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Paolini Advances to Title Match at VSGA State Amateur
7/2/2010 9:14:00 PM | Men's Golf
ALEXANDRIA, VA -- 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year Brinson Paolini posted two match-play wins on Friday to reach the championship final at the Virginia State Golf Association Amateur Championship. Paolini has won 14 consecutive matches at the event and will be seeking a record-setting third straight title.
A 15th consecutive victory in Saturday's VSGA State Am championship final at Belle Have Country Club would earn the 19-year-old Virginia Beach resident a spot by himself as the only player to win three straight titles in the championship's 97-year history. He'll take on northern Virginia mid-amateur Mike Kirby in the scheduled 36-hole final scheduled to start at 8 a.m.
A sophomore at Duke, Paolini outlasted 20-year-old central Virginian Paul Woodson of Powhatan in 19 holes in Friday's quarterfinals, before besting Garland Green, 22, of Tazewell, 4 and 2, for a second straight year in the semifinals.
Kirby, meanwhile, scored a wire-to-wire 5 and 4 victory over Jeremy Wells (Hopewell) in the morning session on Friday before getting past 23-year-old Matt Watson of Portsmouth in 19 holes in the afternoon session.
Paolini faced a 2-holes down deficit in the morning match against Woodson, but won the last two holes of the encounter, No. 18 and the first extra hole, the par-5 first, to advance.
Paolini drained a 15-footer at the par-4 14th to close to a 1-hole down deficit. With the wind whistling at the par-3 17th, Paolini drilled his tee shot to four-and-a-half feet, before Woodson answered right back, putting a 6-iron to 7 feet. Both players made their birdie putts and Woodson, a rising junior at Radford University, retained his 1-up advantage.
At the par-4 18th, Woodson drove it in the left rough and his low, running second shot skipped over the green. Paolini found the putting surface comfortably in two after his approach came to rest 18 feet right of the hole. Woodson's delicate chip from above the hole ended up 14 feet short, he misfired on his par attempt and Paolini won the hole with a par.
"I really didn't want it to end like that [on No. 18], but sometimes that happens," Woodson said. "I put myself in a bad spot and tried to make something happen. It just didn't work out."
At the first extra hole, the par-5 first, Woodson's second shot went right of the green and his 18-footer for birdie missed. With Paolini 10 inches away for birdie, Woodson misfired on his par return and conceded.
His victory over a pesky Woodson signaled only the second time Paolini had to go to extra holes during the 14-match State Am win streak; Paolini also got past Jason Copeland of Norfolk in 19 holes in the first round in '08 at Kingsmill's River Course to start the unbeaten run.
Admittedly, Paolini carried the momentum from the grueling quarterfinal round victory into the afternoon session against Green. It showed from the start. Paolini shot the stroke-play equivalent of three-under par on the first nine against Green to build a 4-up lead. He began the match by making a 30-foot bomb from the fringe for birdie at No. 1. Wielding a hot putter, he went on to win two of the first three holes and four of the first seven, completing the early surge by knocking in a 15-footer for birdie.
"I was definitely riding a wave of momentum on the first nine, there's no doubt about it," Paolini says.
Green, a rising senior at Virginia Tech, responded to claim three of the first four holes on the second nine to close to within a 1-hole down deficit, but encountered bunker trouble at Nos. 14 and 15. Paolini pounced, captured both holes and set up a shot at history by closing the match with a birdie win at the par-5 16th hole.
Record-setting and breaking new ground is nothing new to Paolini. At age 17, he became the youngest player in seven decades to win the State Am with his '08 triumph at Kingsmill. As an 18-year-old last year at Cedar Point, he became the youngest to successfully defend his title. The late and legendary Chandler Harper of Portsmouth won the first of his three State Am titles in 1930 at the age of 16 before capturing his second in 1933 at the age of 19.
In addition to Paolini, the only players to win consecutive titles in the current match play format are: Billy Hurley (2004-05); Jay Woodson (2002-03); John Rollins (1996-97); Tom McKnight (1984-85); Curtis Strange (1974-75); Vinny Giles (1968-69) and Chandler Harper (1933-34).
Though Paolini will be aiming for a spot by himself in State Am lore, he says he's focused as much on the process as the result.
