FINAL MATCH PLAY RECAP
Mark Lawrence Jr., defeated David Stanford, 3&2, and won the 107thVSGA State Amateur. The six-day event was played at the 6,917-yard, par 71 River Bend Club in Great Falls. This marks his second State Amateur title, having also won the Schwartzschild Trophy in 2017.
Lawrence, who graduated from Virginia Tech in May, but will return to school this year to finish his eligibility, took a 2 Up lead at the turn of the morning 18 holes and was 3 Up at the break. In the afternoon round, Lawrence won No. 1 and then maintained a 2 Up or 3 Up lead through the rest of the round. He birdied the par 4 No. 12 to win the hole and held on for the 3&2 victory.
With the win, he joins Vinny Giles, Tom McKnight and Steve Smith as the only players to win both the Virginia State Amateur and the State Open of Virginia in the same calendar year. McKnight was the last to do so in 1985. Lawrence won the 2020 State Open of Virginia at Ballyhack Golf Club in Roanoke.
This was the third time Lawrence, a Richmond, Virginia native, had advanced to the finals of the event. He lost to Hokie Maclain Huge in the finals of the 2015 championship at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville and won the 2017 title in 2017 by defeating Jordan Utley at The Club at Creighton Farms. Lawrence, the top ranked player in the 2020 VSGA Men's Player Rankings, defeated Utley on Thursday in the Round of 16.
QUARTERFINAL/SEMIFINAL MATCH PLAY RECAP
Mark Lawrence Jr., won two matches on Friday and has advanced to the final at the 107th VSGA Amateur Championship. The now six-day event is being played at the 6,917-yard, par 71 River Bend Club in Great Falls.
Lawrence, who graduated from Virginia Tech in May, but will return to school this year to finish defeated Ross Funderburke, 5&4, in the quarterfinal on Friday morning. He was 5 Up at the turn and claimed the match by halving the 14thhole.
In the afternoon's semifinal match, Lawrence defeated Vince Wheeler, 2&1. Lawrence lost the first two holes and trailed by one hole after No. 11. He then won Nos. 12, 13, 14 and 15 to take a commanding lead. Wheeler fought back and won the 16thhole with a birdie, but Lawrence won the match when both players parred No. 17.
Lawrence will face David Stanford in the finals. Stanford advanced by defeating Alex Price, 5&4, in the semifinal round.
The finals will consist of two, 18-hole rounds on Saturday. The match will begin at 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning and the second round will begin after lunch on Saturday afternoon.
This is the third time Lawrence has advanced to the finals of the event. He lost to Virginia Tech golfer Maclain Huge in the finals of the 2015 championship at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville and won the 2017 title in 2017 by defeating Jordan Utley at The Club at Creighton Farms. Lawrence, the top ranked player in the 2020 VSGA Men's Player Rankings, defeated Utley on Thursday in the Round of 16.
DAY ONE MATCH PLAY RECAP
Mark Lawrence Jr., won two matches on Thursday at the 107th VSGA Amateur Championship and has advanced to the quarterfinals. The now six-day event is being played at the 6,917-yard, par 71 River Bend Club in Great Falls.
Lawrence, who graduated from Virginia Tech in May, but will return to school this year to finish his collegiate eligibility, defeated Parker See, 1 Up in the Round of 32 on Thursday morning, moving ahead on the 17thhole.
In the afternoon's Round of 16, Lawrence defeated Jordan Utley 3&2. Lawrence was two down at the turn in the afternoon match, but won four of the next five holes to earn the advantage. He then won the 16thhole to close out the match. Lawrence defeated Utley by the same 3&2 score to win the 2017 VSGA State Amateur Championship.
