In preparation for the 100th VSGA Amateur Championship, the association gathered quotes from the 39 past winners that were culled primarily from a series of in-person and phone interviews.
Below, please find a sampling of memories from all former living champions.
>> I WAS 23 WHEN I WON. I’d just moved to Richmond and was working at the local bank that is now Bank of America. It meant a great deal to win. There I was, coming out of the blue, and I ended up winning, so it opened up a lot of doors and it was a big thing in my life at the time.
I beat Wright Garrett in the final, who was a freshman at the University of Houston, which was the big golf school in the country at the time. We played 39 holes and it was all caddies and walking. At 23, we were able to do that. That was the way the game was then; now, you get to ride a cart for 36 holes.
It really was tremendous at that time, especially after moving to Richmond from another place. We had a great group of players at Hermitage [Country Club in Manakin-Sabot] in the early-60s that played all the time. We had a great golf community. It was a tough crowd to play in. You couldn’t let up. They sort of tuned me up, I think.
It was a big deal at the time and still is today.
–– NED BABER, 1960 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> AT THE TIME, I WAS FAIRLY NEW BACK TO GOLF. I had gotten my Amateur Status reinstated in 1990, if I remember correctly. I played my first Amateur in a number of years—probably 10-plus years. In 1991, I made it to the round of 16. And the next year, I came back and played really well. I played Vinny [Giles] in the semifinals and Keith [Decker] in the final. I played three or four good players in a row. I felt like I could play with the best of ’em and started to play a bunch of tournament golf, something I do to this day.
–– ALLEN BARBER, 1992 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE AMATEUR IS THE PINNACLE for the events conducted by the Virginia State Golf Association. When I talk to these young kids today—and I play with all of them—the only tournament they talk about is the VSGA Amateur. Believe it or not, they know the history of the Amateur. They know who Vinny Giles, David Partridge and Tom McKnight are, as well as others. If those [younger] guys had to pick one tournament to win, it would be the VSGA Amateur. I’ve played in it, consecutively, since I won it for the very first time in 1988; that was the second time that I had played in the Amateur.
Why I remember this, I don’t know: I played in it for the first time in ’82 when it was at Danville [Golf Club] because it was close to home and I drive back and forth. At that time, I was just starting out and I won’t forget that I qualified for match play and lost in the first round to Dan Keffer. Then, I didn’t play in it again for six years.
In 1988, I remember beating Dicky Linkous in the final, who was the hottest player going at the time. He soon turned pro after the Amateur. I had a lot of support from the Martinsville area. People came down and watched the matches, especially the final match. To me, Danville [Golf Club] is almost like a second home course for me. I’ve played there so many times, in so many tournaments and I love the people. That’s obviously a very special memory for me—having won there for the first time. I remember commuting back and forth every day from Smith Mountain Lake. We were staying up there and I drove back and forth every day. It was a little over an hour drive. I remember it being a very nice drive back every evening because I won my matches during the day. It was an easy ride back. There were no letdowns, no disappointments. It was fun.
I’ve made match play every year since 1988 with one exception—at Belle Haven several years ago. I played absolutely awful and deserved to miss [match play].
In my opinion, it’s very hard to win five matches in a match-play tournament. There’s always been a big debate of what’s more difficult to win: a match play tournament or a four-day stroke play tournament. In my mind, the four-day stroke play tournament is harder to win because if you can’t make a triple-bogey [in a stroke-play tournament], and win the tournament. In match play, if you make a triple-bogey, you’re only 1-down and you start anew on the next hole. I’m sort of contradicting myself a little bit in that I probably should’ve won a couple of more Amateurs because, I think in my mind, it’s easier to win the Amateur, even though I really haven’t proven it.
I’ve had a lot of close calls, a lot of very good matches. I remember getting beat by Vinny [Giles], getting beat by [Tom] McKnight on the next-to-last hole in a match at CCV. He went on to beat Vinny the next day in the final, the only final match Vinny lost. The best match I ever had was against a local guy from Martinsville, Jerry Wood. We played in the semifinals at the Golden Horseshoe. I won the match; I was five under and he was four under. It was the tightest, best match that me and my opponent have played at the same time.
I love the Amateur. I’m a career amateur and it has special meaning to me.
–– KEITH DECKER, 1988 AND 1991 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> TOGETHER, THE VSGA AND THE GAME OF GOLF PLAYED A HUGE ROLE in my development from a young boy to the person I am today. The values you learn through playing competitive golf at a high level translate well into making you successful in life. Patience, perseverance, dedication, hard work, integrity, and honesty—the game reinforces those traits and have helped in my development as a person and a golfer.
It is difficult to quantify what the VSGA has meant to me; my love for golf has played a role in almost every decision that I have made in my life. Without the VSGA, I am sure that my passion for golf would not be so great. My interest led me to follow a career in golf for more than 10 years, until family commitments outweighed my connection to the game. Golf helps to teach us the things that are most important in life. It is not always about winning a tournament that counts. The honesty and integrity that you must maintain to be able to hold your head high and know that you are doing the right thing no matter the outcome is important.
In 1998, the year I won the VSGA Amateur, my dad was there to ride in the cart with me to watch the final match. My father started taking me with him to the golf course when I was 5 years old and I soon became hooked. He didn’t get the chance to see me play many tournaments. My mom took me to most of my junior events growing up. While in college, my parents rarely saw me play, so it was very special that my dad was able to be a part of that moment, and to see how proud he was of my accomplishment.
