113th VSGA Amateur Championship

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Dates: Monday, June 22 - Friday, June 26

Format: 36 holes of stroke play qualifying on Monday and Tuesday, with the top 32 players advancing to match play. A playoff will be used to determine the final match play spots, if necessary. Rounds of 32 and 16 on Wednesday. Quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday. The 36-hole final match is scheduled for Friday.

Starting times: Starting at 8 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. off Nos. 1 and 10 for stroke play. All match play rounds begin on No. 1. Round of 32 matches begin at 7:30 a.m., round of 16 to begin at approximately 12 p.m. Quarterfinals begin at 7:30 with semifinals slated to begin at approximately 12 p.m. Final match begins at 7:30 a.m. with the second 18 beginning immediately after lunch.

UPDATE: Due to Tuesday afternoon weather, semifinals scheduled for 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. on Friday, with the first 18 holes of the championship match to begin after lunch. Second 18 holes will begin Saturday morning.

Defending champion: Liam Maclauchlan

USGA Exemption Event: The winner earns an exemption in the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship.

Host site: Bayville Golf Club

The final 18: Sublime short game helps Shim earn title

(Scott Shingler congratulates Rylan Shim after Shim's match-clinching birdie on 14 on Saturday at Bayville. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- When he realized he would be playing Scott Shingler in the final match of the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship at Bayville Golf Club, Rylan Shim recalled his first round with the 2011 Amateur champion. Shim and Shingler were paired together for a practice round at River Bend Club for the 2020 VSGA Amateur. Being a fellow northern Virginian and a student of Virginia golf, Shim was thrilled to get a chance to play with "Mr. Shingler."

Then a 15-year-old playing in his first Amateur, Shim had great respect for Shingler and his vast accomplishments in Virginia amateur golf. Fast forward six years, and the two found themselves together on the first tee again, this time with the Amateur championship on the line. Leading 3-up after the first 18 holes, which were completed on Thursday afternoon, Shim kept that respect in mind -- and his foot on the pedal. Shim opened Saturday's round with a dart to two feet for a conceded birdie to go 4-up. He hit another approach to inside two feet on the par-5 4th to take the lead to 4-up, and the result seemed inevitable from there.

Make no mistake. Shingler didn't lose the championship on Saturday -- he made just one bogey after a wayward tee shot on the par-3 14th. Shim simply gave Shingler no openings, and he appropriately closed the proceedings with a birdie on 14 to clinch a 5-and-4 win. 

In the award presentation afterward, Shim spoke of that practice round to the assembled gallery, and he once again said, "Mr. Shingler," before correcting himself to say, "I mean Scott." The 21-year-old Shim, a member at Trump National Washington DC and a junior at North Carolina State, can call himself an equal with Shingler in one regard -- his name will inscribed on the Schwarzschild Brothers trophy along with Shingler's, a crowning accomplishment of a budding career that can only take off from here.

Shim also earned a golden ticket, an exemption into the upcoming U.S. Amateur Championship at Merion Golf Club outside of Philadelphia, marking his second appearance in the event. No harrowing qualifying this time, though.

Shim came into Bayville in great form, having carded at top-10 finish at the prestigious Sunnehana Amateur in Pennsylvania. He also came in a bit tired, which could partly explain the 78 he posted on the first-day of stroke-play qualifying, leaving him in grind mode just to make the 32-player match-play field. A second-round 70 left him as the No. 22 seed and gave Shim a tough road to the final, starting with William & Mary's Preston Burton. After winning that match 2 and 1, he rolled to a 7-and-5 win over former Virginia Tech standout Drew Brockwell before running into Xander Goboy in the quarterfinals.

The Wolfpack intrasquad match was a bittersweet affair for both. Shim and Goboy have been friends forever. They're roommates in Raleigh, and the Goboy family hosted Shim all week. And there's no doubt if the result had been different in Thursday's quarterfinals, Shim would have stuck around to caddie for Goboy. Instead, it was the other way around, and Shim benefited from his friend's calm demeanor and green-reading efficiency. 

