Leesburg, VA – Raspberry Falls Golf & Hunt Club hosted the 2022 Central Chapter Championship. The Gary Player designed course weaves its way through the Shenandoah Valley. Playing 6,935 yards, it provided a tough test to be crowned the Central Chapter Champion.
Yong Joo (TopGolf – Loudon) and Josh Apple (Raspberry Falls G&HC) played the best rounds of the day. Neither player got off to a good start, each bogeying one of their first two holes. However, they both played clean golf from there to lead the Open Division.
Apple used his local knowledge to get to the top of the leaderboard. After the bogey on the second hole, he made birdie on three of his next four holes to go out in 2-under 34. Birdies on each of the par-5s on the back nine got him in as the clubhouse leader at 4-under 68.
Joo needed some fireworks to equal Apple’s score. After his bogey on the first, he didn’t make a birdie or better until the seventh hole. Playing 177 yards with the hole tucked behind the right bunker, Joo hit an 8-iron. The green is perched up and not visible from the tee, so he wasn’t sure how close it was. He found the ball in the hole for his fourth career hole-in-one. He made back-to-back birdies on holes 9 and 10 to get to 3-under. He got to the 18th still at 3-under, knowing he needed a birdie to get into a playoff. He made that birdie on the Par-5 to tie Apple and get into a playoff.
The playoff started on the first hole with Apple in the fairway and Joo in the left rough. Joo hit a great recovery shot to 8 feet. Apple responded with a great shot of his own to 7 feet. Each made their birdie putts and the playoff went to the 2nd hole. They both made par on the 2nd and were both positioned in the fairway on the 3rd hole. Each player carried their approach shots too far. Apple ended up in the rough and Joo stayed on the fringe. Apple had a terrible lie in the rough and couldn’t get up and down to save par. An easy two-putt par for Yong Joo gave him the Central Chapter Championship.
In the Senior Division, Brendan McGrath (Hidden Creek Country Club) dominated for the second year in a row. He made five birdies to two bogies to shoot 3-under 69 and won by four shots.
Severna Park, MD – The Northern Chapter Championship was contested at Chartwell Golf & Country Club. Playing shorter (6,501 yards), Chartwell was a position-driven course that required strong iron play.
Mike Larkin (Towson University) bogeyed the 460-yard first hole. However, he got it back with birdies on 2 and 4. Larkin got hot on holes 8 through 10, making two birdies in a row and an eagle on 10. He stumbled in from there, making three bogies. He was able to hold on for a one-shot win over Brian Dix and David Harget.
David Long (Renditions Golf Club) held off Jeff Rosenburg (Country Club at Woodmore) and Damon Lucas (Turf Valley Resort) in the Senior Division. He made three bridies to 4 bogies to shoot 1-over 73.
Thank you to Global Golf Sales for sponsoring and Raspberry Falls G&HC and Chartwell G&CC for hosting these events!