentors and friends that help guide me through my golf as well as many life lessons,” said Simmons.

“Whether it’s my mom or dad or my two grandmothers wondering how every round went, I am thankful for all of the opportunities golf has given me and look Luke Hill Christina Herbert Harper Matthews Nichlaus Norris Matthew Padgett Peter Shaner Hometown: Williamsburg Hometown: Powhatan Hometown: Mechanicsville Hometown: Mechanicsville Hometown: Chesterfield Hometown: Lexington forward to the future I have with School: Bridgewater School: Bridgewater School: Shenandoah School: Roanoke College School: Bridgewater School: Randolph-Macon the game of golf.”

Alex Simmons

H

Sophomores NOT PICTURED: Griffin Clark/ Saint Leo University, Trevor Tremps/ George Mason University

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

19

College

College Preview Section 2015/2016

Team Previews

UVA

Central VA and Surrounding Area Collegiate Players (cont.)

(cont.)

Freshmen

WOMEN

V

irginia women’s head coach, Kim Lewellen, loses only one player from the five who put together a record-setting performance at the ACC Championships when the Cavaliers blew away the field to win its first ACC crown. But two of those returning players will be out when the season opens in the fall.

Coach Kim Lewellen “Hopefully by spring we’ll be ready to defend that title,” said Lewellen, a two-time ACC Coach of the Year selection, including last season.

Lauren Diaz-Yi and Elizabeth Szokol could potentially miss several events according to Lewellen, which means Virginia residents Lauren Coughlin (Chesapeake) and Lyberty Anderson (Chesterfield) will have to step up until the other starters return.

Coughlin, a former VSGA Women’s Amateur champion, was named to the All-ACC team after a fourth place showing at the ACC Championship. Anderson had her best college showing at the ACC Championship when she finished 7th.

Still, Lewellen thinks not having the two other stalwarts in her lineup may actually be a blessing in disguise.

“We’ve got a really strong first year class and this should give them an opportunity to get some experience early in their college career,” said Lewellen.

Those newcomers include Anna Redding, Morgan Gonzales, Katharine Patrick and Rachel Corry, all with shining junior resumes.

Returnees with tournament experience include Alex Hershberger, Sarah Kolodzik and Maho Hayakawa. Other returning players who will contend for playing opportunities include Virginians Ju Hee Bae, Lyndsey Hunnell and Jessie Merrill, along with Maryland resident Ariana Dial.

RICHMOND

WOMEN

Christopher Allen Hometown: Chesterfield School: Virginia State

Leah Brown

Hometown: Petersburg School: Virginia State

Eric Alexander

Christian Fagan

Hometown: Glen Allen School: Randolph-Macon

Trey razzetti

Sameer Qader

Hometown: Fredericksburg Hometown: Glen Allen School: Randolph-Macon School: Longwood

C

oach Ali Wright enters her second year at the helm of the University of Richmond women’s program and is counting on some new blood to ignite the Spiders.

Three freshmen arrive with individual state high school titles on their resume. Isabella Rusher, Annie Collom and Sophie DiPetrillo should all contribute immediately after highly decorated junior careers. Another talented freshman, Kathryn Young, will also look to compete.

They’ll join 2015 VSGA Women’s Stroke Play champion Elsa Diaz and Jessica Lydia, both second-team All-Patriot League selecCoach Ali Wright tions last season.

Upperclassmen who will compete for playing opportunities include South Hill’s Tiarra Baskerville as well as Kira Kuhnert, Maria Pons Cano, Alicia Reggiannini and Elizabeth Rubino.

“I’m anticipating a significant improvement in our team stroke average and look forward to competing for individual and team tournament championships this year,” said Wright.

20

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

Jacob Berryman

Hometown: South Hill Hometown: Mechanicsville School: Randolph-Macon School: Virginia State

Mark Lawrence

Hometown: Richmond School: Auburn

Emily Salamy

Hometown: Williamsburg School: Rhodes College

Not Pictured: Liza Lewis Hometown: Richmond School: Randolph-Macon

Jared Shifflett

Hometown: Stanardsville School: Ferrum

Nicholas Williams Hometown: Stafford School: Virginia State

GOLF VIRGINIA

REPORT

Every issue available in digital format online virginiagolfreport.com

by Ryan Redding

G

oing back to her high school days at Jamestown H.S. in Williamsburg, Christina Herbert had a history of winning. Earning medalist honors twice during her senior season, she helped lead the Eagles to the 4A state championship.

However, no one could have seen what was coming in her freshman year at Division III Bridgewater College. Herbert placed in the top-5 in all 10 events she played, including runner-up finishes at the ODAC Preview and the Bridgewater Invitational. But she was just getting started.