Three other past or current Virginia Tech golfers competed in match play on Thursday. Mikey Moyers, who graduated in 2013, defeated Brian Agee, 4&3, in the Round of 32, but fell to Teddy Zinsner in 21 holes in the Round of 16. Connor Johnson Jr., a rising junior from Richmond, Virginia, fell to Ross Funderburke, 6&5, in the Round of 32 and Drew Brockwell, a rising junior from Chesterfield, Virginia, fell to David Stanford, 2&1, also in the Round of 32.
In the quarterfinal, Lawrence will face Funderburke in the first game of the morning at 8 a.m. If he would win that match, he would play the winner of the Vince Wheeler-Tyler Gulliksen match in the afternoon's semifinal round.
STROKE PLAY RECAP
Mark Lawrence Jr., posted a two-day total of 9-under 133 and tied Brandon Berry for medalist honors at the 107th VSGA Amateur Championship on Wednesday. The now six-day event is being played at the 6,917-yard, par 71 River Bend Club in Great Falls.
Lawrence, who graduated from Virginia Tech in May, but will return to school this year to finish his collegiate eligibility, posted rounds of 67-66-133. Lawrence, a native of Richmond, Virginia, was the 2017 State Amateur champion and earlier this summer won the 2020 State Open of Virginia. This is the second time he has won medalist honors, doing so in the 2018 championship.
Lawrence will be joined by three other past or current Virginia Tech golfers in match play, which begins Thursday morning. Mikey Moyers, who graduated in 2013, tied for 13th place at 140, Connor Johnson Jr., a rising junior from Richmond, Virginia and Drew Brockwell, a rising junior from Chesterfield, Virginia, tied for 25th at 143. Two other Hokies, Cameron Moore, a rising junior from Richmond, Virginia and Todd Eckstein, the Hokies' assistant coach, tied for 34th at 144 and missed the playoff by one stroke.
The top 32 players advance to match play. There was an eight player playoff to determine the final seven spots in match play. Both Johnson and Brockwell advanced out of the playoff into match play.
In the round of 32, Lawrence will face Parker See in the first game of the morning at 7:30 a.m., Johnson will face Ross Funderburke at 7:48 a.m., Moyers will face Brian Agee at 9:27 a.m. and Brockwell will face David Stanford at 9:36 a.m. Winners will advance to the Round of 16, to be played Thursday afternoon.
Play on Tuesday was postponed until Wednesday due to inclement weather brought on by the remnants of Hurricane Isaias.
STROKE PLAY PREVIEW
Six players connected to Virginia Tech will begin play at the 107th VSGA Amateur Championship on Monday morning. The five-day event will be played at the 6,917-yard, par 71 River Bend Club in Great Falls, Virginia Aug. 3-7, 2020.
Four current Virginia Tech players, Mark Lawrence Jr., Connor Johnson Jr., Drew Brockwell and Cameron Moore, join former player Mikey Moyers and Hokies assistant coach Todd Eckstein in the 96-player field. Lawrence is ranked first in the current VSGA Men's Rankings. Moyers is third and Brockwell is tied for 14th.
Lawrence won this event in 2017 and is fresh off his win at the 2020 State Open of Virginia in July. He was the medalist in 2018 and runner-up to Hokie Maclain Huge in 2015. Moyers, a former pro who has regained his amateur status, was medalist in 2009. Moore, Lawrence and Connor Burgess advanced to match play last season. Burgess qualified for this year's event, but is not playing due to preparations from next week's USGA U.S. Amateur in Bandon, Oregon.
Beginning with Huge's win in 2015, Hokies won three consecutive VSGA State Amateurs. Joey Lane on in 2016 at the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech and Lawrence won in 2017 at the Club at Creighton Farms.
The field will play 18 holes of stroke play on both Monday and Tuesday. The top 32 players will advance to match play, which begins Wednesday morning. Round of 32 and round of 16 matches will be played Wednesday, Aug. 5. and quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be played Thursday, Aug. 6. The 36-hole championship match is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 7, with the first 18 holes beginning at 7:30 a.m. and the next 18 starting after lunch. The winner receives the Schwarzschild Brothers Trophy.