During the week of the championship, there are two things that I remember. In the semifinals, I made a 15-foot left-to-right breaking putt to win the match, 1 up. There was great satisfaction in pulling off the shot in order to advance. After hitting a poor drive into a fairway bunker, I wasn’t in a great position, but was able to hit a good approach. The final match was very tight and I don’t think either my opponent, Pat Tallent, or I held more than a 1-up lead. But I was able to make some great putts over the final few holes and made good on some other chances along the way. Looking back I wonder, ‘Wow, how did those go in?’ The one I remember most is the par putt I converted on No. 17 to take a 1-up lead going into the final hole. It was a straight uphill putt that had just enough pace to fall over the front lip. I made par at the 36th hole, but I cherish the par save at 17. I retain great memories from the event and it is amazing that it’s been more than 15 years since the victory. The details of the day have faded a little, but it is always great to look back and see what I was able to achieve.
Winning the VSGA Amateur has helped me in nearly every aspect of life. When someone finds out that you’ve won the championship, it gives you the confidence that you have accomplished something special. You see your name alongside some of the greatest players in the history of the game and think, ‘I was able to accomplish something great.’ That feeling can only help you in everything you do in life. By reaching that high of a level, you want to strive toward that same mark of excellence in all that you do.
The VSGA will always be special to me. As I look back at my days of competitive golf, there are great memories, mostly involving VSGA events. Although winning is great, I know my perspective has been shaped for the better by competing in VSGA events, and getting to know great people through the years. I always look back fondly at playing in the VSGA Junior, VSGA team competitions and the VSGA Amateur. Even though I don’t compete that often anymore, it is great to reflect on the championships (and even the defeats), as well as all the individuals that have affected my life through my connection to the VSGA.
–– JAY FISHER, 1998 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> I WAS 20 AT THE TIME and my opponent in the final, Walter Lawrence, was 21. Our combined ages were a lot less than some of the other guys who were playing. We had a tight match and I made a couple of late birdies to win, 4 and 2. It was certainly an exciting time for me.
My first match in 1958 was against Wynsol Spencer, who’d won the tournament four times leading up to our meeting. I had a friend that came with me and he caddied for me during the event. I can remember that once we saw Wynsol as our opponent for the first round, we packed our bags and checked out of the hotel. I won a close match against Wynsol and things seemed to come a little easier after that; I played Connie Sellers who won the Amateur [in 1951]. As I remember it, Connie was playing Vinny Giles and they were all-square after 18 holes. It went to extra holes and Connie cold-topped his drive off the first tee, but still ended up halving that hole and beating Vinny on the next hole. So instead of playing Vinny, I faced Connie Sellers late in match play. I came very close to playing Vinny, who, at that time, was 16, maybe 17 years old.
The final was 36 holes and we had a good match the entire time. I can tell you that there used to be 70 steps from the top of the ninth tee until you got down to the very bottom. That was better than going up the steps
It was certainly a thrill. At the end of 18 holes I was 2-down, but I came back. Walter played well, but I played just a little better and did just enough to win. Prior to that, I had qualified for three national tournaments put on by the Jaycees at that time. The first one I went to was in Ann Arbor, Mich., and they housed us in the dormitories of the University of Michigan. Gene Littler won that tournament. I, along with the rest of the Virginians playing, failed to qualify for the final 36 holes. The next one was in Albuquerque, N.M., and we drove all the way out there—in the days before interstate highways and air conditioning. It was pretty hot going through Texas, with four boys as a chaperone. I think Al Geiberger won that tournament. The third one was a little closer, in Columbus, Ga. I made the cut, qualified for the last two rounds and finished tied for fifth.
Those tournaments gave me a confidence boost to play well. The next year, in 1957, George Washington’s golf team in Danville won the state high school team championship and I won the individual title. We had a really good team. In ’57, I tried to qualify for the VSGA Amateur and, at that time, it was just an 18-hole qualifier. I didn’t make it. The following year, I managed to go all the way.
–– JIMMY FLIPPEN, 1958 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE TWO THAT STOOD OUT WERE WHEN I WON it 1962 because I hadn’t done it and it was special. The other one was when Lanny [Wadkins] and I played in the final in 1971. He was arguably the No. 1 amateur in the country and had won the U.S. Amateur the year before. Someone said to me, ‘What do you remember the most about it?’ I said, ‘To tell you the truth, what I remember the most is that I played reasonably fast, but Lanny played faster than anyone I’ve ever known.’ I mean, we teed off at 8 a.m. and came up the ninth fairway at about 9:15. We came up over the hill on No. 9 and there must’ve been between 1,000 and 2,000 people around the green. They’d come from Richmond, Tidewater, Roanoke, Lynchburg and you name it. Back then, amateur golf meant something. There were people that played amateur golf and stayed in golf as amateurs, such as Billy Joe Patton, William Campbell and on…it was a whole different game.
