Tallent, Vardaman, West move on to match play at Kinloch
Vienna’s Pat Tallent (75-71 – 146), the District’s Jack Vardaman (73-74 – 147), Rockville’s Marty West (73-75 – 148), and legendary Virginia amateur Marvin “Vinny” Giles of Richmond (75-72 – 147) are among the 64 players in a field of 156 who qualified for match play in the 57th U.S. Senior Amateur, Sunday at Kinloch Country Club in Manakin-Sabot, Va..
Giles, who became the oldest winner in event history in 2009, founded Kinloch, in the suburbs of Richmond. He is a seven-time winner of the Virginia Amateur and captured the U.S. Amateur in 1972 and British Amateur in 1975.
Defending champion Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C. (71-68 – 139) shot 5-under par to capture medalist honors. Last year, Tallent was the medalist and went on defeat defending champion Giles in the round of 16 before falling to Simson in the championship match, 2 and 1.
This is the seventh berth in match play in the last nine years for West, 63, a member at Columbia and winner of the Maryland Amateur a record nine times. This is the first appearance in match play for Vardaman, 71, since reaching the semifinals in 2005.
The U.S. Senior Am is open to players 55 and older.
