Capitol Region 1 - Sycamore Creek Tournament Summary
The NCCGA Capitol Region hosted its first Spring Regional Tournament on February 23-24 2013 at Sycamore Creek Golf Course in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia. The early timing of the tournament made the 6,269 yard, Par 70 layout an ideal fit for a field of 76 golfers, many of whom had very little practice under their belts coming off the winter. The field teed off at 1:00 on Saturday narrowly having missed a major storm system that would have certainly wiped out play.
Nevertheless, the intrepid golfers headed out wearing several layers, hats and gloves. At the conclusion of Round 1, perennial powerhouse Virginia found themselves on top of the college golf club leaderboard after posting a (+40) 390, followed by Maryland with a (+44) 394 and James Madison and Richmond tied at (+51) 401. Sean Heintzelman (UMD) and Trey Profili (UMD) paced the field by two shots with sparkling (+2) 72’s, putting the Terps in strong position going into Sunday.
Round 2 began under much more pleasant conditions, with an expected high of around 60 degrees and plentiful sunshine. There was a great deal of anticipation throughout the field, with 7 out of 10 teams within 15 strokes of earning points toward Nationals at Purdue's Kampen Course. The improved conditions made play much easier on the entire field, and the 10 AM start time proved ideal as conditions and temperatures only improved throughout the day. Towson’s Chris Costantino took full advantage of the benign weather by making his first ever hole-in-one at the 159 yard Par 3 15th hole.
Despite his heroic effort, at the conclusion of Round 2 it was clear that Virginia would take home the team title, improving their Day 1 performance with a team score of 383 for a two-day total of 773 (+73). James Madison surged into solo 2nd place with a stellar 384 on the day for a two-day total of 785 (+85). Third place was earned by Virginia Tech with a two-day total of 787 (+87), edging out Maryland's 788 (+88) by a single stroke 788 (+88).
The Terps, however, did not go home empty-handed. Sean Heintzelman took home Medalist honors with a total of 147 (+7), while Heintzelman’s teammate Trey Profil took home All Tournament Team honors with a total of 150 (+10). The remainder of the All-Tournament Team included: Bryan Carter (UVA 150 +10), Robert Zehnder (JMU 151 +11), Christian Dolan (UVA 153 +13), Joe Fagnani (AU 153 +13), Richie Steinwand (VT 154 +14) and Colin Kent (UVA 154 +14).
Capitol Regional 1 was a huge success, due in no small part to generous support provided by Head Pro Gray Thouron and his staff who were incredibly accommodating from beginning to end. Considering the time of year and weather conditions, the course—which was only being played by NCCGA—was in great condition.
Now the Capitol Region looks to Swan Point Yacht & Country Club in Issue, Maryland. This scenic coastal layout on the banks of the Potomac River near the mouth of the Chesapeake should provide a dramatic backdrop for our second Regional Tournament come early April.
