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Two rounds of match play on Thursday and Friday before the scheduled 36-hole final on Saturday, July 3.

CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW MATCH PLAY

ALEXANDRIA –– Apparently, Lanto Griffin wants to finish his amateur golf career on a memorable note.

The 22-year-old Blacksburg resident shot 1-under-par 71 in the second round of stroke play qualifying to earn medalist honors and the top seed entering Thursday’s first round of match play at the 97th Virginia State Golf Association Amateur Championship at Belle Haven Country Club (6,970 yards, par 36-36—72).

Griffin (pictured left), who plans to turn professional following the completion of this year’s State Am, finished stroke-play qualifying at 5-under 139 to earn his first medal. He shot a first round 68 and was tied for the low score with ’09 champion Brinson Paolini of Virginia Beach. The 19-year-old Paolini had 72 and was the second low qualifier (140, -4) for a second straight year.

Reigning VSGA golfer of the year Scott Shingler, 38, of Haymarket led the mid-amateurs (ages 25-and-over) with a 3-under 141 (69-72) aggregate. A pair of 24-year- olds, Vincent Nadeau (Penhook) and Scott Marino (Fairfax), completed the top five seeds after both carded 1-under 71 for a second consecutive day.

With one exception, medalist honors have meant little over the past 40 years. Since 1970, only Leesburg’s Billy Hurley, who captured the 2004 championship at Roanoke Country Club, has won the medal and gone on to capture the title. Prior to Hurley’s triumph, the last player to take home the title was Richmond native Lanny Wadkins, who registered a 6 and 5 victory over his brother, Bobby, at the 1970 State Am.

The long-hitting Griffin may be fighting history, but not his game. Starting his round on No. 10, Griffin birdied the first three par 4s he played, knocking in 8-footers for birdie at Nos. 11 and 13, before draining a 30-footer at No. 14. He turned in three under, and added a birdie at his 10th hole of the day, the par-5 first. Griffin made three bogeys coming in, but some are better than others; he made a 25-footer at his next-to-last hole of the round that helped him earn the top seed.

Griffin has played in five straight State Ams and has advanced one round further in match play each year since 2007, culminating with last year’s finals’ appearance. He’s hoping that trend continues one more year. He’s off to a good start.

“I haven’t won a tournament in a while, but I would count this as a win,” says Griffin, a recent graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University. He’ll face local Mike Kirby of Falls Church in the opening round of match play. “There are 120 good players here. My mental game is getting a lot better.”

“This week, I’m putting well. This is definitely my favorite tournament amateur-wise.”

Paolini, a sophomore at Duke, had five birdies, three bogeys and a double in the second round as he pursues an unprecedented third straight title, Tom McKnight of Galax was the last player to go for three straight State Am wins after recording repeat victories in 1984-85, but fell in the first round of match play at the 1986 championship at The Homestead’s Cascades Course.

Admittedly, Paolini’s focus is not on State Am lore, but he is instead turning his attention to continuing to negotiate the demanding Belle Haven layout and his first round match against fellow collegian and central Virginian Austin Gray (Midlothian), a junior at Longwood University.

“I have a very long way to go,” Paolini says. “The only thing I’m focused on right now is the first tee on [Thursday]. I just have to hit every shot the best I can and play every hole the best I can. Winning is so far away that it’s not in my mind.”

Shingler, who says he played conservatively for much of the day, took the right chance in the late-going at the par-5 16th, drilling his 3-wood second shoot to 5 feet en route to shooting even par. He knows that the match play format presents a whole new dynamic that will allow for a more assertive approach as the circumstances of a match dictate.

“Everybody’s playing well once you get into match play,” Shingler says. “No matter who you’re playing, if someone is playing well and gets hot, then he’s going to be dangerous.

“The strategy will change [Thursday] because you can be a little more aggressive in match play. I was going to take fewer chances in stroke play. In match play, you can take some chances and try to drive a green or knock it in a greenside bunker if you think you can get up and down. It’ll all come down to making putts to advance through match play.”

Tazewell’s Garland Green, 22, a rising senior at Virginia Tech and a semifinalist last year, shot the low round of stroke play qualifying, firing a second day 6-under 66 and improved his first round score by 10 strokes. Four junior golfers, ages 18-and-younger, made match play. The youngest player to advance was 15-year-old Korey Watts of Buchanan. He faces another teenager in ’09 State Am quarterfinalist and 17-year-old Jake Mondy of Blacksburg.

Paolini and 51-year-old Allen Barber (Yorktown), the 1992 victor, were the only former champions to make match play. Vienna’s Pat Tallent, the 2007 champion, lost a battle to northern Virginia traffic; after finishing with a 148 aggregate, he went home and withdrew from what would’ve been an eight-player-for-seven spots playoff.

