The VSGA Junior Amateur Championship will be visiting Roanoke Country Club for the third time in its history, having also visited the VSGA member club in 1972 and 1979. RCC is one of the VSGA’s four founding clubs. Golf architecture records indicate that Scotsman Alex Findlay, an early American golf pioneer, laid out this first course for the club. The club was elected to membership in the USGA in 1911 and hosted the VSGA Amateur Championship for the first time in 1915.
Around 1916, Roanoke Country Club engaged designer A.W. Tillinghast to build an 18-hole course using the land for the then-existing nine holes (designed by Findlay) as well as other land the club had acquired. Toward the end of 1924, the beautiful Tudor-style clubhouse – still distinctive today – opened to its members.
The layout underwent a renovation in 1999 by golf course designer Lester George. In recent years, RCC welcomed the 2004 VSGA Amateur Championship as well as the ’06 VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship and last year’s VSGA Junior Match Play Championship.
The Redbud and Dogwood nines will be used for the VSGA Junior Amateur Championship.
GROUPINGS AND STARTING TIMES: Groupings and starting time for the championship follow. They will also be posted on the VSGA’s Internet site at www.vsga.org.
WWW.VSGA.ORG: Log on to the VSGA Internet site (www.vsga.org) for the latest results and a recap from the 2010 VSGA Junior Amateur Championship.
STARTING FIELD: The VSGA Junior Amateur Championship is comprised of 90 competitors. Most of the players qualified for the championship via zone qualifying at seven sites throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia from June 29-July 8.
WHO CAN PLAY: The VSGA Junior Amateur Championship is open to male qualifiers who have not reached their 19th birthday by July 29, 2010, and are not attending college or technical school.
Those juniors who have graduated high school, regardless of age, may only play the season following high school graduation. Participants must have a VSGA/USGA Handicap Index established at a VSGA member club and meet the USGA Rules of Amateur Status.
FREE ADMISSION: Spectators are invited to attend the VSGA Junior Amateur Championship FREE of charge.
SCHEDULE OF PLAY: Monday, July 26 – Practice round (after 9 a.m.)
Tuesday, July 27 – First round, stroke play (8-10:06 a.m.,
Nos. 1 and 10.)
Wednesday, July 28 – Second round, stroke play (8-10:06 a.m.,
Nos. 1 and 10. Putting contest, driving contest and cookout)
Thursday, July 29 – Third round, stroke play (8-10:06 a.m.,
Nos. 1 and 10.)
FORMAT: This will be the 58th playing of the VSGA Junior Amateur Championship. The championship consists of 54 holes of stroke play, 18 holes each day.
THE WINNER RECEIVES: The champion of the 2010 VSGA Junior Amateur Championship receives the F.J.D. Mackay Trophy. The champion and five low scorers in the 14-15 age group and 16-18 age group will also receive prizes. Zone qualifying medalists will receive VSGA medals.
THE 2009 CHAMPIONSHIP: Richmond’s Adam Ball (pictured right) shot a final round 4-under-par 68 to post a three-stroke victory at last year’s VSGA Junior Amateur Championship at the Country Club of Petersburg (6,854 yards, par 36-36—72).
The central Virginian finished the championship at 11-under-par 205 (67-70-68) to claim his first VSGA Junior Amateur title. Stanardsville’s Mikey Moyers had a final day 1-under 71 and placed second at 8-under 208. Blacksburg’s Jake Mondy shot a final round best 5-under 67 and finished four strokes back at 7-under 209.
Ball, 16, qualified for the U.S. Junior this summer, and returns to defend his title. Mondy, 17, advanced to the second round of match play at this year’s VSGA State Amateur and is also in the field.
ANOTHER STRONG FIELD: Altogether, five of the eight players who advanced to the quarterfinals or further at this year’s VSGA Junior Match Play Championship are represented in the field: champion Dylan Jensen of Ridgeway, Virginia Beach residents and event semifinalists Bryce Cope and Alex Lloyd as well as quarterfinalists Jack Adkins (Martinsville) and Rick O’Connell (Goochland). Adkins was a finalist at the 2009 VSGA Junior Match Play Championship at Roanoke Country Club.
The field also features local Jack Wilkes (Roanoke), the finalist at the 2008 VSGA Junior Match Play Championship at Birdwood Golf Course.
VSGA STATE AMATEUR AND SunTrust STATE OPEN OF VIRGINIA QUALIFIERS EXEMPT: This year’s VSGA Junior Am field features 10 competitors who played in the VSGA Amateur Championship (June 29-July 1 at Belle Haven Country Club, Alexandria) and/or the SunTrust State Open of Virginia (July 15-18 at Independence Golf Club, Midlothian) and are exempt for the VSGA Junior Amateur.