"It would mean a lot to me," says Paolini, who became the first player to hold the State Am and State Junior titles in the same year when he won the '08 VSGA Junior Amateur at Blacksburg Country Club. "The VSGA has meant so much to me. It would be amazing, but I have a long way to go. I'd love to win, but the only reason I'd love to win is because it's fun and I love the game. And that's why I play. I'm really looking forward to Saturday."
Kirby has made his first appearance in match play at the State Am a memorable one. He closed out Watson on the first extra hole, the par-5 first, where he drilled a 3-hybrid from 234 yards to 15 feet left of the flagstick and drained the ensuing eagle putt to advance.
A George Mason University graduate and now a financial budget analyst for the Navy, Kirby admits he entered match play with no expectations. A No. 32 seed and the lowest seed in the match-play field, he picked off medalist Lanto Griffin (Blacksburg) in the first round on Thursday and has won three more matches since knocking off the top seed. He'll face his toughest opponent yet in Paolini.
"He has a good résumé. I look forward to it, it's a good challenge," Kirby says. "I'll take it as another round of golf. I know Brinson has a great game, but I'm hoping to compete with him and give him a good match."
Kirby's brother, Trey, is a member at Belle Haven and they'd played together at the State Am host site about 10 times this year. A member at the Country Club of Fairfax, Kirby remembers that the intricacies of the Belle Haven track didn't fit his eye at first glance. His view has changed this week.
"The layout didn't suit me all that well, really, but I've grown accustomed to it," he smiles. "After you play a little better, it starts to look a little better."
Match-Play Results
Quarterfinals
(32) Mike Kirby (Falls Church), 148 def. (9) Jeremy Wells (Hopewell), 144, 5 and 4
(13) Matt Watson (Portsmouth), 145 def. (21) Allen Barber (Yorktown), 147, 3 and 2
(2) Brinson Paolini (Virginia Beach), 140 def. (10) Paul Woodson (Powhatan), 145, 19 holes
(6) Garland Green (Tazewell), 142 def. (19) Seth Norman (Norfolk), 146, 1 up
Semifinals
(32) Mike Kirby (Falls Church), 148 def. (13) Matt Watson (Portsmouth), 145, 19 holes
(2) Brinson Paolini (Virginia Beach), 140 vs. (6) Garland Green (Tazewell), 142, 4 and 2
A 15th consecutive victory in Saturday's VSGA State Am championship final at Belle Have Country Club would earn the 19-year-old Virginia Beach resident a spot by himself as the only player to win three straight titles in the championship's 97-year history. He'll take on northern Virginia mid-amateur Mike Kirby in the scheduled 36-hole final scheduled to start at 8 a.m.
A sophomore at Duke, Paolini outlasted 20-year-old central Virginian Paul Woodson of Powhatan in 19 holes in Friday's quarterfinals, before besting Garland Green, 22, of Tazewell, 4 and 2, for a second straight year in the semifinals.
Kirby, meanwhile, scored a wire-to-wire 5 and 4 victory over Jeremy Wells (Hopewell) in the morning session on Friday before getting past 23-year-old Matt Watson of Portsmouth in 19 holes in the afternoon session.
Paolini faced a 2-holes down deficit in the morning match against Woodson, but won the last two holes of the encounter, No. 18 and the first extra hole, the par-5 first, to advance.
Paolini drained a 15-footer at the par-4 14th to close to a 1-hole down deficit. With the wind whistling at the par-3 17th, Paolini drilled his tee shot to four-and-a-half feet, before Woodson answered right back, putting a 6-iron to 7 feet. Both players made their birdie putts and Woodson, a rising junior at Radford University, retained his 1-up advantage.
At the par-4 18th, Woodson drove it in the left rough and his low, running second shot skipped over the green. Paolini found the putting surface comfortably in two after his approach came to rest 18 feet right of the hole. Woodson's delicate chip from above the hole ended up 14 feet short, he misfired on his par attempt and Paolini won the hole with a par.
"I really didn't want it to end like that [on No. 18], but sometimes that happens," Woodson said. "I put myself in a bad spot and tried to make something happen. It just didn't work out."
At the first extra hole, the par-5 first, Woodson's second shot went right of the green and his 18-footer for birdie missed. With Paolini 10 inches away for birdie, Woodson misfired on his par return and conceded.