Herbert steamrolled the competition at the ODAC Championships, winning by eight strokes with scores of 73-73, helping her earn a host of honors including First Team All-ODAC, Second Team VaSID All-State, and Honorable Mention WGCA All-American.

“Finishing as medalist at the ODAC Championship was a great honor and something I will always remember,” said Herbert, who plays out of Kingsmill Country Club. “It was gratifying to see all the hard work I had put into practicing pay off.”

Herbert hopes to use that experience and success going forward as she enters her sophomore season at Bridgewater. “Hopefully this will be a springboard to future success in not only the ODACs, but at a national level,” she said.

It appears that it has been a springboard indeed, and that she’s riding that momentum right through the summer and into the fall. Herbert once again took medalist honors in the team’s first event of the season, the Lynn Schweizer Invita-

Team Previews

tional, posting rounds of 71-73 to win by three strokes, and helping Bridgewater finish runner-up to second-ranked Wittenberg University. In doing so, Herbert was named ODAC Women’s Golfer of the Week.

Herbert credits her success, as well as the teams, to the short game practice her coach employs.

“The keys for our success rely on our focus on short game in practice such as putting and chipping drills,” she said. “Really, we wouldn’t have been as successful if it hadn’t been for our amazing coach, John Rogers.”

The feeling of admiration and respect is mutual

by Coach Rogers. He knew he had a special talent and a special person for his program during his initial conversation with Herbert.

“I knew from the first day I spoke with Christina and her family that she was not a run-of-themill person or player,” he said. “During her senior year I thought she was the strongest player in the state who had not already committed to play elsewhere. So I expected great golf from her.”

Rogers also says he wasn’t completely surprised

by Herbert’s success so early in her college career.

“Would I have guessed that Christina would come out of the gate as an All-American, or make the All-State team, or win our conference championship by eight strokes,” he asked. “Maybe not, but I can honestly say I wasn’t really surprised either.

When you have a mix of talent and dedication, and the support needed for an elite player like her, there’s an awful lot of upside.”

Herbert looks to keep the momentum going through this fall season, but she knows there’s still

a lot she can work on, especially from the mental side of the game. “I need to focus more on staying in the present while I’m playing golf and to not think about past shots or even future holes,” said Herbert.

With the right mind-set and the talent to go along with it, Christina Herbert is primed for another big season.

(cont.)

Randolph-Macon Women I

Christina Herbert

College

no time to rest on Laurels; odac champion herbert looks to build on stellar freshman season

Photo courtesy of James S. McCumber/Bridgewater Athletics

D-III

f experience counts then the Randolph-Macon women’s golf team is in good hands. Olivia Bowling, Tracy Moriconi and Rebecca Ream, all arrived on campus in 2012, part of RM-C’s initial class of recruits as the golf program started. And all three have been relied on heavily during their college careers’s Bowling won two individual titles last season as well as recording seven top 5 finishes. She’s also a two-time ODAC Player of the Year honoree.

Ream was a third-team All-ODAC selection last season while Moriconi turned in two top 10’s.

That core will be joined by returning players Katie Raymond and Aven Oliver.

Head coach Leighann Albaugh, twice named ODAC Coach of the Year, also brings in a solid recruiting class of five that she calls tournament tough.

“Our freshmen are ready to play and will make an impact immediately,” said Albaugh.

“They’ll also provide a foundation for a continuation of excellence once the three seniors graduate.”

The five freshmen include Ruby Rim, Liza Lewis, Emmy Saathoff, Mia Alan and Katelyn Jordan.

“Our mission this year is to reclaim the ODAC Championship and earn a berth to the NCAA DIII National Championship,” said Albaugh. “We look forward to kicking off the season with a very strong competitive fall schedule.”

Coach Leighann Albaugh

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

21

Photo courtesy of Kilmarlic

Travel

COASTAL GOLF

Photo courtesy of The Carolina Club

Kilmarlic Golf Club

The Carolina Club

Autumn Sound effects at North carolina’s outer banks

by Bill Kamenjar

W

ith habitats ranging from sandy beaches to towering dunes, maritime forests to brackish marshes and inland hardwoods to open farmlands, North Carolina’s Outer Banks provides a natural haven for golf. Perhaps the only constants across the region are shifting winds, seagulls screeching out “huoh-huoh-huohs” through the salty air and the eternal roar of the Atlantic Ocean surf pounding against the barrier island’s resilient shoreline.

Swipe your golf ball off the turf of

22

a sound-side hole at Nags Head Golf Links located furthest south along the strip and it will soar over scenery much different than one struck toward the celebrated island green No. 7 at The Carolina Club on the mainland to the north. The same goes for a shot fired adjacent to the wetlands at the soundside Currituck Club as compared to one feathered at Kilmarlic Golf Club, an inland design offering several more subtle glimpses of the intruding coastal waterways.