To have won [a record] seven [Amateur] championships is a nice record to have and chances are pretty slim that it will ever happen again. [Keith] Decker and Tom McKnight, until he went on the Champions Tour, were probably a cut above and may have been the ones who could’ve won certainly four, five or six amateurs. Maybe more. In the old days, you had good players like Wynsol Spencer and George Fulton in Virginia that won a number of times. After that, Curtis Strange, Lanny and Bobby Wadkins, John Rollins, etc., weren’t going to be around long as amateurs to win that many [VSGA Amateurs].
–– VINNY GILES, 1962, 1964, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971 AND 1987 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> WHENEVER YOU CAN WIN THE AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIP and beat such great players, it’s something you cherish your entire life. I’ve been on both sides. I’ve lost in the final once and won another time, so I have both feelings. It’s a lot better being on the winning side, but to go through the whole week and come up short is very disappointing, and you never know if you’re going to have another chance. I was lucky enough to have another chance and when I did, I took advantage of it.
When I won, it was a great day and a short match, which made it even better (Heath set the largest margin of victory in his 1976 triumph, winning the final match, 11 and 10).
–– SKEETER HEATH, 1976 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE VSGA WAS IMPORTANT AS I COMOPETED IN ASSOCIATION EVENTS as a junior and into my early 30s prior to leaving Virginia in 1990. The tradition of the VSGA is strong, and participating in many championships over the years was a learning and growth experience from a personal standpoint. When I left Virginia, I learned how well established the VSGA is and how fortunate I was to be involved in golf in the commonwealth.
Winning the Amateur in 1982 [at Cedar Point Country Club in Suffolk] provided me with many great memories and a sense of personal pride from the accomplishment. I have so many fond recollections. During one match, my opponent, Sam Martin, showed great sportsmanship by calling a penalty on himself when the wind moved his ball after he addressed it—he was the only one who saw it.
I recall the great local crowd rooting for local Moss Beecroft in our semifinal match, a match where we both played great golf. We both made many birdies, including the 48-footer I sunk on No. 18 to win! John Cuomo was very kind in defeat following the final match. He’d defeated me on two previous occasions in the Richmond [Golf Association] City Amateur, so he had to be confident heading into the final. Finally, I remember the great pride my mom and dad, Lew and Norma, and all my family had given my showing at the Amateur.
Winning the ’82 Amateur helped me mature as I tried to handle myself as a former champion. Now, it fuels my desire to keep my game in shape and continue to improve.
Congratulations to the VSGA for celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the Amateur. I look forward to being in Hot Springs and seeing the trophy again.
–– JEFF HORN, 1982 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE VSGA IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION that afforded me a tremendous place to play in amateur events, as well as experience first-class competition. Playing in association-run championships helped in my development as a player.
My best memory is having my brother, Daniel, caddie for me in both of my wins. In 2005, when I won for the second time, I remember playing my first and second round matches in a combined five or six under par—and having to play 33 holes in the process. I thought that each match would result in an easier win while I was playing that well; it showed me that there are a lot of good players that play in Virginia.
Winning in 2005 was an important victory for me to make the USA Walker Cup team that year. I think that win in ’05 was a springboard that helped me represent the team later that summer.
–– BILLY HURLEY, 2004 AND 2005 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> IN LOOKING BACK AT THAT TIME, I recall not playing very much or very well going into the Amateur—and not expecting a whole heck of a lot. I’d just started a new business, my wife was expecting our second child within a few weeks, and we were moving into a new home. There were a lot of other things going on other than playing golf—which may have contributed to why I played well. I wasn’t expecting much.
When we were playing, it seemed like it went in a blur. It went very fast. I live in northern Virginia and we played at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. After we got done playing each day, I remember sprinting home, going to work and making sure my clients were satisfied.
I look back now and I played better and better each day. It seems like it happened so fast, and I’d say, undoubtedly, it’s the greatest feat I’ve ever accomplished in golf. I remember that when I won on No. 17 that I felt something I’d never felt before, because I’d never won anything of that magnitude. Like they say, ‘The next thing you know, you’re holding the trophy.’ There are some great names on the trophy. I remember looking at the trophy for a long time.
I had a good friend caddieing for me, and it was the first time Robert Trent Jones [Golf Club] had hosted the Amateur, so I was excited. When you win, you have to putt well, and I don’t think I missed anything inside of 7 feet the whole week. If you clean up your messes, you usually do pretty well.
I went on to win other tournaments that I probably wouldn’t have won because of my experience at the Amateur. I had some good spells in the mid-’90s when I played some pretty good golf. I felt like I could win other tournaments, too. I look back now with a lot of fondness.
–– SCOTT INMAN, 1994 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME was being able to play golf in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The VSGA has certainly provided me with a number of opportunities, and I’ve had the pleasure of playing with some of the true gentlemen and sportsmen of Virginia golf. I came along at a wonderful time when we had caddies and walked the course. I think it was a special time in golf.
Through my exposure to people like Jimmy Watts, Harry Easterly, Dick Payne and ‘Bunny’ Blankinship—among others—they were special in my life. They taught me a lot about golf and a lot about life, too. One year, Jimmy Watts, Harry Easterly, George Fulton and I each qualified for the U.S. Amateur at The Broadmoor and we all stayed together.
One of the things that has been so special to me in Virginia golf is my friendship with Wynsol Spencer. When I was coming up, he took me under his wing, we played golf together for a number of years and we’ve remained good friends ever since. We talk fairly regularly on the phone and do a few things together to this day.