Shingler, 54, showed he's quite capable of keeping up with the young guys, having defeated Virginia Tech's Ben Baker and teenager Luca Rinaldi on his way to the final. On Thursday, Shingler said he doesn't enter tournaments he doesn't think he has a chance to win. He proved this week that he's still very much a factor any time he tees it up, whether it's in a Senior Amateur (which he won in 2023), a State Open or a VSGA Amateur. His abilty to tune out the noise and play his game benefitted him well, and thanks to reaching the final of this event, he'll get another chance to show what he can do against fields old and young at the upcoming State Open of Virginia.

Saturday, though, belonged to Shim, who broke a string of three straight high schoolers winning the Amateur. Recent Amateur winners have gone on to do some pretty special things -- think Logan Reilly, Grayson Wood, and Michael Brennan. Shim's future seems similarly bright, and he'll look back to a special week at Bayville as the catalyst for great things to come.

Day 5: Shim holds 3-up lead after 18 holes

(Rylan Shim gets a read on his putt from off the green on No. 7 during the first 18 of the championship match. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- In a battle of Northern Virginians, Rylan Shim holds a 3-up lead over Scott Shingler after 18 holes of the championship match at the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship. Severe weather on Tuesday afternoon forced the postponement of the second wave of the second-round of stroke-play qualifying and pushed everything for the rest of the week back by half a day. 

Shim, a member at Trump National Washington DC from Centreville and a junior at North Carolina State, advanced to the final with a 6-and-5 win over 2025 semifinalist Owen Love, a senior at Edison High School, in the morning. Shingler, the 2011 VSGA Amateur champion, member at Dominion Valley Country Club and Haymarket resident, dispatched another high schooler, James River's Luca Rinaldi, 3 and 2 in the morning.

The second 18 of the championship match will begin at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Here's a quick look at how the 18-hole leader has fared in championship matches since 2010. Only two players -- Logan Reilly in 2024 and Brinson Paolini in 2013 -- rallied to win when trailing at the break.

NOTABLE

• Shim bolted to a quick 2-up lead, winning No. 1 with a birdie and No. 2 with a par. Shingler settled down and cut into the lead thanks to a nice up-and-down on the par-5 6th. Shingler tied the match with a birdie on No. 10 and had a golden chance to take the lead on No. 11 but missed about a 5-foot birdie putt. Shim took the lead on the next hole and won the par-5 15th and 18th holes with birdies to take the lead into the break.

• Though Shim defeated Love convincingly, the match was tied through six holes. Shim won the next four holes -- including winning the par-4 8th with an eagle -- then closed out the win with pars on 12 and 13. Shingler actually trailed Rinaldi 1 down heading to the 7th hole of their semifinal match, but he ripped off wins in five of the next seven holes to take a 4-up lead.

• Shingler, 54, is vying to become the oldest winner of this event in the modern era. Pat Tallent was 53 when he won at Lowe's Island in 2007.
• By advancing to the final, Shim is exempt from qualifying for the next three VSGA Amateurs. Shingler, as a past champion, is exempt for life.
• By advancing to the semifinals, Love and Rinaldi are exempt from qualifying for the next two VSGA Amateurs.
• The next three Amateurs will be contested at Keswick Club (2027), River Bend Club (2028), and Hermitage Country Club (2029).

Day 4: No flukes here -- semifinals set at VSGA Amateur

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Photos and story by Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- A past VSGA Amateur champion. Two past Amateur semifinalists. The most recent low amateur at the State Open of Virginia. The stage is set for a powerhouse semifinal round at the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship at Bayville Golf Club.

Tuesday afternoon's storms pushed everything back by a half day at Bayville, but the reward over the last two days has been unseasonably pleasant weather and some pretty great golf. Scott Shingler, the 2011 Amateur champion, won twice on Thursday to advance to Friday morning's semifinal round. He'll be joined by 2025 semifinalist Owen Love, 2024 semifinalist Rylan Shim, and 2025 State Open of Virginia low amateur Luca Rinaldi. The semifinals are scheduled for 8:00 and 8:15 off No. 1 on Friday.