The golfers are:
- Jack Adkins of Martinsville (qualified at Danville Golf Club, Danville – VSGA Amateur Championship and SunTrust State Open of Virginia)
- Matthew Ball Jr. of Richmond (qualified at Fawn Lake Country Club, Spotsylvania – VSGA Amateur Championship and SunTrust State Open of Virginia)
- Bryce Chalkley of Richmond (qualified at Willow Oaks Country Club, Richmond – SunTrust State Open of Virginia)
- Scott Davidson of Round Hill (qualified at Dominion Valley Country Club, Haymarket – VSGA Amateur Championship)
- Tanner Foutz of Mechanicsville (qualified at Willow Oaks Country Club, Richmond – VSGA Amateur Championship)
- Maclain Huge of Lovettsville (qualified at River Creek Club, Leesburg – VSGA Amateur Championship)
- Erik Ruce of Chesapeake (qualified at Bide-A-Wee Golf Club, Portsmouth – VSGA Amateur Championship)
- Nick Shedd of Williamsburg (qualified at The Tradition Golf Club at Kiskiack, Williamsburg – VSGA Amateur Championship)
- Trey Smith of Virginia Beach (qualified at Bide-A-Wee Golf Club, Portsmouth – VSGA Amateur Championship)
- Korey Watts of Buchanan (qualified at Hidden Valley Country Club, Salem – VSGA Amateur Championship)
HIGH FLYERS: Players who posted strong finishes in Virginia High School League competition in the fall of 2009 are competing in this year’s VSGA Junior Amateur Championship:
- Tanner Carbaugh of Pearisburg (Giles High): finished fifth in the VHSL Group A Championship.
- Wesley Liu of Herndon (Westfield High): finished tied for third in the VHSL Group AAA Championship.
- Alex Lloyd of Virginia Beach (Floyd E. Kellam High): finished tied for sixth in the VHSL Group AAA Championship. He also won the Virginia Junior Golf Alliance Suffolk Junior Open in December at Nansemond River Golf Club, and captured the Payton Memorial this summer.
- Jake Mondy of Blacksburg (Blacksburg High): finished tied for third in the VHSL Group AA Championship.
- Seth Nooe of Williamsburg (Jamestown High): finished tied for third in the VHSL Group AA Championship.
- Clay O’Connor of Troutville (Lord Botetourt): finished first in the VHSL Group AA Championship.
- Tim Ritter of Centreville (Westfield High): finished tied for sixth in the VHSL Group AAA Championship.
- Zeke Shaffer of Radford (Radford High): finished first in the VHSL Group A Championship.
- Nick Shedd of Williamsburg (Lafayette High): finished tied for fifth in the VHSL Group AA Championship.
- Korey Watts of Fincastle (James River High): finished second in the VHSL Group A Championship.
EXEMPTIONS: Exempt competitors include eligible members from the ’09 Mid-Atlantic Junior Team Matches and the Virginias-Carolinas Junior Team Matches. Participating juniors in the State Junior are: Jack Adkins of Martinsville, Adam Ball (Richmond), Matt Ball Jr. (Richmond), Bryce Chalkley (Richmond), Dylan Jensen (Ridgeway), Wesley Liu (Herndon), Jake Mondy (Blacksburg), John David Sanderson (Suffolk) and Jack Wilkes (Roanoke). Jensen is also exempt off his win at this year's VSGA Junior Match Play.
REPEAT WINNERS: Prior to Brinson Paolini’s (Virginia Beach) back-to-back wins in 2007 and 2008, the last player to repeat as the VSGA Junior Amateur champion was Blackstone’s Cameron Yancey, who claimed back-to-back titles in 1995 and 1996. Paoilini, now a rising sophomore at Duke University, became the first player ever to win three consecutive State Am titles with his triumph in the championship this summer at Belle Haven Country Club.
Prior to Yancey’s triumphs, the trio of Jimmy Ellis (1968-69), Lloyd Liebler (1966-67) and Lanny Wadkins (1964-65) each won two straight titles.
TAKING THE NEXT STEP: Past champions of the VSGA Junior Amateur Championship have moved on to play professionally on the PGA Tour, including World Golf Hall of Fame members Lanny Wadkins (1964, 1965 champion) and Curtis Strange (1970, won the 1972 VSGA Junior Amateur at Roanoke Country Club) as well as Carl Paulson (1988 champion) and Cameron Yancey (1995 and 1996 victor).