When I won in 1956, I met Charlie Holden and he invited me to play in the Belle Haven tournament. I’d never met him until then, but we’ve been friends for more 55 years now. As it turned out, his sister is my wife. A lot of good things have come my way.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t say something about my second win [in 1965] over Tim Collins. He’d beaten me the year before. I was the underdog and fortunately I ended up playing my best golf in the final and won the match. They say ‘Every dog has its day.’ I guess that was mine.
–– WAYNE JACKSON, 1956 AND 1965 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE MOST UNUSUAL THING is that my opponent, Mike Grant and I, roomed together the evening before the final. It was a great time for me—all of my family was there watching the final. And I played Tom McKnight in the first round. I had just come out of school, so I was just a youngster.
Great memories. I played in the Amateur since I was probably 15 years old. I even played when it was at The Homestead a couple of times. Golf has been very good to me as far as teaching me things that I took into the business world. I can’t say enough about this game.
One of the neatest things was that I think I was one of the last players who got to play in the [PGA Tour’s] Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic (based on his victory at the Amateur). It meant a lot to go to Williamsburg and play with those guys. And having a lifetime exemption to go back and play anytime I want is always neat. I wouldn’t miss the anniversary celebration.
–– HANK KLEIN, 1990 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT, I CAN STILL REMEMBER a lot of the shots that [opponent] Gill [FitzHugh] and I hit in the final. We were friends and I was very fortunate that it was in here in Richmond (at Willow Oaks Country Club), so it was great to have friends and family following me. It’s nice to be on the trophy with all the players who’ve won over the years—Lanny Wadkins, Curtis Strange, Vinny Giles and so many others.
One of the nice things with [son] Mark Jr. coming along is that it has set some goals for him. He’s become quite an accomplished young golfer. I’ve won the Amateur and I’d like to see him win it as well. I think he’s going to far surpass everything that I did.
It’s a nice goal to win the Amateur Championship. It gives you a lot of confidence in your ability and your game. It’s not an easy tournament to win. You have to qualify and then there’s the match-play portion. One of the things about match play is that on any given day, anybody can win. It really is an endurance test and you have to be on your game every day. If you have a bad day, there’s a good chance you’re going to be headed home.
It has definitely meant a lot to me. I still have the [replica] trophy sitting at home. It was a nice feeling to have that accomplishment.
–– MARK LAWRENCE, 1980 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> AT THE TIME, I WAS TEACHING MATHEMATICS AND ALGEBRA I in Virginia Beach. I’d just graduated from Elon (N.C.) University. I got married June 24, 1961. My wife and I decided to make [Amateur] week part of our honeymoon. I played in the tournament and was fortunate enough to win. It was a really great experience that I’ll never forget. It was a great way to spend part of your honeymoon—you don’t want to spend it all that way. We both enjoyed it immensely.
At that time, I guess I was on an emotional high and I never played a mountain course before like the Cascades. Fortunately, that course is not as much of a mountain course as one might think for being located in that area. There are a lot of holes in the valley. I tried to prepare myself as well as I could for the hill shots, but I had good results as far as ball-striking. Coming from an area like Virginia Beach with bermudagrass greens, I’d never putted bentgrass greens before, but it didn’t take too long to adjust.
It was a 36-hole final and at the end of 18 holes, I was 3 down. I told some of the people who’d come from the Beach to support me, ‘I didn’t come here to lose.’ Me and my caddie (he changed caddies after lunch) Earl Broughman really coordinated our thoughts, which made a big difference. I had to really play some golf on the last 18 and won, 3 and 1. I’m not sure I was a better player than my opponent (Barclay Andrews of Roanoke), maybe not as good. He was a good ball-striker. I’d been working out all winter and had myself in physically good shape. Thirty-six holes in one day is a load. I guess you could say I was prepared for the week and the walking involved. I would say that I was a 4-to-1 underdog when the day started, but as the match went on, things changed.
I’m looking forward to seeing some of the guys that I haven’t seen in 52 years—boy, those 52 went by in a hurry.
–– BOBBY LOY, 1961 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> WINNING WAS A CONFIRMATION that the hard work I’d put in was worthwhile. I’d lost my father the year before. He was my teacher and it was very emotional for me at that point.
I happened to get through the toughest bracket. I happened to beat Wright Garrett, who played at [the University of] Houston for [coach] Dave Williams. I beat Robert Wrenn, who ended up having a long career on the PGA Tour, and got past John Pool, who played for famous golf coach Conrad Rehling at the University of Alabama, along with Jesse Haddock. Then, I beat the hometown favorite, Harry Lea (the 1981 Amateur was conducted at Danville Golf Club). It was a great week and I was fortunate enough to get past Dan Keffer in the final.
It was an awesome week and I made a lot of friends. It validated the fact that I belonged. I worked hard to get to a certain level.
–– GEORGE MACDONALD, 1981 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> I ALWAYS THOUGHT I COULD PLAY WITH THE BEST in the commonwealth. I finally did it. [Winning the Amateur] made me realize that I could compete and gave me self-confidence in my game.
–– STEVE MARINO, 1999 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION (from September/October 1999 Virginia Golfer magazine)
>> It was special to have my father on the bag that week. I remember the first day of stroke-play qualifying being rained out and from there, it was just a marathon. But you never get tired of playing a course like the Cascades; I’m happy the 100th anniversary of the Amateur is at The Homestead.