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

Of course, other distinct area layouts provide a variety of golf thrills as well across OBX. They include The Pointe Golf Club and Duck Woods Country Club, located just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean, and The Pines at Elizabeth City and Scotch Hall Preserve in Merry Hill – these latter two serving more as options on the way into or out of the Outer Banks.

No matter what setting you choose to tee your ball up during a visit to this seaside paradise, one thing is for certain: golf is grand along the Outer Banks, and grandeur is as pure as a well struck one iron.

More from the Shore The Powells Point community stands as golf ’s northern gateway to the Outer Banks. Rising a mere 10 feet above sea level, it stands much taller than that as the home to two big-league golf layouts – The Pointe and Kilmarlic Golf Club.

The good citizens of Powells Point, over time, have created a style all their own. Where else would you find a Hibbidy Dibbidy Lane – a quiet neighborhood road that thoughtfully dead ends before trespassing across the plush fairway grass of the 619-yard, par-5 No. 18 hole of The Pointe Golf Club.

The Pointe, with its wide-open routing across a former turf farm, has always stood for good, traditional-style golf punctuated by great conditions.

As a favorite of locals in the region, the course is affordable and a must play

for anyone visiting the destination.

In terms of imagination, however, it may run even wilder just west across U.S. Highway 158 at the naturally wooded golfing grounds of Kilmarlic.

Though the name itself evokes an old-world theme, it goes beyond that.

Kilmarlic operators have been busy the past few years clearing multiple sound views and opening up numerous corridors to provide an even more memorable playing experience than ever before.

“We have cleared a lot [of trees and underbrush] especially on the back nine,” says Bryan Sullivan, Kilmarlic’s Director of Golf. “We also changed the fourth hole to a par 4 and the sixth to a par 5 [a move designed to further enhance the efficiency of the routing].”

Beginning on the par-5 No. 12, the vistas really begin to widen out. Return players there will notice an artfully thinned-out view behind the green on the 495-yard dogleg right that is more than well protected by a patch of hidden marsh off the tee and some ominous bunkers down the entire right side as you approach the green.

After No. 12, the drama ratchets up even more with stunning new views across to the Albemarle Sound from behind the tee box on the par-3 No. 13, then most of all down the right sides of both the par-4 No. 15 and the par-5 No. 16. The separation between No. 16 and No. 17 has also been enhanced.

Designed by Tom Steele, Kilmarlic has always been known as a first-class facility. Now it’s been made even better.

“It’s really a wonderful layout,” Kilmarlic’s Jeff Lewis adds. “There’s plenty of room off the tee, but where you can really lose strokes is around the greens. Though there are plenty of strong longer holes, the collection of par 3s is particularly impressive.”

Forward thinking has always been a part of the management plan at Kilmarlic. The development of a fourbedroom golf cottage situated next to the clubhouse has made it an ideal stayand-play golf option for serious players over the years. Accommodations there enable groups of players to roll off their front porch and onto the first tee in no time flat. And the best news of all? Similar smaller cottages near the entrance to Kilmarlic could soon be in the development.

So stay tuned.

Learn more about these courses and OBX golf packages at www.PlayOBXGolf.com or 800-916-6244.

Travel

Golf bike brings uniqueness to palmetto dunes resort

by Martin Armes

T

Photo courtesy of Palmetto Dunes

he first resort in the Carolinas and along the East Coast to offer the revolutionary new Golfers playing the Oceanfront Resort’s trio of award“Golf Bike,” Palmetto Dunes winning courses can now pedal from hole to hole versus visitors can boost their calorieburning quotient while teeing it taking a golf cart or hoofing it up on some of the South’s most beautiful and challenging courses — including one of Hilton Head Island’s two oceanfront layouts.

Indeed, bicycling has long been renowned as one of Hilton Head’s most versatile activities. More than one million bikers annually enjoy the island’s 50 miles of paved, winding bike paths — including five miles within Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort itself — or along Hilton Head’s pristine beaches.

Now, Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort is taking bicycling Palmetto Dunes George Fazio #16 to the links, helping celebrate National Bike Month in May with the initial delivery of Golf Bikes.

Palmetto Dunes received nine of the first 100 Golf Bikes being In 2010, the first prototype Golf Bike was designed and then presented at the delivered this month across the 2013 PGA Show’s Inventors Spotlight. Some courses tested the bikes last year country which allows golfers the ability to play at the speed of a cart while getting before the first 100 of 600 Golf Bikes were delivered this month. paid back with fun and fitness.

