A decade ago, Mike Kirby was a promising baseball standout in Virginia Beach. But playing AAU ball with the likes of Ryan Zimmerman and David Wright helped convince him that he didn’t have a bright future in the sport.
So he turned to golf. In four seasons at George Mason University, Kirby went from walk-on status, to a scholarship, to becoming the best player on the team.
Four years after graduation, despite holding down a full-time job, his improvement continues. It was evident this month when Kirby nearly won the prestigious Virginia Amateur, a title held by current and former PGA Tour players such as Curtis Strange, Steve Marino, John Rollins, Lanny Wadkins and Bobby Wadkins.
After advancing through four rounds of match play, Kirby made a strong bid to topple two-time defending champion, Brinson Paolini, in the 36-hole final, but lost to the Duke sophomore, 1 up. Paolini withstood a birdie binge from Kirby, who made four straight on the second 18 to turn a 2-down deficit into a 2-up lead.
Kirby nearly stood between Paolini and history. It was the first time in 97 years that a player won the Virginia Amateur three straight times.
Beating Paolini, also of Virginia Beach and the ACC freshman of the year, would have been a significant accomplishment, especially considering that Paolini plays tournament golf nearly year-round, while Kirby spends 40 hours a week as a Department of Defense budget analyst at the Washington Navy Yard.
“I only have time to play a few tournaments a year,” said Kirby, 25. “Summers are good. I can go out after work and get in nine holes or however many before it gets dark.”
Advancing through five days of medal and match play in the Virginia Amateur, Kirby took it one round at a time at Belle Haven Country Club. When he won morning matches in the round of 32 and in the quarterfinals, he called his office to inform his boss that he would not be at work in the afternoon.
“I brought a change of clothes each day, thinking I might be going to work in the afternoon,” said Kirby, who recently joined the Country Club of Fairfax.
Kirby came up clutch throughout the tournament. In the first round of match play, he toppled 2010 medalist and 2009 runner-up Lanto Griffin, a recent Virginia Tech graduate, making a birdie on the first extra hole. Against Brett Williams of Alexandria in the round of 16, Kirby made an eagle at the par-five 16th hole on his way to a 1-up victory.
In the semifinals against Matt Watson of Portsmouth, Kirby made an eagle on the first extra hole, hitting a hybrid 3-iron to within 15 feet and making the putt on the 525-yard par-five.
“I have a 9-to-5 job,” Kirby said. “The nerves aren’t there as much as they used to be.”
