Mark Lawrence Jr. advances to quarterfinals at State Amateur

Rising junior wins two matches on Thursday

June 29, 2017

Virginia Tech golfer Mark Lawrence Jr., won both matches on Thursday and has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 104^th Virginia State Golf Association Amateur Championship. The tournament is being played at the 7,061-yard, par 72 Club at Creighton Farms in Aldie, Virginia.

Lawrence, who qualified for match play by winning a five-for-one playoff on Wednesday, opened match play by defeating stroke play medalist and top-seed Michael Brennan, 3 & 1. Lawrence, a rising junior from Richmond, won seven holes, including the final three for the victory.

In the round of 16 on Thursday afternoon, Lawrence defeated the 17^th seed, Lee Fisher, 4 & 3. Lawrence jumped out to a big lead, winning the first three holes and four of the first five holes on way to being six up at the turn. Fisher won three holes on the back nine, but Lawrence closed out the match on the 15^th hole.

Logan Yates, a rising junior from Ruckersville, Virginia, won his morning match, by defeating Sebastien Bonte, 2 up. Down two holes on the 12^th tee, Yates won five of the final seven holes, including the 18^th, for the win. In the afternoon’s Round of 16, Yates fell to Vincent Nadeau, 5 & 3.

Ian Hildebrand, a rising senior from Purcellville, Virginia, lost his opening round match, 6 & 5, to Fisher.

This marks the third consecutive year that Lawrence has advanced to Friday at the State Amateur. He lost to the Hokies’ Maclain Huge in the finals in 2015 and fell to teammate Joey Lane in the semifinals of last year’s event, held at the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech. Lane went on to win the title.

Lawrence will face former University of Virginia golfer Ji Soo Park in the quarterfinal round on Friday, beginning at 8 a.m. Park lost to Lane in the finals of last year’s event.

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