Winning the Amateur was one of my first big victories. I won some events at the junior level, but being able to claim the Amateur was a big confidence-builder. I played great the whole week and made a lot of putts. I felt in control and it helped to validate what I was doing.
I still think about it all the time. As a player’s gift in 2006, we got a leather duffle bag with the VSGA logo on it. I still travel with it. Even though it’s on its last leg right now—the straps are loose—it’s nice to have it around. Every time I look at it, I think about that week and try to take some inspiration from it. I’ll use it until it can’t be used any longer.
–– CHRIS McCARTIN, 2006 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> HELL, I CAN BARELY REMEMBER TO ZIP UP MY PANTS; how can I remember what happened 40 years ago? It was a great thrill and I felt a great sense of satisfaction. I haven’t won anything bigger than that, so it’s very pleasing.
I still enjoy it. Someone recognizes me every once in a while, although there are not as many people around who can remember it. It was a great week and it’s always fun when you’re winning, but I’d like to think I would’ve enjoyed it even if I’d lost a little earlier. I think I’ve always enjoyed the game. The competition is nice, but just being out there and playing the game is the best part.
–– NEFF McCLARY, 1977 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> IT REALLY HITS HOME WHEN YOU SEE THE NAMES ON THE TROPHY, like a Lanny Wadkins, for example. That when you really realize, ‘Wait a second. I’ve accomplished something here that’s beyond what I ever expected.’ For me, I know it was very unexpected because I was working full-time. Being able to participate was nice and a lot of fun. Winning it was a feeling that can’t be easily reproduced. I’ve tried, but not very successfully. Being in the company of the greats who’ve won the Amateur is amazing.
–– ROSS McINTOSH, 2001 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THROUGH THE YEARS OF BEING PART OF THE VSGA, winning the Amateur and having my name beside the other ones on the trophy is something that I’ll always cherish. It’s very deep in my heart. I’ve been in South Carolina for about 15 years now, but I still consider myself a Virginian. I consider Virginia and the VSGA my starting point in amateur golf. Virginia has been great to me.
Match play is a roller coaster ride because you never know what can happen. It’s kind of a battle against yourself in hopes you have enough to win. Through the years, I played against a lot of good players and good friends. It’s a thrill to have won the last match, and to have won the Amateur three times feels tremendous. When I started playing back in the mid-80s, [winning the Amateur] opened some doors and made me want to play on the national level.
–– TOM McKNIGHT, 1984, 1985 AND 1989 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> SOME OF THE FIRST TOURNAMENTS I EVEN PLAYED IN COMPETITIVELY were VSGA junior events when I was 9 or 10 years old. When my dad passed away during my senior year of high school, some of the first people to reach out to me in golf were those from the VSGA. I received incredible hand-written letters that I still have—and cherish—to this day.
As I reflect, my favorite memory from winning the VSGA Amateur was doing it at Bayville Golf Club, the last place I ever saw my dad and the last place he saw me play a round of golf. I’ll never forget walking off the last hole after I’d won, and giving one of my dad’s childhood friends, Dean Hurst, the pro at Bayville, a hug. We both had tears in our eyes. It was the closest thing I had to giving my dad a hug and I’ll always cherish that moment.
Winning the VSGA Amateur was the biggest golf tournament I had won to date, and it was a huge confidence booster for my golf game. The victory propelled me to having a good end to the summer and was a factor in me winning the first college tournament the following school year in New York.
–– JAKE MONDY, 2012 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> WITH ALL THE PLAYERS THAT HAVE COME THROUGH VIRGINIA, I feel blessed to be on the trophy with all of those past champions. When you win the VSGA Amateur, it almost feels like you’ve won six individual tournaments in a week because you have stroke-play [qualifying] and each match, in and of itself, is like a mini-tournament.
You walk away with a great confidence knowing that you’ve gained the experience of winning six events in one week—and also knowing that you got some good breaks. In order to win one tournament, you have to get some good breaks and at the Amateur, you’ve basically won six. You feel fortunate, blessed and you try to savor the experience as much as you can.
I wouldn’t be the person or player I am today without the VSGA. And it’s not just the Amateur. I started playing in the [VSGA] Junior when I was 15. The VSGA has truly helped mold me into who I am today and I’m eternally grateful for that.
It feels a little strange as I approach my last VSGA Amateur. I’ve enjoyed every tournament and every interaction I’ve had with the participants and the VSGA. Life changes, though, and I’m very much looking forward to my future. I plan to play in the VSGA Amateur, turn professional sometime before the end of the summer, and then go to Q-school this fall in both the United States and Europe. I’ve met a lot of wonderful people in and through the VSGA, and in the process made lifelong friends. It has been the best experience of my life!
Mac Thayer has been on my bag for every VSGA Amateur, and we’ve always enjoyed our time together. I couldn’t have won without his great advice. My fondest recollection at the VSGA Amateur happened on the last green of the final, 36-hole match in 2008 [at Kingsmill’s River Course]. I had to two-putt from 15 feet to win the tournament and I knocked my first putt 5 feet past the hole. I asked Mac to come over and help me read the putt and he shook his head, stood still and said, ‘Make the putt.’ It was the first time Mac had ever refused to help me and I didn’t want to let him down. I was happy and fortunate when the ball went in the hole.
