Briar Woods’s Birmingham Perseveres, Wins in Playoff

By Paul Tenorio

Thursday, September 27, 2007

After posting a triple-bogey on the 12th hole during the Dulles District golf tournament at Lowes Island yesterday, Briar Woods’s Mike Birmingham did not seem fazed.

Instead, Birmingham strode ahead of his group at the 13th, his body language in sync with the confidence and steady play the junior had shown all day.

Birmingham birdied the hole — a quick response that set the tone en route to posting the low score of the tournament, an even-par 72. Birmingham won the individual title after beating Potomac Falls senior Wyatt Endres in three holes in sudden death.

“It’s a huge relief,” Birmingham said. “Me and Wyatt played some pretty golf throughout the day. Two good playoff holes, and I was just the luckier one at the moment.”

Birmingham and Endres both parred the first two playoff holes before Birmingham pulled out the win on the third, reaching the green on two before two-putting for the win.

Photo: John McDonnell

Michael Birmingham hits an iron shot for Briar Woods on the 10th tee at the Virginia AA Dulles District Golf Championship.

For Birmingham, maintaining keen focus and not allow stress to build was key.

“After I [triple-bogeyed], my coach came up to me, and we just started laughing,” Birmingham said. “And I just told myself to stay with it, and then my coach saw me again on 18, and we just let the stress and pressure go and went for it.”

Birmingham birdied the 18th to draw even with Endres and force the playoff.

“Mike’s one of those kids that knows his game, but more importantly he knows that if he gets a wild shot he can come right back into the game because he knows it’s golf. That happens,” Briar Woods Coach Bob Vitti said. “It’s just his ability, at this age especially, to be able to come right back into it, shake it off and move on.”

The top-seeded Falcons (20-1, 7-0) were the regular season district champions and captured the tournament crown with a score of 308. Potomac Falls was second at 326, followed by a third-place tie between Freedom-South Riding and Loudoun County (327).

Briar Woods and Potomac Falls will move on to the Region II tournament at Brambleton Regional Park early next week.

Chantilly’s An Prevails

Chantilly All-Met senior Jake An shot a 2-under 70 in yesterday’s second round of the AAA Concorde District tournament to win the individual title on the Lakes Course at Twin Lakes. An’s 64-70 — 134 was five shots better than teammate Ji Soo Park, who shot 71-68 — 139.

Chantilly finished with a two-day team score of 571, four shots ahead of second-place Westfield, which was led by Wes Liu’s 71-70 — 141 and Jack DeBell’s 71-71 — 142.

Staff writer Josh Barr contributed to this report.

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks