The 17-year-old Richmond resident scorched Roanoke Country Club, shooting a first round 7-under 64 to own a four-stroke lead entering Wednesday’s second day of the 58th VSGA Junior Amateur Championship.

Carlisle School graduate Jack Adkins, 18, of Martinsville as well as 16-year-olds Mason Stutler (Fredericksburg) and Alex O’Dell (Crozet) each opened with 3-under 68. Blacksburg’s Jake Mondy, 17, a third-place finisher at last year’s State Junior, and Richmonders Matthew Ball Jr., 18, and Christopher Kapsak, 16, each had 69.

But Chalkley (pictured right) was the story of day one. Competing in the last VSGA Junior Amateur before heading off to college in the fall at Virginia Tech, he used a deadly short game to play a bogey-free round that included seven birdies.

Starting his round on at No. 10, he birdied three of the first four holes, wielding a hot putter to knock in putts of 18 and 30 feet at No. 10 and 13, respectively, and sandwiched in an easy birdie at the par-5 11th. Chalkley’s momentum continued at the par-3 16th where he holed his 12-yard bunker shot; his blast landed softly on the green and rolled right into the cup like a putt.

“At that point, I felt like I could turn a good round into something better,” Chalkley said.

That’s for sure. On the second nine, he nearly aced the par-3 second, his 11th hole of the day, drilling his 5-iron tee shot from 191 yards to tap-in range. He closed the round with consecutive birdies, capping his memorable day by knocking in an uphill 18-footer.

“I felt really good about my putting all day,” said Chalkley, a May graduate of St. Christopher’s School. “My speed was consistent and it took the pressure off other parts of my game.”

Chalkley has played Roanoke Country Club about a half-dozen times while competing in the Scott Robertson Memorial, and has delivered his share of subpar rounds at the national junior event held at the club.

But nothing like 64.

“I got off to a great start and it took early nerves out of the equation,” Chalkley said.

His aggregate is a near-record in recent VSGA Junior Amateur annals. Three-time VSGA Junior Match Play champion Mikey Moyers of Stanardsville, now a rising sophomore at Virginia Tech, shot a final-round 10-under 62 in finishing second at the 2008 VSGA Junior Amateur Championship at Blacksburg Country Club, marking the best round in the championship’s recent history. Portsmouth’s Lloyd Liebler had a final-round 64 in taking the 1966 title at Kinderton Country Club in Clarksville.

As if Chalkley needed any help on day one, having close friend Nick Austin as his caddie admittedly added to his comfort level. The two have known each other since early childhood and they played together in Austin’s first tournament, the club championship at the Country Club of Petersburg. Austin beat Chalkey for the title; they finished 1-2 at the event.

“The rivalry began early,” Chalkley laughed. Austin, 18, is now a rising sophomore at the University of Richmond.

In the first round, the player-looper pairing turned out be a comfortable one. The two live less than 10 minutes away from one another, have competed in the same junior tournaments for countless years and combined in past VSGA team-match events.

“We’ve always worked well as a team,” Chalkley said.

Chalkley has played in the State Junior for no less than 10 years and would like nothing better than to take home his first VSGA title to finish things off.

“I couldn’t think of a better way to end it,” Chalkley said.

Following Wednesday’s second round, the championship’s final day is set for Thursday, July 29.  

ROANOKE –– Results from the first round of the 58th VSGA Junior Amateur Championship at Roanoke Country Club (6,480 yards, par 36-35—71) on Tuesday, July 27.

