July 21, 2003

FAIRFAX, Va. - The past couple of months have been interesting so far for George Mason University golfers Brian Marfori and Craig Mason, as both have performed well in summer tournaments following the 2002-03 collegiate season.

Marfori, a recent Patriot graduate and member of the 2000-03 Mason golf teams, defeated Paul Avis on Sunday, July 13, to capture the 85th annual Washington Metropolitan Golf Association championship at the Manor Country Club. Marfori downed Avis 3 and 2 after making a par putt on the 16th green in the 36-hole match play final.

"That putt was downhill thankfully, so I didn't have to take a huge swing at it," Marfori said to Colin Fitzgibbons, special correspondent to The Washington Post (July 14, 2003, D8). "I'm just glad that it went down."

Marfori was 3 down after the first 16 holes of the final, but made a 20-foot putt on the 17th hole to gain some momentum heading into the second round. Marfori then squared the match after the first three holes of the second round and would go ahead 1 up heading into No. 10. He never trailed again.

Mason, a rising senior on the Patriot squad, ranks 10th in the latest Virginia State Golf Association (VSGA) regular division players rankings* released at the end of June. The two-time PING/Golf Coaches Association of America Mid-Atlantic All-Region honoree has 156 overall points.

Mason has participated in a few VSGA related events this summer including the 90th VSGA Amateur Championship and the SunTrust State Open of Virginia. Mason earned the fourth seed out of 117 players at the amateur event after scoring 143 (70-73) in stroke play qualifying. Thirty-two of the 117 golfers advanced to the match-play portion of the tournament, where Mason lost in the semifinals for the second consecutive season 2 and 1 to the eventual champion. Most recently, Mason placed tied for ninth at the Open of Virginia after carding 287 (76-67-75-69).

Marfori appeared in 28 tournaments throughout his collegiate career, placing in the top 20 three times. He posted his best season as a senior, finishing second on the team with a season-low 75.3 stroke average. He concluded his Patriot career with 78.59 average. Mason, a three-time All-Colonial Athletic Association and two-time VSGA first-team All-State selection, owns four individual tournament titles and has 24 top 20 finishes in 30 collegiate events. His career stroke average of 73.14 ranks No. 1 in Mason history.

* NOTE: The VSGA Rankings measures performance in national, state, and regional competitions for amateur players who reside in Virginia. Although the rankings my be given consideration in the selection of Golfer of the Year, they will not be the determining factor, because so many criteria are considered in selecting players to be honored.