The Golf Bike is yet another Hilton Head Island first and head-turning amenity “We are always looking for fun new products to enhance our golf experience that’s available at the place Travel and Leisure Magazine called “The Best Family and The Golf Bike really caught our attention,” said Director of Golf Clark SinGolf Resort” in the country, on an Island that Golf Digest calls one of its “Top clair. “These specially prepared golf bikes should heighten the fitness experience 10 Buddy Trip Destinations.” of a round at Palmetto Dunes.”

Last summer, Palmetto Dunes introduced its exclusive Visage GPS system to The Golf Bike, available at all three courses, will cost the same amount as a the golf carts at the Robert Trent Jones Course that allows for an interactive expegolf cart. Golfers interested in using a Golf Bike during their rounds at Palmetto rience. Previously, it rolled out the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art golf app Dunes can reserve one when making their tee time reservation. on Hilton Head Island that allows you to book future rounds and see what else Built from the ground up to play golf, The Golf Bike’s step-thru frame allows is happening on and off the three courses at the resort. It was also the place that golfers to easily get on and off the bike. The bike holds up to 14 clubs and supbrought golf-out-fitted Segways to the island a few years ago. plies are integrated into the frame of the bike, making it stable and easy to balance. The bike’s wide tires and small diameter wheels make for easy acceleration For more information about Palmetto Dunes Oceanfront Resort and its many golf packages, call with less impact to the course than a motorized cart.

877-567-6513 or visit www.PalmettoDunes.com.

South Brunswick isles, thistle GC

by Parker Reynolds

E

very golfer is familiar with Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The area is filled with quality golf courses, restaurants and nightlife. Always a great spot to visit. But if something a little bit quieter and private is to your liking in golf, there’s a place not far away, just north of the South Carolina-North Carolina border, called the South Brunswick Isles.

It’s here that golfers will find themselves away from the hustle and

bustle of Myrtle Beach, just minutes from the Atlantic Ocean. The golf options are abundant and first-class and perhaps none are as fine as Thistle Golf Club, a 27-hole facility that has consistently earned 4 and a half stars from Golf Digest since opening in 1999.

Continued on next page

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

23

Travel

South Brunswick isles, thistle gc Continued from previous page

The name is Scottish and it’s the theme that’s found throughout the facility from the golf course to the incredible clubhouse that combines an old-world feel with plush comfort. The outside of the clubhouse is stone and brick while inside guests will find solid wood beams and antiques. There’s even an authentic Scottish style pub inside that welcomes members and guests.

But it’s the golf course, designed by Tim Cate, that is the star at Thistle. The three nine-hole courses, named Cameron, Mackay and Stewart, showcase natural wetlands, lakes, bridges that navigate the landscape, and wildlife that thrives in the temperate coastal region. Conditions on all three nines are always impeccable with green surfaces known in the area as simply the best.

Stay and play packages are available.

by Parker Reynolds traight up Highway 17, about 45 minutes north of Thistle, is the town of Leland, located just outside the port city of Wilmington. Leland is home to one of the top public golf facilities in the state, Magnolia Greens Golf Course. This is another 27-hole facility that fits in the category of hidden gem. Locals Magnolia Greens GC know about the fine golf, voting it as their favorite golf course in the Cape Fear Region two years in a row.

Magnolia Greens opened in 1998 and features the Championship Course and its plush bermudagrass fairways as well as Champion Bermuda greens. There are five sets of tee markers which allow golfers to choose the right length for their game. The Azaela nine is unique in that it can play as a normal par-36 venue or golfers can choose to play the front tees which turns every hole into a par-3. This is probably a look into the future of golf where guests who are in a hurry have options available to them.

The practice facility at Magnolia Greens also sets it apart from other area golf courses. With two bunkers, for both greenside practice as well as full shots, and the ability to hit from both ends of the natural grass range with high-end golf balls, practice here is not a chore.

Magnolia Greens recently added a cool concept for players as it now is home to the GOLFBOARD, a surfboard like vehicle that adds the word fun into the mix.

After golf, players can reward themselves with an ice cold beverage at the Magnolia Grille or outside at JJ’s Patio Bar. Wilmington has been named “Best Riverfront City in America”

by USA Today and is a great place to visit. Magnolia Greens offers stay and play packages with several area hotels.

S

24

Virginia Golf Report • College 2015 • virginiagolfreport.com

Photo courtesy of Magnolia Greens

Thistle Golf Club

Public Golf at its Finest!

Voted BEST GOLF COURSE in the Cape Fear Region.

Located just 5 miles from Downtown Wilmington.

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Photo courtesy of Thistle

Wilmington area golf

The Outer Banks of North Carolina

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The 26-room Lodge at Primland (top) overlooks the 10th and 18th holes. Views like this one, (bottom) at the First green, are common throughout the Highland Course at Primland.

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Nags Head

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