Winning the VSGA Amateur gave me confidence to compete on a national level and become a better golfer. It also helped me obtain a scholarship to the school I always wanted to attend, Duke, which has been a dream come true. I’ve enjoyed every class, every tournament and every minute at Duke. While in college, I’ve matured as both a person and a golfer, and now I’m ready for the next step in my life.
I’ve enjoyed playing in the VSGA Amateur with my good friend, Evan Beck. He’s an outstanding golfer and an even better person. I hope we can both make Virginia proud as we embark on our professional careers.
–– BRINSON PAOLINI, 2008, 2009 AND 2010 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> I WAS 39 YEARS OLD AT THE TIME of the 1993 championship (at James River Country Club in Newport News). I’d had a fair degree of success, but the Amateur was the championship that I most wanted to win.
On the eve of the championship, someone asked me, ‘What would it mean to you to win the VSGA Amateur?’ Since I knew the golf course was well-suited to me and my chances were probably growing fewer and fewer given my age, my first thought was, ‘If I could just win this championship, I wouldn’t care if I ever won another tournament for the rest of my life.’
I wanted that one so badly. It was the brass ring that I was always reaching for. It’s a hard championship to win and I’ve been fortunate to win it twice.
–– DAVID PARTRIDGE, 1993 AND 1995 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE VSGA HAS PROVIDED ME WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW as a golfer as well as a person. From trying to qualify for the VSGA Junior [Stroke Play Championship] at the age of 11 to today, as I eye the senior tees, the game of golf has been a guiding light in my life. I can honestly say that some of the proudest moments in my life have come from representing the VSGA in various competitions. From the Captain’s Putter Matches, the Virginia-West Virginia Team Matches and all the way to the USGA State Team Championship, representing the VSGA and the Commonwealth of Virginia is an honor that I didn’t take lightly and never will as long as I play this game.
Winning the VSGA Amateur made me realize that anything is possible. Today, I am able to tell my two daughters, Megan and Lauren, that dreams do come true—but not without hard work, dedication and a positive attitude. There is such a great correlation between the game of golf and life. You can set your goals and accomplish whatever you want.
My fondest memory from that day in 2000 was hugging my father and brother after I’d won. After the match, we hadn’t returned back to the clubhouse yet—and it was a good thing because I needed a couple of minutes to regroup and wipe the tears of joy away. It was an amazing feeling to reach a lifetime goal. I remember calling [wife] Kim, who was at home with our one-month-old daughter, and just screaming at the tops of my lungs. She didn’t know if I had won or if I was in a wreck.
I have to say that winning the Amateur would never have happened without the support of my wife Kim. She knew of my passion for the game and let me chase my dreams. She also withstood all of the cocktail parties and talk of bogeys and bad bounces.
–– DAVID PASSERELL, 2000 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> I WAS THE ONE WHO WASN’T SUPPOSED TO WIN. I went to college with Bobby Wadkins and I grew up with Curtis and Allan [Strange]. They all make a joke that they all played Skeeter Heath and he should’ve beat me. We have a laugh about it every now and then. It was a very rewarding thing because it took years and years of practice. I started play when I was 15; I learned how to play by caddieing. It was pretty neat to see a caddie come up and do that—I was really proud.
I was certainly not the best player there. I’m the happy-go-lucky guy. What’s so funny is that I never thought about winning. All I thought about was the hole out there in front of me because the Cascades is absolutely the most beautiful golf course in the world. It’s like being in paradise. If I die and go to heaven, I know the Cascades is there; I can still smell it to this day because of the surroundings. I can still remember the chipmunks coming up from behind the 10th tee and taking my crackers.
The Amateur was the deal back then. When you were growing up, that’s what we lived for every Fourth of July week—let’s get to Hot Springs for the Amateur. They started rotating [sites] after I won. Guess they didn’t want that chance of some ’ol potato farmer to win.
The feeling is hard to explain—what it meant back then … the pride that you have [chokes back tears]. There were so many good players back then—you can’t imagine. So many good players. We had Curtis Strange, Skeeter Heath, Bill Calfee. J.P. Leigh is the greatest player Virginia has ever had that never won it. [John] Rollins is on the Tour now. Mark Carnevale. John Matson and Harry Lea—they were some kind of players. Vinny [Giles] is the greatest amateur who has ever lived as far as I’m concerned. People don’t realize how good golf was back then and Virginia ought to be proud of the representation we have on Tour. There’s really a lot of pride and it’s an unbelievable thing to have won.
–– CARL PETERSON, 1973 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> IT’S REALLY GOOD TO BE ABLE TO SAY that I won back-to-back titles. Everybody knows that back in the late 60s and early 70s, Lanny was ‘the man’ around here. It’s great to represent Meadowbrook [Country Club] and win back-to-back VSGA Amateurs. I really wanted to repeat.
–– JOHN ROLLINS, 1996 AND 1997 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION (from the 1998 VSGA Yearbook and Media Guide)
>> I’M 88 YEARS OLD NOW AND WINNING THE AMATEUR meant a lot to me then and still does today. I won the Amateur in 1951 and then, 44 years later, I won the [VSGA] Super Senior Amateur on the same course, the Cascades. Incidentally, people shouldn’t call it the ‘Upper Cascades.’ Fay Ingalls, who built the Cascades in 1928 and they built the course in the valley, so they called it the ‘Lower Cascades’ and the ‘Upper Cascades.’ He was furious. He said, ‘There is only one Cascades.’ The other is the valley course. Just a little trivia.
