Colorful Corbett comes back to defend his Kenridge title starting today

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Bryce Corbett must be wondering what he can do for an encore after his thrilling win at the 84th Kenridge Invitational golf championship at Farmington Country Club last June.

Then a rising junior on Radford University’s golf team, Corbett, donned in a Hawaiian shirt he picked up in a thrift shop for five bucks, won a four-man playoff on the third playoff hole to claim the title. Corbett played the challenging, par-4, 18th hole three times (four if you count the regulation), for a dramatic win over University of Richmond golfer Lou Baker.

Corbett is back to defend his Kenridge title after firing rounds of 68-71-66 last season.

While the champion returns, winning back-to-back Kenridge crowns is quite a task. Corbett will have plenty of competition from the likes of Radford’s Nick Taliaferro (2022 State Open of Virginia champion), Eugene Hong (U.S. Amateur Championship participant 2019, 2017, 2015), Phil Mahone (Farmington member, tied for sixth in the event last June at 2-under par; also qualified for 2021 U.S. Senior Am–round of 32; 2022 British Senior Am, where he made the cut).

Also, Scott Shingler (2020 U.S. Amateur; five-time participant in U.S. Mid-Am; state of Virginia’s Men’s Golfer of the Year in 2014, 2011 and 2009); David Stanford (Virginia Tech golfer, 2021 U.S. Amateur participant; 2020 Virginia State Am runner-up); Charlie Bundy (William & Mary golfer, 2021 semifinalist Maryland Amateur, Runner-up at the 2022 Ironwood Collegiate Classic); John Barone (played golf at Temple University, made 2019 Collegiate Ping Northeast All-Region team, 2021 U.S. Amateur, U.S. Mid-Am 2021 and 2022).

There will be several other contenders, including Rob Kinder, Richmond’s Drew Carlen, Joey Jordan, Buck Brittain, Justin Young and UVA assistant golf coach Dustin Groves, who played at Wake Forest.

The public is welcome to attend all three days of the tournament. There will be live scoring so that spectators can keep track of the leaders or their favorite golfer, and a food truck for refreshments beginning at 11 a.m. all three days.