A closer look at the four semifinalists.

LUCA RINALDI (Salisbury Country Club)

• Seed: 16 | Road to semifinals: def. No. 17 Nick Rakes, 2 up; def. No. 1 Eli Felty, 1 up; def. No. 8 Nikita Gubenko, 1 up

• Takeaways: Rinaldi turned 18 earlier in June and has one year remaining at James River High School in Midlothian. He was relatively unknown before bursting on the scene at last year's State Open of Virginia, earning low amateur honors. Even still, he's yet to commit to a college golf program, though he hopes last year's State Open result and this year's Amateur run might help close the deal in that regard. Small and scrappy, Rinaldi was 2-down heading to 15 against Nick Rakes in Wednesday's round of 32 match before winning four straight holes -- including the last three with birdies -- to advance. He ever trailed against co-medalist Eli Felty in the round of 16 before winning with a par on 18, then took out 2024 finalist Nikita Gubenko in the quarterfinals. Rinaldi made a key par save on 17 in that match and took advantage of a wayward Gubenko drive to win with a conceded birdie on 18. Rinaldi striped a 3-wood 260 yards to the front of the green, leaving a simple up and down while Gubenko had to scramble first out of the pine straw off the tee then the high fescue on his approach.

• Quoting: "The goal is sort of the same. Try to look at each pin and try to figure out where's my best spot to miss and try to play simple golf."

SCOTT SHINGLER (Dominion Valley Country Club)

• Seed: 12 | Road to semifinals: def. No. 21 Justin Young, 3 and 1; def. No. 5 Brandon Ramsuer, 3 and 2; def. No. 4 Benjamin Baker, 19 holes

• Takeaways: The second oldest player in the field, the 54-year-old Shingler has faced progressively younger opponents as his march to the semifinals has progressed, starting with mid-ams Justin Young and Brandon Ramsuer and culminating with a nervy win over 18-year-old Virginia Tech sophomore Benjamin Baker. Next up: Rinaldi, who is about three months younger than Baker. In the quarterfinals, Shingler made a clutch up-and-down for par to extend the match to the first hole. Both Shingler and Baker were short in their green approaches, and both hit similar chips just past the hole. Shingler had about 5 1/2 feet, Baker 4 1/2. Shingler was first to hit, took aim at the left edge of the cup and sank his par. Baker pushed his just to the left, giving Shingler his first semifinal berth in 15 years. Competitive in senior events -- he won the 2024 VSGA Senior Amateur -- he still has plenty of distance and game to compete against the young pups. As he put it, he doesn't enter tournaments he doesn't believe he has a chance to win. 

• Quoting: "It's fun. It's nice to be able to see that I'm able to compete with these guys who are just bombing it left and right. Their strategy is different than mine. I'm kind of plotting my way around. I can get to some of the par 5s, but knowing that you don't have a choice and that you have to stick to your gameplan, sometimes you have to wedge it in there to make birdie, where they're hitting the greens in two."

OWEN LOVE (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit)

• Seed: 7 | Road to semifinals: def. No. 26 Philip Minnehan, 4 and 3; def. No. 23 Zac Verses, 4 and 3; def. No. 2 Talon Dingledine, 3 and 2

• Takeaways: Love, then 16, came completely out of nowhere to reach the semifinals last year at Birdwood. There's certainly no way you can call that performance a fluke after he made it to this stage for a second straight year. Love doesn't turn 18 until December, has another year at Edison High School in Alexandria and has committed to play at the University of Richmond. But if you think this run came easy, think again. He learned some big lessons from last year's semifinal loss to Justin Young, mostly about the mental game and finding ways to keep his composure in pressure situations. Love also completely remade both his body -- shedding a layer of baby fat and adding significant muscle (he credits trainer Dave Maloney for that) -- and his golf swing. The latter has taken patience, and this is the week that he's finally seeing those efforts pay off. It's been a tough spring, he said, one that included a dead-last performance at the Scott Robertson Memorial and an 84 in a U.S. Open local qualifier. But everything has come together. He led 4 up at the turn in matches against Philip Minnehan and Talon Dingledine and 2-up at the turn against Verses, and he's yet to play past the 16th hole in match play.