HEAD PGA PROFESSIONAL AT ROANOKE COUNTRY CLUB: Steve Prater, PGA
GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENT AT ROANOKE COUNTRY CLUB: Dan Wheeler
ROANOKE –– Groupings and starting times for the first round of the 58th VSGA Junior Amateur Championship at Roanoke Country Club on Tuesday, July 27.
Tuesday (July 27), Tee No. 1
8 a.m. – Branson Bowman (Marion); Preston Leigh (Suffolk); Clay O'Connor (Troutville)
8:09 a.m. – Drew Lagan (Roanoke); Jason Park (Midlothian); Bandar Alsaif (Great Falls)
8:18 a.m. – Ryan Hatcher (Chesapeake); Alex O'Dell (Crozet); Clint Lowe (Gate City)
8:27 a.m. – Scott Welch (Henrico); Garrett Sweeney (Salem); Thomas Prominski (Arlington)
8:36 a.m. – Griffin Clark (Colonial Heights); Zack Lauzon (Woodbridge); Trent Thomas (Ashland)
8:45 a.m. – Connor Walters (Salem); John Dozier III (Manakin-Sabot); George McDaniel (Goode)
8:54 a.m. – Matthew Disalvo (Great Falls); Tyler Satorius (Annandale); Trip Bose (Norfolk)
9:03 a.m. – Samuel Jones (Blacksburg); Landon Francisco (Keysville); Mason Stutler (Fredericksburg)
9:12 a.m. – Addison Coll (Arlington); Jordan Patrick (Abingdon); Ashton Newsom (Chesapeake)
9:21 a.m. – Mark Lawrence Jr. (Richmond); Wesley Liu (Herndon); Zack Henry (Front Royal)
9:30 a.m. – Nick Shedd (Williamsburg); John Bryant (Galax); Drew Arnold (Danville)
9:39 a.m. – Scott Davidson (Round Hill); Bryce Cope (Virginia Beach); Trey Cully (Ashland)
9:48 a.m. – Tanner Foutz (Mechanicsville); Ryan Rettberg (Front Royal); Landon Weis (Charlottesville)
9:57 a.m. – Matthew Ball Jr. (Richmond); Oliver Vannairn (Leesburg); Brad Elder (Roanoke)
10:06 a.m. – Adam Ball (Richmond); Jake Mondy (Blacksburg); Alex Lloyd (Virginia Beach)
Tuesday (July 27), Tee No. 10
8 a.m. – Trevor Times (Williamsburg); Rick O'Connell (Goochland); Zack Bosse (Round Hill)
8:09 a.m. – Seth Nooe (Williamsburg); Tyler Weeks (Bassett); Ben Taylor (Bluefield)
8:18 a.m. – Greg Pappas (Warrenton); Zeke Shaffer (Radford); Patrick Franklin (Spout Spring)
8:27 a.m. – Dylan Jensen (Ridgeway); Taylor Walker (Roanoke); Christian Moore (Poquoson)
8:36 a.m. – John Dawson (Chesapeake); Brandon Deleonardis (Paeonian Springs); Cameron Young (Richmond)
8:45 a.m. – Michael Barber (Newport News); Christopher Kapsak (Richmond); Matt Morgan (Bluefield)
8:54 a.m. – Dawson Hobbs (Midlothian); Max Ruge (McLean); Christian Rivera (Norfolk)
9:03 a.m. – Andrew Becraft (Virginia Beach); Bryan Carter (Yorktown); Ryan Douglass (Leesburg)
9:12 a.m. – Jason Schumacher (Glen Allen); Kent Miller (Charlottesville); Brian Therrien
(Fredericksburg)
9:21 a.m. – Brendan Pastor (Haymarket); Tanner Carbaugh (Pearisburg); Justin Roberto (Williamsburg)
9:30 a.m. – Tim Ritter (Centreville); Ben Leon (Virginia Beach); Joey Lane (Great Falls)
9:39 a.m. – John David Sanderson (Suffolk); Andrew Butts (Salem); Adam Ochs (Ashburn)
9:48 a.m. – Erik Ruce (Arlington); Trey Smith (Virginia Beach); Blake Carter (Bassett)
9:57 a.m. – Jack Adkins (Martinsville); Bryce Chalkley (Richmond); Jack Wilkes (Roanoke)
10:06 am. – Korey Watts (Buchanan); Maclain Huge (Lovettsville); Chris O'Neill (Glen Allen)
