Mineral, VA – The 2022 Southern Chapter Championship was hosted at Cutalong at Lake Anna. The new course, designed by Tom Clark, featured undulating greens and many blind shots. The course played tough, with wind gusts up to 20 mph and firm conditions.
The championship turned into a family affair, with a Mast winning the Open and Senior Divisions.
The players went off in a shotgun format and Jacob Mast (Poplar Grove Golf Club) took advantage with a birdie on his first hole of the day, the short Par-4 5th. He gave that and more right back with bogies on his next two holes but was able to steady the ship as he played the back nine. Birdies on 11 and 13 got him back into red figures but a bogey on 18 put him at even par and two shots back of Joey Faulconer (Devil’s Knob Golf Club at Wintergreen Resort).
Faulconer started his day on the Par-4 15th hole and played clean golf (8 pars, 2 birdies) for his first ten holes. However, a double-bogey on the Par-3 5th put him back to even par. Another bogey on the 9th hole put him over par for the day but he battled back down the stretch. Birdies on three of his last five holes gave him the lead as one of the first players in the clubhouse.
Mast also used a hot finish with two birdies in his last four holes to tie Faulconer and force a playoff.
The playoff began with both players out of position off the tee. Faulconer had an advantage as his ball was in the left rough while Mast was in the penalty area. Mast hacked out of the tall grass into the fairway to give himself a chance to make par. Faulconer came up just short of the green and rolled back into a collection area well below the green. Mast hit a fantastic third shot from 165 yards out to 9 feet. Faulconer’s chip shot came up short and he had 10 feet to save his par. He missed his par putt while Mast made his, giving Jacob Mast the win on the first playoff hole.
Jacob’s father, Dick Mast (Poplar Grove Golf Club) started his day on the Par-4 10th hole. He played great golf all day, only making two bogies and three birdies to win the Senior Division by three shots over Jack Snyder of the host club.
Thank you to Global Golf Sales for sponsoring and Brady Noland and his staff at Cutalong at Lake Anna for hosting!