Around The Commonwealth
Dudley Payne III and
Francesco Romano
won the 53rd VSGA
Four-Ball Stroke Play
Championship in May.
Tournament Roundup
Compiled by CHRIS LANG
53rd VSGA Four-Ball Stroke Play Championship
CEDAR POINT CC, SUFFOLK | May 19-20
Dudley Payne III and Francesco Romano are friends, but they
initially had no plans on teaming up for the VSGA Four-Ball
Stroke Play Championship. Romano’s usual partner, Chris
Laughlin, had a prior commitment for the weekend, meaning
Romano needed to find a new partner. Payne (Fauquier Springs
GC) and Romano (Raspberry Falls G&HC) showed they were up
to the task by shooting 66 in a qualifier. They posted the same
number in the second round of the championship, helping them
into a three-side playoff. After shooting an 11-under 133 over 36
regulation holes, they made par on Cedar Point’s difficult 18th
hole, giving them the victory over Jimmy Delp and Ben Keefer
and Buck Brittain and Garland Green.
Field and format: Six qualifying sites and exemptions produced
a field of 48 sides.
First-round leaders: Delp/Keefer; Lee Fisher/Chase Bailey (64)
It was over when: Romano drained a 10-foot par putt on the first
playoff hole to clinch the win.
3rd VSGA Women’s Four-Ball Championship
FORD’S COLONY GC, WILLIAMSBURG | June 9-10
It’s already been quite a year for Charlottesville’s Amy Ellertson
(Farmington CC) and Natalie Easterly (CC of Virginia). They won
the Women’s Trans National Golf Association Senior Four-Ball
Championship this winter in Arizona. Ellertson qualified for the
U.S. Senior Women’s Open. At Ford’s Colony, they added a domi-
nating 13-shot victory in the senior division of the VSGA Wom-
en’s Four-Ball, their third title in the event’s three-year history.
In the regular championship division, Lauren Greenlief (Inter-
national CC) claimed her second straight title, this time teaming
with Shabril Derco (Cedar Point CC) for a four-shot victory over
Danielle Suh and Skylar Sload (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit).
“It’s all about having a really good partner. Dudley
made some really good pars when I was out of holes.”
—Francesco Romano
vsga.org
FROM LEFT: Women's Four Ball Champions: Shabril Derco, Lauren Greenlief,
Natalie Easterly, Amy Ellertson.
J U LY / A U G U ST 2 0 18 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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