32 / 68
30
On July 2, 2016, Joey Lane defeated Ji Soo Park to win the 103rd Virginia
State Golf Association Amateur Championship at the Pete Dye River Course of
Virginia Tech in Radford, Va. He became the fifth Virginia Tech player to win the
event, joining Connie Sellers (1951), Neff McClary (1977), Allen Barber (1992)
and Maclain Huge (2015).
Lane took a seven-up lead after the first 18 holes in the scheduled 36-
hole final, eventually winning 8-and-6, the largest margin of victory in the
championship in a decade. He became only the sixth player to win the
championship following medalist honors in stroke play qualifying, joining the
likes of Vinny Giles, Lanny Wadkins and Billy Hurley III. “That’s pretty special,”
Lane said. “It’s just kind of a cherry on top for this week.”
The following week, Lane captured the prestigious Eastern Amateur at
Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Va. After beginning the
final round one stroke behind the leader, Lane posted a final round of 65 to
finish at 14 under-par and four strokes clear of a trio of players in second place.
“It is pretty huge for me (to win two weeks in a row),” Lane said. “Up until
last week I hadn’t won anything since junior golf and once you get into college
golf and amateur golf it gets a lot tougher to win, so it is nice to know that I can
contend and I have now found out that I can win.”
JOEY LANE
VIRGINIA STATE AMATEUR
AND EASTERN AMATEUR CHAMPION
Joey Lane had an outstanding summer highlighted by
back-to-back victories in Virginia’s two most prestigious
amateur championships.