SUFFOLK, Va. – Furman’s Ross Funderburke won the 109th Virginia State Golf Amateur Championship Friday at Cedar Point Club in Suffolk, Virginia.
 
A rising senior from Roanoke, Virginia, Funderburke defeated Grayson Wood, 7&6, in the match-play final. Funderburke was 3-up after the opening 18 then birdied No. 1 and No. 2 and scored an eagle on No. 3 to land at 6-up after 21 holes. He sealed the victory with a birdie on No. 12 to end the match.
 
Funderburke entered the match play portion of the tournament in sixth place after carding 140 in stroke play. He defeated Ian Hildebrand, 1-up, in round one of match play, then beat Jack Montague, 5&4, before scoring a 2&1 win over Carlo Pizzano. In the semifinals, Funderburke defeated Evan Beck, 2&1.
 
“We are so happy for Ross and really proud of him for this win,” said Furman head coach Matt Davidson. “He has put in a lot of work, and it is fun to watch it pay off and see him improve year after year. To get a big prestigious win like this under his belt should just give him even more confidence. This is certainly a perfect way to start his summer tournament schedule.”
 
An All-SoCon selection in 2021-22, Funderburke tied for 30th at the NCAA Palm Beach Gardens Regional. He ranked second for Furman with a 72.1 stroke average over 33 rounds during his junior campaign after notching six top-20 finishes in 10 events, including a career-best second-place finish at the Hootie at Bulls Bay, where he registered rounds of 68-68-70=206.