Following Thursday’s first two rounds of match play, the quarterfinals and semifinals are Friday, July 2 and the scheduled 36-hole championship match is on Saturday, July 3.

ALEXANDRIA –– Scores following the second round of stroke play qualifying at the 97th VSGA Amateur Championship at Belle Haven Country Club (6,940 yards par 36-36––72) on Wednesday, June 30.

Lanto Griffin (Blacksburg), 68-71—139

Brinson Paolini (Virginia Beach), 68-72—140

Scott Shingler (Haymarket), 69-72—141

Garland Green (Tazewell), 76-66—142

Scott Marino (Fairfax), 71-71—142

Vincent Nadeau (Richmond), 71-71—142

Mikey Moyers (Stanardsville), 75-69—144

Nick Austin (Midlothian), 73-71—144

Jeremy Wells (Hopewell), 71-73—144

Adam Webb (Ridgeway), 71-74—145

Adam Horton (Chesapeake), 74-71—145

Matt Watson (Portsmouth), 73-72—145

Paul Woodson (Powhatan), 74-71—145

Jake Mondy (Blacksburg), 71-75—146

Evan Beck (Virginia Beach), 73-73—146

Lee Fisher (Altavista), 71-75—146

Korey Watts (Buchanan), 74-72—146

Seth Norman (Norfolk), 71-75—146

Brett Williams (Alexandria), 69-77—146

Larry Loving Jr. (Richmond), 70-76—146

Allen Barber (Yorktown), 75-72—147

Buck Brittain (Tazewell), 73-74—147

Gary Barton Jr. (Alexandria), 73-74—147

Weston Eklund (Charlottesville), 72-75—147

Erik Ruce (Arlington), 71-76—147

Kyle Bailey (Fincastle), 76-72—148

Starell Cox (Chesterfield), 74-74—148

Aaron Eckstein (Salem), 75-73—148

Austin Gray (Midlothian), 73-75—148

Mike Kirby (Falls Church), 76-72—148

Ben Lasso (Falls Church), 73-75—148

Ji Soo Park (Centreville), 71-77—148

* - Pat Tallent (Vienna), 74-74—148

* - Withdrew from the playoff.