• Quoting: "I definitely need to be patient with myself. Last year, I got worked up over little minute things that could have been avoidable, and it definitely held me back a little bit. If I can just keep my mind and my game under control, be patient, and let the birdies come naturally, I think I'll definitely make progress from last year regardless. That's my main focus tomorrow, just being patient and taking advantage and capitalizing when I can."

RYLAN SHIM (Trump National, Washington DC)

• Seed: 22 | Road to semifinals: def. No. 11 Preston Burton, 2 and 1; def. No. 6 Drew Brockwell, 7 and 5; def. No. 19 Xander Goboy, 2 up

• Takeaways: If there was one surprise that came out of the first day of stroke-play qualifying, it was that Shim posted a 6-over 78, leaving him significant work just to make his way into the match-play field. He rebounded nicely with a 2-under 70 to comfortably qualify, and he's shown the form that helped him advance to the semifinals two years ago at Belle Haven Country Club. Shim made quick work of another 2024 semifinalist, Drew Brockwell, in the round of 16, going 6 up after sinking a long birdie on 10 before closing out the match on 13. Next up was a meeting with Xander Goboy, who played a significant role in luring Shim from Florida to North Carolina State once Shim put his name in the transfer portal. Shim nearly closed Goboy out on 17, but the latter sank a 30-foot birdie putt to extend the match. Shim then won 2 up thanks to a birdie on 18. Shim has been in excellent form of late, rising 70 spots to No. 322 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking thanks to an 8th-place finish at the NCAA Winston-Salem Regional and a 10th-place showing at the Sunnehana Amateur. 

• Quoting: "I'd be lying if I said there weren't thoughts in my head about missing that cut. But that's golf. You have a bad day, and you know you can go out and recover. This course is so fair. It's a championship style course, and if you hit a good shot, it rewards you, and if you hit a bad shot, you can come out with a 78. I was just poor on the greens. I'm really proud of myself for coming back every day and seeing some improvements on the greens. Better speed throughout the days. It's helped as the tournament has gone on. I've gotten a little sharper out here. It's been super fun."

Day 3 (Round of 32): All co-medalists advance to round of 16

(Colton Rodgers tees off on No. 9 during his match against Tim Pemberton Wednesday afternoon. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- Thirteen of the top 16 seeds, including all three stroke-play qualifying co-medalists, advanced to the round of 16 of the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship on Wednesday afternoon at Bayville Golf Club. The start of match was pushed back to allow for the completion of the second round of stroke-play qualifying, which was washed out by thunderstorms and heavy rain on Tuesday afternoon.

Top seed Eli Felty (Stonehenge G&CC), a sophomore at William & Mary, topped Longwood's Matthew Hartley 3 and 2. Talon Dingledine, also a Stonehenge member and Felty's Tribe teammate, rolled past another W&M player, Grady Williams, 4 and 3. And Colton Rodgers (River Bend Club), the 2025 VSGA Junior Stroke Play winner, advanced with a resounding 7-and-5 victory over William & Mary head men's coach Tim Pemberton.

Liam Maclauchlan's title defense came to an abrupt end as he fell 3 and 2 to North Carolina State junior Xander Goboy in a battle of the last two VSGA Junior Boys' Golfers of the Year.

The round of 16 begins at 7:30 on Thursday morning, with the quarterfinals set to begin immediately after. Due to Tuesday's rain, the semifinals are now scheduled for Friday morning, with the first 18 holes of the 36-hole championship scheduled for Friday afternoon. The second 18 holes are scheduled for 7:30 Saturday morning.

