July 6, 2005

RICHMOND -- Former Navy golfer Billy Hurley (Leesburg, Va.), 23, rolled to a 9 and 8 victory over Jason Pool, 29, of Dunn Loring to win the 92nd Virginia State Golf Association Amateur Championship, which concluded today at The Country Club of Virginia's James River Course (6,988 yards, par 36-36-72).

Hurley captured the Schwarzschild Brothers trophy going to the champion for a second straight year after claiming last year's title at Roanoke Country Club. His triumph signals just the seventh time in State Am history that a golfer has recorded back-to-back wins. Powhatan's Jay Woodson (2002 and 2003), John Rollins (1996 and 1997), Tom McKnight (1984 and 1985), Curtis Strange (1974 and 1975), Vinny Giles (1968 and 1969) and the late Chandler Harper (1933-34) are the others.

In addition, Hurley's victory margin was the third largest in State Am history and the biggest gap since 1981 when George McDonald of Virginia Beach beat Roanoke's Dan Keffer, 10 and 9 at Danville Golf Club. The one previous to that was in 1978 when Hampton's Skeeter Heath bested Danville's John Bruce, 11 and 10 at Chatmoss Country Club in Martinsville Hurley took control of the match in the middle portion of the morning session. Trailing 1-down, he won 10 of the last 12 holes, including eight straight from Nos. 7-14 to build an 8-up advantage at the scheduled midpoint of the match.

The march started when Hurley holed a 25-footer for birdie at the par-4 seventh to square the match. Following a conceded birdie at the uphill par-3 eighth, Hurley continued the momentum swing at the par-5 ninth, knocking in a 40-footer up the hill to go 2 up after nine.

Pool (pictured right) encountered ball striking problems in the early stages of the outward half as Hurley, continuing the steady play that has been his trademark all week, won Nos. 10-12 with pars to go 5 up.

"I just couldn't stop the bleeding," said the affable Pool, who even joked with VSGA rules official Galen Hill that he needed a Band-Aid during that span. "I started to press a little on Nos. 10, 11 and 12, but by then it was too late."

Hurley made certain of it. Thereafter, Hurley stuck his wedge approach to 3 feet at the par-4 13th, drained the birdie putt and hit a fabulous iron that covered the flagstick one hole later at the par-3 14th. He holed the ensuing 6-foot birdie putt to culminate the eight-hole onslaught and move to 7 up.

"I honestly didn't even realize I won eight holes in a row," Hurley said after the round. "I just tried to take it one shot at a time, one hole at a time, keep the pedal to metal and not ease up."

He didn't. Hurley birdied both of the par 5s coming in, starting with a halve at No. 16 (hit the green in two and two-putted from 50 feet) and won 18 by pitching and putting his way to an 8-up advantage. Altogether, taking into account the concessions that are a part of match play, Hurley played the morning 18 in seven under.

"I need a (designated hitter)," Pool cracked at the break.

In the afternoon, Pool (pictured left) narrowed the gap to seven with a par at the par-5 sixth, but Hurley responded by winning the par-4 seventh and the par-5 ninth holes with pars to balloon his margin to a match-high 9 up. Hurley, who had nine pars and a bogey in the afternoon session, ended the match with a par at No 10.

In joining an elite class of golfers who have won the title two consecutive years, Hurley said "it is quite an honor to be on there twice with those names, but there's a long way to go to accomplish half of what those guys have accomplished."

Hurley, honoring a service obligation with the Navy, will continue to play amateur events throughout the summer and hopes to make the 10-golfer United States Walker Cup team that will compete against their Great Britain and Ireland counterparts in the matches, set for Aug. 13-14 at Chicago Golf Club in Wheaton, Ill. Pool believes Hurley's best days still await.

"Watching him play is a nice learning experience," said Pool, who works in real estate. "There's not a whole lot that can go wrong with that golf game. He's just unbelievable and has one heck of a future."

Hurley kept things in perspective.

"This is just a blast to be out here," Hurley said. "A good friend of mine is getting ready to leave for Iraq in September or October. I'm fortunate to be doing my part for the Navy by playing golf, at least for the summer."

RICHMOND - Result from the final round of match play at the 92nd VSGA Amateur Championship, which concluded on Saturday, July 2 at The Country Club of Virginia's James River Course (6,988 yards, par 36-36-72).

(2) Billy Hurley (Leesburg) def. (1) Jason Pool (Dunn Loring), 9 and 8