( atc )
Buck Brittain made a birdie
on No. 18 to seal his four-shot
victory in the 42nd VSGA
Mid-Amateur Championship.
“This summer, I’ve played
about as good as I can play.”
—Buck Brittain
42nd VSGA Mid-Amateur
Championship
VSGA
FALL
After reaching age 50 without winning
a VSGA championship, Buck Brittain is
suddenly racking up titles by the bunches.
He was the only player to shoot even par
on a cold, blustery October weekend at
Winchester Country Club and posted a
four-stroke victory over Kyle Martin and
Harold Dill III in the championship for
players ages 25 and older.
The event was postponed for a month
due to concern with approaching Hurri-
cane Florence.
“This summer, I’ve played about as
good as I can play,” said Brittain, who
also qualified for the U.S. Mid-Amateur,
his first trip to a USGA championship as
an individual.
FINISH
Compiled by CHRIS LANG
Winner: Buck Brittain (213)
Runners-up: Kyle Martin and Harold
Dill III (217)
Quick fact: VSGA Women’s Amateur
champion Lauren Greenlief compet-
ed, made the cut and finished in a tie
for 23rd.
Buck Brittain is not known for showing a
lot of emotion on the golf course. But he
can be forgiven for unleashing a yell and
giant fist bump after draining a 48-foot
birdie putt on No. 17 at Two Rivers Coun-
try Club, one that proved crucial in his
second straight Senior Open victory. The
event is sponsored by Middle Peninsula
Insurance Agency.
Brittain finished one stroke clear of pro-
fessional Rick Schuller and amateur Roger
Newsom thanks to that swing on 17, where
he made birdie as Schuller made bogey.
14
“I got caught up in the moment,” Brit-
tain said of the birdie reaction. “I’m nor-
mally very even keel. I don’t really get
high or low. But, yeah, it was sort of excit-
ing, and it surprised me.”
Winner: Buck Brittain (138)
Low professional: Rick Schuller (139)
Quick fact: Brittain has shot in the 60s
in all four of his Senior Open rounds at
Two Rivers.
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 18
4th VSGA Four-Ball Match
Play Championship
A regular contender in VSGA champi-
onships, Jeff Long broke through for his
first title, teaming with Kyle Bailey, who
won his first VSGA Four-Ball Match Play
title in his third trip to the final. Both the
regulars and seniors needed extra holes
to claim titles at Keswick Golf Club. Dave
Pulk and Skip Zobel defended their 2017
championship when Zobel drained a six-
foot birdie putt on the 21st hole.
vsga.org
13th Senior Open of Virginia