His victory over a pesky Woodson signaled only the second time Paolini had to go to extra holes during the 14-match State Am win streak; Paolini also got past Jason Copeland of Norfolk in 19 holes in the first round in '08 at Kingsmill's River Course to start the unbeaten run.
Admittedly, Paolini carried the momentum from the grueling quarterfinal round victory into the afternoon session against Green. It showed from the start. Paolini shot the stroke-play equivalent of three-under par on the first nine against Green to build a 4-up lead. He began the match by making a 30-foot bomb from the fringe for birdie at No. 1. Wielding a hot putter, he went on to win two of the first three holes and four of the first seven, completing the early surge by knocking in a 15-footer for birdie.
"I was definitely riding a wave of momentum on the first nine, there's no doubt about it," Paolini says.
Green, a rising senior at Virginia Tech, responded to claim three of the first four holes on the second nine to close to within a 1-hole down deficit, but encountered bunker trouble at Nos. 14 and 15. Paolini pounced, captured both holes and set up a shot at history by closing the match with a birdie win at the par-5 16th hole.
Record-setting and breaking new ground is nothing new to Paolini. At age 17, he became the youngest player in seven decades to win the State Am with his '08 triumph at Kingsmill. As an 18-year-old last year at Cedar Point, he became the youngest to successfully defend his title. The late and legendary Chandler Harper of Portsmouth won the first of his three State Am titles in 1930 at the age of 16 before capturing his second in 1933 at the age of 19.
In addition to Paolini, the only players to win consecutive titles in the current match play format are: Billy Hurley (2004-05); Jay Woodson (2002-03); John Rollins (1996-97); Tom McKnight (1984-85); Curtis Strange (1974-75); Vinny Giles (1968-69) and Chandler Harper (1933-34).
Though Paolini will be aiming for a spot by himself in State Am lore, he says he's focused as much on the process as the result.
"It would mean a lot to me," says Paolini, who became the first player to hold the State Am and State Junior titles in the same year when he won the '08 VSGA Junior Amateur at Blacksburg Country Club. "The VSGA has meant so much to me. It would be amazing, but I have a long way to go. I'd love to win, but the only reason I'd love to win is because it's fun and I love the game. And that's why I play. I'm really looking forward to Saturday."
Kirby has made his first appearance in match play at the State Am a memorable one. He closed out Watson on the first extra hole, the par-5 first, where he drilled a 3-hybrid from 234 yards to 15 feet left of the flagstick and drained the ensuing eagle putt to advance.
A George Mason University graduate and now a financial budget analyst for the Navy, Kirby admits he entered match play with no expectations. A No. 32 seed and the lowest seed in the match-play field, he picked off medalist Lanto Griffin (Blacksburg) in the first round on Thursday and has won three more matches since knocking off the top seed. He'll face his toughest opponent yet in Paolini.
"He has a good résumé. I look forward to it, it's a good challenge," Kirby says. "I'll take it as another round of golf. I know Brinson has a great game, but I'm hoping to compete with him and give him a good match."
Kirby's brother, Trey, is a member at Belle Haven and they'd played together at the State Am host site about 10 times this year. A member at the Country Club of Fairfax, Kirby remembers that the intricacies of the Belle Haven track didn't fit his eye at first glance. His view has changed this week.
"The layout didn't suit me all that well, really, but I've grown accustomed to it," he smiles. "After you play a little better, it starts to look a little better."
Match-Play Results
Quarterfinals
(32) Mike Kirby (Falls Church), 148 def. (9) Jeremy Wells (Hopewell), 144, 5 and 4
(13) Matt Watson (Portsmouth), 145 def. (21) Allen Barber (Yorktown), 147, 3 and 2
(2) Brinson Paolini (Virginia Beach), 140 def. (10) Paul Woodson (Powhatan), 145, 19 holes
(6) Garland Green (Tazewell), 142 def. (19) Seth Norman (Norfolk), 146, 1 up
Semifinals
(32) Mike Kirby (Falls Church), 148 def. (13) Matt Watson (Portsmouth), 145, 19 holes
(2) Brinson Paolini (Virginia Beach), 140 vs. (6) Garland Green (Tazewell), 142, 4 and 2
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