THE 2009 USGA Senior Championship held at Beverly Country Club is complete, and the winner is 66 year old Marvin "Vinny" Giles
a former US Amateur champion from Richmond Virginia.

Giles who has a long distinguished career in amateur golf, won the championship match on the 18th green by holing an 18 foot birdie putt. Giles defeated John Grace of Fort Worth TX. by a score of 1UP. Giles had made it to the quarterfinals of the event the last three years, but had not advanced.

"I really wanted this," Giles said. " After making the quarterfinals the last three years, I wanted to go further."

Giles earned his US Amateur title in 1972, he is also a four time member of the Walker Cup team. To reach the quarterfinals again this year, Giles survived a tough match with Paul Simson of Raleigh NC by winning 2 & 1. Simson was the low amateur at the 2001 US Sr. Open and won the 2006 and 2008 British Sr. Amateur Championships.

"I didn't make any putts and that is the story," Simson said.  Giles said he has, "played a lot  of golf with Paul over the years and that he is a much better player than how he played in our match."

At 66 Giles says he feels the difference in age with younger competitors. "When I was in my 30's, it wasn't hard to keep up with the youngers kids in their 20's," Giles said. "But at 66 it's tougher to keep up with those 55 year olds, 11 years is a lot at this age."

The span between USGA titles for Giles was 37 years, the longest in USGA history. For winning Giles received a gold medal and custody, of the Frederick L. Dodd Trophey for the next year.

Next years US SR. Amateur will be played in Florida at the Lake Nona Country Club. Giles own club, Kinloch G.C. in Manakin-Sabot Virgina (Richmond area) will host the championship in 2011.

The 2009 US SR. Amateur was the first USGA tournament held at Beverly C.C., since the 1931 US Amateur Championship which was won by Francis Ouimet. Beverly member Terry Lavin served as Tournament Chairman, for this years championship. The course played to a yardage of 6,672 and a par of 71. Beverly C.C. opened in 1908 and the course was designed by George O'Neil, then was redesigned by Donald Ross in 1918. A course renovation was done by Ron Pritchard in 2008.