I grew up in Covington, about 20 miles away, so it was a real thrill for me because I used to ride the train up to [The Homestead] and caddie when I was in high school. The surroundings were familiar to me.
I’d like to say this and I don’t think many people are aware: Of all the great amateurs—Bobby Jones is a legend, of course—but I think the next best amateur on record is probably Vinny Giles. He won seven VSGA Amateur championships, was runner-up three consecutive years at the U.S. Amateur and then won the National Amateur and the British Amateur. I’m one of the few people who ever beat Vinny. I beat him on the 20th hole at the [VSGA] Amateur when he was 15 and I was 30. He won seven Amateurs after that—I think I inspired him. [Laughs.]
I feel like for one season, winning the VSGA Amateur says that you’re the best in the Commonwealth of Virginia. That may not be true, but the records say it is and that’s a good feeling. In ’51, the year that I won, I was working for Fulton Motor Co., and I beat the owner, George Fulton, in the final. Was he the president? I guess if you’re the owner, you can be anything you want. After that, I decided to go sell insurance; no, I’m just kidding about that.
Someone asked me the other day, ‘What do you attribute to your longevity?’ Well, I walked thousands of miles before they had golf carts. George Gosey was a friend of mine and I used to take him to his treatments when he was sick. One day, George said, ‘Connie, you’ve heard of the Golden Years haven’t you?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘They suck.’
I played in the Greensboro Open and one day I shot 74 or 75. Anyway, it was the same score as Sam Snead. The next day I shot 74 or 75. Sam shot 66.
I’m staying alive by writing short stories and will self-publish a book of poetry here pretty soon.
–– CONNIE SELLERS, (RIGHT), 1951 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> THE VSGA HAS GIVEN ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TEST MY GAME against some of the best amateurs at both the state and national level, as well as play some great golf courses and make friendships along the way.
I don’t have one particular moment that I am most fond of when I look back at my win in 2011. Each of my five matches had some key moments that I will never forget. The match against Keith Decker [in the quarterfinals] was back and forth all day and went to the 20th hole before I was fortunate enough to make a long putt to end it.
The wedge shot I hit on what was the last hole of the championship match is one I will remember. I’d worked on my wedge play leading up to the event, and to hit one in there to 3 feet was very gratifying.
Winning the VSGA Amateur hasn’t really changed or shaped my life in any way. I do feel I have more pressure on myself to win the State Open. Keith Decker and Tom McKnight are the only two players who have won the VSGA ‘Grand Slam’ (VSGA Amateur, State Open, VSGA Mid-Amateur and VSGA Four-Ball). I need that State Open win to join that small fraternity.
–– SCOTT SHINGLER, 2011 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> IT’S AN HONOR TO BE A VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION. It’s exhilarating to say the least. I’d played in the VSGA Amateur for several years and the highlight [prior to winning in 1979] was playing Curtis Strange in the quarterfinals of the 1975 VSGA Amateur.
I’d won the 1974 VSGA Junior title and back in those days, winning a VSGA event was huge—and it still is. It’s a great feeling to win.
–– STEVE SMITH, 1979 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> MY LIFE, IN GREAT MEASURE, HAS BEEN GIVEN MEANING by my attempt to master the technical aspects of golf, but also summoning the self-discipline that the game requires.
I won my first VSGA Amateur in 1939, defeating Morton McCarthy in the final, who at the time was a nationally-ranked player. That victory instilled in me the belief that with hard work and dedication, I would be able to achieve my dream of being a multiple winner of the VSGA Amateur Championship.
One year, I played Jordan Ball in the semifinals and was 4 holes down leaving the 11th green. While exiting, I overheard a gentleman say to his daughter, ‘Well, this match is over.’ At that moment, I remember telling my caddie that I would like to finish 4-4-4-3-4—the stroke-play equivalent of two under par. We’d see who’d win then, I thought. I finished with those scores and claimed the match, 2 and 1.
As I reflect, I consider it a privilege to have won the championship five times. My life in golf started while caddieing for my father. One day, he received a call to return to work at the coal piers during one of his matches, and I used his clubs and shoes to finish the match on his behalf. I bested his weekly nemesis, and as a result he gave me his clubs and shoes, saying, ‘Son, you are the golfer in this family.’ That started my love affair with golf.
I served in the Navy during World War II. Although those years were well spent, that was also during a time when I was at my best physically. Later, age and back problems shortened my competitive career after the war, but never diminished my passion for the game or my desire to play at the highest competitive level.
–– WYNSOL SPENCER, 1939, 1948, 1953, 1955 AND 1959 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> IN 1974, I’D WON THE NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP [for Wake Forest] a few weeks before that, but I regarded the VSGA Amateur as a huge event in my amateur career. I was so pleased to get my name on that trophy with people like Vinny [Giles] and Lanny [Wadkins], people who could really play.