NOTABLE

• Justin Young, last year's finalist at Birdwood, drew a difficult opponent in friend and longtime four-ball partner Scott Shingler, the 2011 Amateur champion. Shingler won 3 and 1, rallying from an early 2-down deficit by winning four straight holes from 8-11 to take control of the match. Shingler will meet mid-amateur Brandon Ramsuer on Thursday morning.

• Of the four semifinalists from last year, only Owen Love (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit) remains. The University of Richmond commit knocked out Bayville member and 2025 U.S. Amateur participant Philip Minnehan 4 and 3.

• Felty will face off against Luca Rinaldi (Salisbury CC), last year's State Open of Virginia low amateur. Rinaldi won the final four holes against Nick Rakes to secure a 2-up victory.
• Nikita Gubenko (River Bend Club), the 2024 Amateur finalist, held off Belmont CC's John Carlin 2 and 1. He'll meet Salisbury CC's Patrick Galleher, who survived towin a 21-hole match against Sachin Kumar, the only match Wednesday to go to extra holes.
• Sam Beach, a past Amateur semifinalist, ousted fellow mid-amateur Andrew Crowley 5 and 4 and will meet Virginia Tech sophomore Benjamin Baker on Thurdsay. Baker ousted past Amateur finalist Adam Horton.
• Rylan Shim, another North Carolina State player, kept his run alive with a 2-and-1 win over William & Mary's Preston Burton. Shim rallied from an opening-round 78 in stroke play to shoot 70 and make the match-play field. Shim was a semifinalist in 2024, as was Drew Brockwell, who rolled to a 5-and-3 win over William Willis.

Day 3 (Stroke-play qualifying): Dingledine joins Felty, Rodgers as medalists

(Talon Dingledine tees off on 18 during the second round of stroke-play qualifying Wednesday. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

By Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- William & Mary's Talon Dingledine joined Tribe teammate Eli Felty and 2025 VSGA Junior Stroke Play champion Colton Rodgers at 5-under-par 139 to earn stroke-play medalist honors as the delayed second round of qualifying wrapped up early Wednesday afternoon.

Like Felty, Dingledine followed his opening 68 with a 1-under 71. The trio finished two strokes clear of Virginia Tech's Benjamin Baker in the qualifying portion of the event. The match play round of 32 was scheduled to start around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, with the round of 16 -- originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon -- moving to first thing Thursday morning.

NOTABLE

• Dingledine was stroke-play medalist last year at Birdwood. The last player to repeat as medalist was three-time State Open champion Faber Jamerson, who was co-medalist with Cameron Yancey in 2000 and solo medalist in 1999.

• Felty earned the No. 1 seed via random draw. He'll face Matthew Hartley, who was the only player in the seven-man playoff to make birdie. Dingledine is the No. 2 seed and will face Tribe teammate Grady Williams. Rodgers is the No. 3 seed and will open against Tribe coach Tim Pemberton.
• Liam Maclauchlan became the first defending champion to advance to match play since 2017 champ Mark Lawrence Jr. reached match play at The Federal Club the following year. He opens as the No. 14 seed against No. 19 Xander Goboy.
• Justin Young and Scott Shingler, who have partnered together in several U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships, are facing each other in the round of 32. There are two other matchups between mid-ams, as Sam Beach faces Andrew Crowley and Adam Hooker squares off against Marshall Tinsley.

• Rylan Shim, a semifinalist in 2004, rallied after posting a 6-over 78 in Monday's first round to shoot a 2-under 70 in the second round and earn a match-play spot. He'll face Preston Burton, another Tribe player.

• Three of the four semifinalists from last year -- Maclauchlan, Young and Owen Love -- made match play. The other, Josh Cummins, missed the cut.

Day 2: Rodgers, Felty share lead as rain washes out afternoon wave

(Eli Felty sizes up his putt during Tuesday morning's wave at Bayville. Photo credit: Nate Wise/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- The Tuesday forecast was known well in advance, and players who drew the Monday afternoon-Tuesday morning waves in stroke-play qualifying at the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship at Bayville Golf Club expected to have a distinct advantage. 

