Around The Commonwealth
CHRIS LANG ( 2 )
Elsewhere : For the second time in four years , a University of Richmond player won the VSGA Women ’ s Stroke Play Championship . Sophie DiPetrillo , who is from Massachusetts but is a member at Independence Golf Club , posted a three-day aggregate 221 to finish two shots clear of Amanda Hollandsworth . DiPetrillo joins Elsa Diaz as Spiders to have won the title in recent years . … Army Navy CC ’ s Shelley Savage used a strong first round to gain separation and win the Senior Women ’ s Stroke Play title , her fifth championship in the event . She finished three shots clear of CC of Virginia members Boodie McGurn and Natalie Easterly . … Dot Bolling won the inaugural VSGA Super Senior Women ’ s Stroke Play championship for players 65 and older . … The Carolinas defeated the Virginias 89-55 in Hilton Head Island , S . C ., to win the 62nd Women ’ s Virginias-Carolinas Matches . … Easterly ran through a stacked bracket at the Omni Homestead Resort ’ s Old Course to win the 61st VSGA Senior Women ’ s Amateur Championship , defeating four-time champion Mimi Hoffman 1 up in the title match . She also eliminated past champions Savage and McGurn along with past finalist Lindsay Wortham on her way to the championship .
JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS 66th VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship
Richmond ’ s Connor Johnson Jr . began his Virginia Tech career in August . Before that , he capped a memorable summer with a win on his soon-to-be college home course . Johnson , who has been a mainstay in VSGA junior golf for the last several years , posted three rounds in the 60s and held off a charge from Matthew Monastero to win his first VSGA individual title .
“ I feel like it ’ s been building for four or five years , since I started playing junior golf and got serious about it ,” Johnson said . “ It feels good to have all that hard work finally pay off , so I can perform like I know I can .”
Johnson bested an especially strong field that included five players who played in the U . S . Junior Amateur Championship . Two of the three players who reached match play at Baltusrol — Monastero and Connor Creasy — were in the final grouping with Johnson , who returned a steady 69 and made crucial putts when he needed to at the end of the round to come out on top .
“ Beating a great field like this just gives me a lot of confidence going into my college career ,” he said .
Winner : Connor Johnson Jr . ( 204 ) Runner-up : Matthew Monastero ( 206 ) Quick fact : Johnson ’ s winning score was the lowest in the event since Jake Mondy won with 202 in 2010 .
49th VSGA Junior Girls ’ Championship
Jayde Dudley didn ’ t have to look far to see a bunch of championship trophies . Her grandmother , Dot Bolling , has won nine during her illustrious VSGA career . After sinking two crucial par putts in a downpour at Boonsboro Country Club , Dudley won a trophy of her own , claiming the 49th VSGA Junior Girls ’ Championship by two strokes . “ This is definitely the biggest tournament I ’ ve won ,” Dudley said afterward .
The 17-year-old Dudley , who has one
Jayde Dudley , 17 , sunk two huge putts in the pouring rain to win the VSGA Junior Girls ' Championship .
year left at Roanoke ’ s Hidden Valley High School before heading to Radford University , reached match play at the VSGA Women ’ s Amateur earlier in the month and tied for 14th at the VSGA Women ’ s Stroke Play Championship .
Winner : Jayde Dudley ( 145 ) Runner-up : Jillian Drinkard ( 147 ) Quick fact : Victoria Tip-Aucha , winner of the last two VSGA Junior Girls ’ titles , finished in fourth .
Elsewhere : Rocky Mount ’ s John Hatcher Ferguson IV won the 28th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship , defeating Blacksburg ’ s Ben Carroll in the final match 3 and 2 . Along the way , he ousted defending champion Michael Brennan in the semifinals . … Portsmouth ’ s Jonathan McEwen and Suffolk ’ s Hope Mia Garcia were the respective 12-13 age division winners at the 12th VSGA Youth Championship , held at the Country Club of Petersburg . … The Virginia team won the annual Virginia-Maryland Junior Girls ’ Matches 20-16 . … The annual Mid-Atlantic Girls ’ Challenge between Virginia / Maryland and North / South Carolina ended in a 6-6 tie . … The 36th Virginias-Carolinas Junior Boys ’ Matches , held at the Country Club of North Carolina ’ s Cardinal Course , also ended in a deadlock , with the Carolinas squad rallying in singles to forge an 8-8 tie .
“ It feels good to have all that hard work finally pay off , so I can perform like I know I can .”
— Connor Johnson Jr .
vsga . org S EPTEMBER / O CTOBER 2018 | V IRGINIA G OLFER 15