Bryce Chalkley (Richmond), 33-31—64

Jack Adkins (Martinsville), 35-33—68

Mason Stutler (Fredericksburg), 34-34—68

Alex O'Dell (Crozet), 35-33—68

Jake Mondy (Blacksburg), 34-35—69

Matthew Ball Jr. (Richmond), 34-35—69

Christopher Kapsak (Richmond), 35-34—69

Tim Ritter (Centreville), 35-35—70

Tanner Carbaugh (Pearisburg), 36-34—70

Andrew Butts (Salem), 38-32—70

Alex Lloyd (Virginia Beach), 35-35—70

Chris O'Neill (Glen Allen), 33-38—71

Ashton Newsom (Chesapeake), 36-35—71

Jack Wilkes (Roanoke), 35-37—72

Adam Ball (Richmond), 37-35—72

Wesley Liu (Herndon), 37-35—72

Korey Watts (Buchanan), 36-36—72

Nick Shedd (Williamsburg), 36-36—72

Preston Leigh (Suffolk), 36-36—72

Justin Roberto (Williamsburg), 34-38—72

Trey Smith (Virginia Beach), 37-36—73

Cameron Young (Richmond), 37-36—73

John Dawson (Chesapeake), 35-38—73

Scott Davidson (Round Hill), 39-35—74

Maclain Huge (Lovettsville), 35-39—74

Zeke Shaffer (Radford), 36-38—74

Landon Weis (Charlottesville), 36-38—74

Kent Miller (Charlottesville), 39-35—74

Dawson Hobbs (Midlothian), 40-34—74

Trent Thomas (Ashland), 39-35—74

Rick O'Connell (Goochland), 36-38—74

Adam Ochs (Ashburn), 38-37—75

Greg Pappas (Warrenton), 37-38—75

Taylor Walker (Roanoke), 40-35—75

Tyler Satorius (Annandale), 35-40—75

Jason Schumacher (Glen Allen), 37-38—75

Bryce Cope (Virginia Beach), 39-36—75

Zack Henry (Front Royal), 39-37—76

Brendan Pastor (Haymarket), 37-39—76

Max Ruge (Mclean), 37-39—76

Brandon Deleonardis (Paeonian Springs), 39-37—76

Jordan Patrick (Abingdon), 38-38—76

Matt Morgan (Bluefield), 37-39—76

Garrett Sweeney (Salem), 39-37—76

Jason Park (Midlothian), 38-38—76

Michael Barber (Newport News), 36-40—76

Trevor Times (Williamsburg), 38-38—76

Joey Lane (Great Falls), 39-38—77

Ben Taylor (Bluefield), 38-39—77

Blake Carter (Bassett), 41-36—77

Trip Bose (Norfolk), 38-39—77

Zack Bosse (Round Hill), 35-42—77

Tanner Foutz (Mechanicsville), 40-38—78

Oliver Vannairn (Leesburg), 40-38—78

Ryan Douglass (Leesburg), 38-40—78

Brad Elder (Roanoke), 36-42—78

Clint Lowe (Gate City), 39-39—78

Griffin Clark (Colonial Heights), 39-39—78

Matthew Disalvo (Great Falls), 39-40—79

Bandar Alsaif (Great Falls), 42-37—79

Tyler Weeks (Bassett), 41-38—79

Mark Lawrence Jr. (Richmond), 40-39—79

Ben Leon (Virginia Beach), 37-42—79

Drew Lagan (Roanoke), 38-41—79

Ryan Rettberg (Front Royal), 39-41—80

Addison Coll (Arlington), 40-40—80

Zack Lauzon (Woodbridge), 38-42—80

John Bryant (Galax), 41-39—80

Andrew Becraft (Virginia Beach), 41-39—80

Dylan Jensen (Ridgeway), 39-41—80

John David Sanderson (Suffolk), 40-41—81

Erik Ruce (Arlington), 40-41—81

Thomas Prominski (Arlington), 37-44—81

Connor Walters (Salem), 39-42—81

Christian Moore (Poquoson), 39-42—81

Trey Cully (Ashland), 42-40—82

John Dozier III (Manakin-Sabot), 40-42—82

Drew Arnold (Danville), 43-39—82

Landon Francisco (Keysville), 42-40—82

Scott Welch (Henrico), 44-38—82

Clay O'Connor (Troutville), 41-41—82

Patrick Franklin (Spout Spring), 43-40—83

Seth Nooe (Williamsburg), 40-43—83

Christian Rivera (Norfolk), 42-41—83

Brian Therrien (Fredericksburg), 41-44—85

Samuel Jones (Blacksburg), 45-40—85

Branson Bowman (Marion), 45-40—85

George McDaniel (Goode), 44-42—86

Bryan Carter (Yorktown), 45-41—86

Ryan Hatcher (Chesapeake), 42-44—86

ROANOKE –– Groupings and starting times for the second round of the 57th VSGA Junior  Amateur Championship at Roanoke Country Club (6,480 yards, par 36-35—71) on Wednesday, July 28.

Wednesday (July 28), Tee No. 1

8 a.m. – Andrew Becraft (Virginia Beach); Bryan Carter (Yorktown); Ryan Douglass (Leesburg)
8:09 a.m. – Jason Schumacher (Glen Allen); Kent Miller (Charlottesville); Brian Therrien (Fredericksburg)
8:18 a.m. – Brendan Pastor (Haymarket); Tanner Carbaugh (Pearisburg); Justin Roberto (Williamsburg)
8:27 a.m. – Tim Ritter (Centreville); Ben Leon (Virginia Beach); Joey Lane (Great Falls)
8:36 a.m. – John David Sanderson (Suffolk); Andrew Butts (Salem); Adam Ochs (Ashburn)
8:45 a.m. – Erik Ruce (Arlington); Trey Smith (Virginia Beach); Blake Carter (Bassett)
8:54 a.m. – Jack Adkins (Martinsville); Bryce Chalkley (Richmond); Jack Wilkes (Roanoke)
9:03 am. – Korey Watts (Buchanan); Maclain Huge (Lovettsville); Chris O’Neill (Glen Allen)
9:12 a.m. – Trevor Times (Williamsburg); Rick O'Connell (Goochland); Zack Bosse (Round Hill)
9:21 a.m. – Seth Nooe (Williamsburg); Tyler Weeks (Bassett); Ben Taylor (Bluefield)
9:30 a.m. – Greg Pappas (Warrenton); Zeke Shaffer (Radford); Patrick Franklin (Spout Spring)
9:39 a.m. – Dylan Jensen (Ridgeway); Taylor Walker (Roanoke); Christian Moore (Poquoson)
9:48 a.m. – John Dawson (Chesapeake); Brandon Deleonardis (Paeonian Springs); Cameron Young (Richmond)
9:57 a.m. – Michael Barber (Newport News); Christopher Kapsak (Richmond); Matt Morgan (Bluefield)
10:06 a.m. – Dawson Hobbs (Midlothian); Max Ruge (McLean); Christian Rivera (Norfolk)

Wednesday (July 28), Tee No. 10