-DID NOT QUALIFY FOR MATCH PLAY-

Ben Keefer (Glen Allen), 73-76—149

Roger Newsom (Virginia Beach), 76-73—149

Maclain Huge (Lovettsville), 74-75—149

Jim Nirich (Catlett), 72-77—149

Brian Post (Stephens City), 74-75—149

Keith Decker (Martinsville), 75-75—150

John Cegielski (Leesburg), 74-76—150

Tanner Foutz (Mechanicsville), 75-75—150

Matthew Neely (Monterey), 76-74—150

Andrew Tilley (Ringgold), 78-72—150

David Partridge (Manakin), 77-74—151

Jimmy Delp (Arlington), 75-76—151

Marshall Bailey (Fincastle), 72-79—151

Chad Mozingo (Culpeper), 75-76—151

Dylan Jensen (Ridgeway), 73-78—151

Chris Tuttle (Virginia Beach), 77-74—151

Tom Grady (Marshall), 76-75—151

Daniel Walker (Earlysville), 77-75—152

Adam Ball (Richmond), 73-79—152

Josh Apple (Lansdowne), 75-77—152

Jordan Carpenter (Suffolk), 79-73—152

Chris Olson (Midlothian), 77-75—152

Mike Redwood (Virginia Beach), 78-74—152

Michael Taylor (Ashland), 73-79—152

Michael Wade (Floyd), 76-76—152

Wade Wawner (Virginia Beach), 76-76—152

Glenn Mullian (Richmond), 76-76—152

Tim Kelley (Ashland), 76-77—153

Matt Brantingham (Richmond), 76-77—153

Darrell Craft (Roanoke), 75-78—153

Ryan Patrick (Sterling), 78-75—153

Stanley Williams (Arlington), 78-75—153

Jack Adkins (Martinsville), 76-78—154

Tom Adrounie (Fairfax Station), 79-75—154

Brad Chambers (Galax), 77-77—154

Brian Hill (Warrenton), 79-75—154

Jason Pool (Dunn Loring), 75-79—154

Trey Smith (Virginia Beach), 78-76—154

Ted Dougherty (Mechanicsville), 80-75—155

Conlin Giles (Portsmouth), 80-75—155

Michael Keating (Farifax), 78-77—155

Mike Little Jr. (Newport News), 80-75—155

Jeff Long (Centreville), 78-77—155

Tyler Wingo (Fairfax), 78-77—155

Jason Copeland (Virginia Beach), 78-77—155

Adam Frank (Midlothian), 79-77—156

Rich Buckner (Aldie), 83-73—156

Cameron Warner III (Richmond), 81-75—156

Phil Mahone (Charlottesville), 77-79—156

John David Hunter (Bluefield), 79-77—156

Dan Hosek (Alexandria), 79-78—157

Ben Beach (Glen Allen), 81-76—157

B.J. Maben (Hampton), 76-81—157

Brian Jaeger (McLean), 76-81—157

Zach Hall (Burgess), 79-79—158

Greg Brouse (Leesburg), 79-79—158

Dan Lesando (Ashburn), 79-79—158

Ryan Rettberg (Front Royal), 78-80—158

Ken Zecchini (Virginia Beach), 78-80—158

Joe Curley (Vienna), 78-81—159

Tony Deluca (Purcellville), 82-77—159

Dan DeRisio (Springfield), 83-76—159

D.J. Dougherty (Glen Allen), 75-84—159

Lane Hite (Clarksville), 77-82—159

Rick Peel (Vienna), 79-80—159

Garrett Whitmore (Midlothian), 81-78—159

Dan Hurley (Falls Church), 81-79—160

Jeff Newman (Midlothian), 79-81—160

Francesco Romano (Reston), 78-82—160

Nick Shedd (Williamsburg), 81-79—160

Jay Zapko (Glen Allen), 81-79—160

Wayne Hall (Fredericksburg), 77-83—160

Matthew Ball Jr. (Richmond), 80-81—161

Scott Davidson (Round Hill), 76-85—161

Tim Johnson (Jonesville), 79-82—161

Victor Monte (Chantilly), 74-87—161

Bob Jones (Williamsburg), 83-79—162

Wes Smith (Virginia Beach), 83-79—162

Casey Thompson (Stephens City), 80-83—163

Andrew Mehler (Lynchburg), 87-76—163

Zack Henry (Front Royal), 87-77—164

Jordan Pastor (Haymarket), 85-80—165

Greg Pappas (Warrenton), 83-83—166

Eric Neidermeyer (Glen Allen), 81-87—168

Paras Pandya (Midlothian), 84-87—171

Steve Castro (Chantilly), 89-85—174

Greg Graham (Keswick), 81-WD

ALEXANDRIA –– Pairings and starting times for the first round of match play at the 97th VSGA Amateur Championship at Belle Haven Country Club (6,940 yards par 36-36––72) on Thursday, July 1 (stroke play qualifying score indicated in parentheses).

Thursday (July 1), Hole No. 1

8 a.m.: (1) Lanto Griffin (Blacksburg), 139 vs. (32) Mike Kirby (Falls Church), 148

8:10 a.m.: (16) Brett Williams (Alexandria), 146 vs. (17) Larry Loving (Richmond), 146

8:20 a.m.: (8) Nick Austin (Midlothian), 144 vs. (25) Weston Eklund (Charlottesville), 147

8:30 a.m.: (9) Jeremy Wells (Hopewell), 144 vs. (24) Erik Ruce (Arlington), 147

8:40 a.m.: (4) Vincent Nadeau (Richmond), 142 vs. (29) Ben Lasso (Falls Church), 148

8:50 a.m.: (13) Matt Watson (Portsmouth), 145 vs. (20) Lee Fisher (Altavista), 146

9 a.m.: (5) Scott Marino (Fairfax), 142 vs. (28) Ji Soo Park (Centreville), 148

9:10 a.m.: (12) Adam Horton (Chesapeake), 145 vs. (21) Allen Barber (Yorktown), 147

Thursday (July 1), Hole No. 10

8 a.m: (2) Brinson Paolini (Virginia Beach), 140 vs. (31) Austin Gray (Midlothian), 148

8:10 a.m.: (15) Jake Mondy (Blacksburg), 146 vs. (18) Korey Watts (Buchanan), 146

8:20 a.m.: (7) Mikey Moyers (Stanardsville), 144 vs. (26) Aaron Eckstein (Salem), 148

8:30 a.m.: (10) Paul Woodson (Powhatan), 145 vs. (23) Buck Brittain (Tazewell), 147

8:40 a.m.: (3) Scott Shingler (Haymarket), 141 vs. (30) Kyle Bailey (Fincastle), 148

8:50 a.m.: (14) Evan Beck (Virginia Beach), 146 vs. (19) Seth Norman (Norfolk), 146

9 a.m.: (6) Garland Green (Tazewell), 142 vs. (27) Starell Cox (Chesterfield), 148

9:10 a.m.: (11) Adam Webb (Ridgeway), 145 vs. (22) Gary Barton (Alexandria), 147

Virginia State Golf Association
600 Founders Bridge Blvd., Midlothian, Va. 23113
Phone: (804) 378-2300
Fax: (804) 378-2369 and (804) 378-8216

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