In 1975, I came in playing exceptionally well and kept playing that way throughout the tournament. I think I went 70 holes that week before I made my first bogey. But what I remember best was calling Chandler Harper [his teacher] the night before the championship match. I was telling Chandler how well I was playing, how I was hitting one good shot after another. He said, ‘What you’ve done so far this week means nothing if you don’t win tomorrow.’ That slapped me upside the head and woke me up. It was just what I needed to hear.
–– CURTIS STRANGE, 1974 AND 1975 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> FOR A GUY MY AGE (53 AT THE TIME), I WASN’T EXPECTING ANYTHING, even though the Amateur was at my home club (Lowes Island Club) that year. I knew the golf course as well as anyone, and on the first day I played well and shot 67, but I played really badly on the second day and ended up in extra holes to get into match play.
I got the last spot [into match play], so that meant I was the No. 32 seed. I played the medalist, Peter Badawy, who I’d played with in one of the two rounds [of stroke-play qualifying] and he played great. I thought, ‘If I beat him, I beat the No. 1 seed.’ I actually played as well or better than I had ever played. I made a lot of putts and when you play your own course you have an advantage in that you know the greens.
Along the way, I beat some good players—badly. In one match, I was seven or eight under par and won 6 and 5. You know, in the Maryland [State Golf Association Amateur Championship] I’d lost in the final one year, but came back and won six or seven years later. In Virginia, I’d lost in the final to Jay Fisher [in 1998]. I knew from my previous experience in Maryland that I had to come out and play like I was really serious and that this meant something. The first time I made it to the final in Maryland and Virginia, I felt as though during a 36-hole final that I didn’t have a sense of urgency. That’s the wrong attitude to take. When I later won in Maryland, I was way up at the turn. I thought, ‘Well, that’s the way you win the final.’ You don’t beat around the bush and make it a close match and then have a chance to win or lose at the end like I did against Jay Fisher. He ended up beating me on the 18th hole.
I’ve come to the conclusion that the best way to win the final match is to get up early and make birdies as fast as you can. Don’t sit there and wait for your opponent to make a mistake. You have to come out and win the damn thing. I was 53 years old at the time and I was playing a college player, John Rosenstock, in the final—and he was walking. I felt like I had the advantage there as well because he’d been walking while playing two matches a day so he had to be a little tired. I got up on him and ended up beating him, 7 and 5. It was a good day for an old man. I think I’m the oldest winner in VSGA Amateur history.
That was great because I didn’t think I was ever going to win it. I’d had my chance and had played in the championship for many years. I didn’t have high expectations even though we were playing on my home course. Sometimes that’s the way it happens: You don’t win the tournament; it wins you. That’s what happened to me. I had no expectations and almost messed up the qualifier. I got into match play, beat the medalist and, all of the sudden thought, ‘Well…’ I was playing and putting very well. That’s the first tournament I won using the long putter.
–– PAT TALLENT, 2007 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> WINNING THE VSGA AMATEUR OPENED A LOT OF DOORS for me because you were invited to play in numerous other events the following year. At the time, being in my early 20s, I took advantage of winning the Amateur. I played 23 weeks the following summer and even played in Europe. I was runner-up at the 1983 U.S. Amateur and got to play in the Masters in ’84. It was like a snowball effect. I played really well for three or four years and winning the [VSGA] Amateur was the start of it.
I’m from Roanoke and the Amateur was at Blacksburg [Country Club] the year I won, so it was a home-cookin’ sort of thing. I played David Mankin in the final. I think I was a combined 30 under for five or six matches so I was pretty hot that week. It felt like it didn’t matter who I was playing. It was a great week for me.
–– DAVID TOLLEY, 1983 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> I PROBABLY HAVE SHARPER MEMORIES of 1970, when I lost in the final to [brother] Lanny, than I do of 1972, when I beat Curtis [Strange]. I remember what a great course the Cascades was and probably still is, and I remember staying with Johnny Gazzola [the Homestead’s longtime public relations manager] during the tournament.
After winning, I felt like I was probably ready to try to make a living at this silly game.
–– BOBBY WADKINS, 1972 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> IT WAS CLOSE AFTER 18 HOLES (against brother, Bobby, at the 1970 VSGA Amateur). I was 1-down after the morning round. But I came back and got it going pretty well in the afternoon. We both played well in the morning—I shot 69 and he shot 68 around the Cascades. I birdied the first three holes in the afternoon and kind of felt like, ‘That’s all she wrote.’
I think I would be very remiss if I had never won the VSGA Amateur. As well as I played through the years and as many things as I won around the country—the U.S. Amateur, the Western Amateur, the Southern Amateur, the Eastern Amateur, the Dixie Amateur and I played well in college—but if I hadn’t won the VSGA Amateur, I would’ve felt like I had a big hole in my résumé.
Plus, it was right in the middle of a huge year for me. In 1970, I won the Richmond City Amateur, the VSGA Amateur, the Western Amateur, the Southern Amateur and the U.S. Amateur. That was a nice five-tournament run for me.
[In the 1971 VSGA Amateur against Vinny Giles] what got both of our attention is when we got over the hill at No. 9, there was a huge gallery. It’s funny: When you win tournaments, you remember a lot about them, and when you don’t, you tend to put them out of your mind and move forward.
–– LANNY WADKINS, 1970 VSGA AMATEUR CHAMPION
>> I MUST COMPLIMENT THE VSGA FOR CELEBRATING the 100th anniversary of its Amateur Championship this summer.
I treasure the memories