In 1931, golf professional Tommy Galloway organized a premier amateur tournament to be hosted at Hermitage. Member and local businessman Frederick S. Valentine donated a trophy for the event and The Valentine Invitational was born.
Over the years The Valentine Invitational has become one of the most prestigious amateur events in the mid-Atlantic region. Past champions of the event include Virginia Golf Hall of Famers Vinny Giles (2), Keith Decker (4), David Partridge (5 Championship, 2 Senior), Richard Smith (1), Wynsol Spencer (1), and Wayne Jackson (3). Other notable champions include Richmond, VA golf legend Nelson Broach (5) and long time Hermitage father-son pair Mark Lawrence (3), and Mark Lawrence Jr, (2). The event has a longstanding tradition for attracting one of the most elite amateur golf fields in the region with participants previously competing in The Masters, US Opens, US Senior Opens, US Ams, US Mid-Ams, and countless other USGA, VSGA, and elite amateur golf events across the country.
2023
Hermitage’s own Sam Beach bested an incredibly strong field posting a -14 score of 202 to win the regular division by 2 shots over recent UVA graduate Jack Montague. Richmonder Steve Serrao continued his incredibly strong summer by running away with the senior division by posting a -13 203 and a 6 shot victory over defending champion Jon Hurst.
2024
West Virginia's Christian Brand continued his red hot summer posting a -18 (198) and a one shot victory over defending champion Sam Beach who was 8 shots clear of Indiana's Matt Vogt in 3rd. Heading into the final 9, Brand pulled even with Beach with a birdie on the 10th hole. The pair traded chip in birdies on the tough 15th hole before Brand took the lead once and for all when his eagle on the par 5 16th bested Beach's birdie. 2019 Champion Scott Shingler won the Senior division with a two shot victory of 2-time Senior champion Jon Hurst. Shingler becomes only the third player in history to win both the regular and senior divisions (Nussey, Jr and Partridge).
Christian Brand 2024
Scott Shingler 2024 (S)
Sam Beach 2023
Steve Serrao 2023 (S)
Brandon Ramsuer 2022
Jon Hurst 2021 (S) & 2022 (S)
Daryl Chappell 2021
Mark Lawrence Jr 2014 & 2020
Buck Brittain 2020 (S)
Scott Shingler 2019
David Partridge 1986, 1988, 1990, 1997, 2002, 2015 (S) & 2019 (S)
Dustin Groves 2009 & 2018
Steve Liebler 2018 (S)
YEAR |
CHAMPION |
SENIOR CHAMPION |
LOW MEMBERS |
RESULTS |
WAGR |
| 2024 | Christian Brand | Scott Shingler |
Sam Beach David Partridge (S) |
Full Field Results |
|
| 2023 | Sam Beach * | Steve Serrao |
Sam Beach David Partridge (S) |
Full Field Results |
|
| 2022 | Brandon Ramsuer | Jon Hurst |
Jordan Utley Brent Holsten (S) |
Full Field Results |
|
| 2021 | Daryl Chappell * | Jon Hurst |
Daryl Chappell David Partridge (S) |
Full Field Results | |
| 2020 | Mark Lawrence, Jr * | Buck Brittain |
Mark Lawrence, Jr David Partridge (S) |
Full Field Results | |
| 2019 | Scott Shingler | David Partridge * |
Jordan Utley David Partridge (S) |
Full Field Results | |
| 2018 | Dustin Groves | Steve Liebler |
Jordan Utley Greg Bales (S) |
Full Field Results | |
| 2017 | Jordan Utley * | Robert Nussey, Jr | |||
| 2016 | Chris Cassetta | Mike Krulich | |||
| 2015 | Keith Decker | David Partridge * | |||
| 2014 | Mark Lawrence, Jr * | Jim Gallagher | |||
| 2013 | Nick Austin | ||||
| 2012 | Weston Eklund | ||||
| 2011 | Scott Vincent | ||||
| 2010 | Marshall Bailey | ||||
| 2009 | Dustin Groves | ||||
| 2008 | Adam Horton | ||||
| 2007 | Nick MacDonald | ||||
| 2006 | Keith Decker | ||||
| 2005 | Albert Johnson | ||||
| 2004 | David Brogan | ||||
| 2003 | Keith Decker | ||||
| 2002 | David Partridge * | ||||
| 2001 | Keith Decker | ||||
| 2000 | Mark Lawrence * | ||||
| 1999 | Vinny Giles | ||||
| 1998 | Robert Nussey, Jr | ||||
| 1997 | David Partridge * | ||||
| 1996 | Stan Fischer * | ||||
| 1995 | Marty West | ||||
| 1994 | Allen Barber | ||||
| 1993 | Tim Rash | ||||
| 1992 | Mark Lawrence * | ||||
| 1991 | Gil Fitzhugh | ||||
| 1990 | David Partridge * | ||||
| 1989 | Sam Stein | ||||
| 1988 | David Partridge * | ||||
| 1987 | Sam Stein | ||||
| 1986 | David Partridge * | ||||
| 1985 | Charles Taylor * | ||||
| 1984 | Chris Anderson | ||||
| 1983 | Jason Perdue * | ||||
| 1982 | Vinny Giles | ||||
| 1981 | Mark Lawrence * | ||||
| 1980 | Charles Taylor * | ||||
| 1979 | George Andre | ||||
| 1978 | Marvin Smith | ||||
| 1977 | Chris Pollard * | ||||
| 1976 ** | Richard Smith * | ||||
| 1975 | Bob Bailey * | ||||
| 1974 | Richard Bendall, Jr | ||||
| 1973 | Nelson Broach | ||||
| 1972 | Steve Isaacs | ||||
| 1971 | Nelson Broach | ||||
| 1970 | Nelson Broach | ||||
| 1969 | Dave King | ||||
| 1968 | Danny Dixon * | ||||
| 1967 |
Charles McDowell |
||||
| 1966 | Charles McDowell | ||||
| 1965 | Ray Loflin * | ||||
| 1964 | Ned Baber * | ||||
| 1963 | Nelson Broach | ||||
| 1962 | Sam Wallace | ||||
| 1961 | J.J. Boatwright, Jr * | ||||
| 1960 *** | Jordan Ball * | ||||
| 1959 | Wayne Jackson | ||||
| 1958 | Wayne Jackson | ||||
| 1957 | James H. Kelly * | ||||
| 1956 | Wayne Jackson | ||||
| 1955 | No Tournament | ||||
| 1954 | William Wood | ||||
| 1953 | Wynsol Spencer | ||||
| 1952 | Earl Howell | ||||
| 1951 | Earl Howell | ||||
| 1950 | Frank T. Sutton | ||||
| 1949 | J. David Ewell, Sr * | ||||
| 1948 | Nelson Broach | ||||
| 1942-1947 | No Tournament | ||||
| 1941 | W.B. Tomlinson, Jr * | ||||
| 1940 | Charles W. Kent | ||||
| 1938-1939 | No Tournament | ||||
| 1937 | Russ Hollenbaugh | ||||
| 1936 | W. Clark Lea, Jr | ||||
| 1933-1935 | No Tournament | ||||
| 1932 | Roland Wright * | ||||
| 1931 | J. David Ewell, Sr * |
* Hermitage Member
** First tournament at current Goochland location
*** Tournament switched from match play to stroke play
