Local First Tee team cinches Redmond Cup in thrilling playoff
Free Press staff report | 7/18/2024, 6 p.m.
![In a nail-biting finish, First Tee Greater Richmond captured the 11th Redmond Cup presented by Troutman Pepper on Thursday at … In a nail-biting finish, First Tee Greater Richmond captured the 11th Redmond Cup presented by Troutman Pepper on Thursday at …](https://epmgaa.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/img/photos/2024/07/18/1stee_t580.jpg?8f1b5874916776826eb17d7e67de7278c987ca33)
In a nail-biting finish, First Tee Greater Richmond captured the 11th Redmond Cup presented by Troutman Pepper on Thursday at Belmont Golf Course. The local team emerged victorious in a playoff against First Tee – Greater Washington, D.C., after both squads finished the two-day competition tied at 165.
The playoff drama unfolded on Belmont’s first hole, where Richmond’s Niki Chan sank a clutch 15-foot birdie putt to secure the win.
Chan’s heroics capped off a memorable week for the young golfer, who had been selected earlier to represent the chapter at the prestigious PURE Insurance Championship at Pebble Beach in September.
While Richmond took home the team title, individual honors were split. Washington, D.C.’s Jordan Wallace and Miles Maravilla claimed the 12-hole division with a best-ball score of 100. Chan and teammate Henry Powell finished second, just two strokes behind.
In the 9-hole division, Richmond’s Brandon Martin and Oliver Dorfman clinched first place with a two-round scramble score of 63, edging out Washington, D.C.’s Tyler Lambert and Luke Hardy by two strokes.
The tournament, which featured six First Tee chapters from the region, showcased not only golfing talent but also character development. Participants enjoyed a Richmond Flying Squirrels game and an inspiring talk from VCU men’s basketball Coach Ryan Odom during the event.
This marks Richmond’s fourth Redmond Cup victory and their first since 2013, reasserting the chapter’s strength in regional competition.