It all came to fruition earlier than expected. Air horns blew at 1:58 p.m. before the entire afternoon wave could tee off, and after a ridiculous deluge of thunder and rain, play was called for the day just before 3:30 p.m. The first afternoon group went out on Tuesday at 12:30 p.m. and completed just seven holes, meaning there will be a significant amount of play to complete before the first round of match play can begin following qualifying.

Eli Felty (Stonehenge G&CC), a William & Mary sophomore, shared the early 36-hole lead with Colton Rodgers (River Bend Club), the 2025 VSGA Junior Stroke Play champion. Felty posted rounds of 68-71 and Rodgers returned rounds of 70-69 as each sit at 5-under 139, two strokes clear of Virginia Tech's Benjamin Baker.

Talon Dingledine, part of a four-way tie for first, completed three holes at level par and remains at 4-under heading into the resumption of play.

CENTER OF ATTENTION

(Colton Rodgers tees off during Tuesday's second round. Credit: Nate Wise/VSGA)

Colton Rodgers' breakout summer in 2025 put him squarely on the radar of college coaches looking to recruit the Class of 2028. Rodgers, now a junior at Potomac School in McLean, won the VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship and participated in the U.S. Junior Amateur. In May, he advanced through U.S. Open local qualifying at Keswick before falling short of his ultimate goal at U.S. Open Final Qualifying in June.

Clearly the top member of the Class of 2028 in the VSGA Amateur field, Rodgers drew a crowd during stroke-play qualifying. Coaches from Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and LSU spent parts of the two days following Rodgers' round and liked what they saw, especially during Tuesday's second round. Rodgers opened hs round par-bogey, got back to even with a birdie on 9, then ripped off three straight birdies on 15, 16, and 17 to shoot a 3-under 69, helping him share the 36-hole lead with Eli Felty.

Rodgers didn't seem fazed by the extra attention.

"I've played a lot of high-level golf, and at some point, you kind of get used to the noise and the pressure," said Rodgers, who is making his VSGA Amateur debut. "I think I just have to stick to what I know and not do anything special, and not even think about the outside. Just focus on my game and my preparation and staying in the moment."

NOTABLE

• The rounds of 32 and 16 were scheduled for Wednesday, but it's likely that the round of 16 will be pushed Thursday morning.

• Having put himself in solid position after a 4-under 68 on Monday, Felty finished with four birdies and three bogeys in shooting his 1-under 71 on Tuesday. 

• Felty's William & Mary teammate, Preston Burton, was part of the four-way 18-hole lead, scuffled to a 5-over 77 on Tuesday morning but was still in fine position to earn a spot in match play.

• Owen Love, a semifinalist from last year, made a big move on Tuesday morning, posting the best round of the wave, a 4-under 68 that included a 5-under 31 on Bayville's front nine (his back nine). He opened with a 76 on Monday before rallying to finish qualifying at even-par 144.

• After Monday's eventful round, Baker finished with two birdies and two bogeys on Tuesday for a routine even-par round.
• Drew Brockwell, a 2024 semifinalist and former Virginia Tech standout, rebounded from an opening 74 with a 3-under 69 on Tuesday. Included in the round was a 50-foot bomb for eagle on No. 6, along with four birdies and thre bogeys.

QUOTABLE

• "It wasn't going great early, actually. I was hitting the ball all right, giving myself 60 footers for birdie -- not ideal. I was scrambling to make pars and keep momentum. That was big. I fell like I hung around and by the time I got down the stretch, I was able to put three birdies together." -- Colton Rodgers 

• "It's kind of fun to go head-to-head rather than against 100 other guys. I'm looking forward to flip that switch in match play." -- Rodgers
• "I was definitely proud of the way I came out. It played tough today, especially with the storm coming in. Some of the pins were a lot harder than yesterday, so I was proud of the way I hung in there and finished up with a good round." -- Eli Felty
• "I've definitely improved a lot, and (W&M coach) Tim Pemberton has helped me with course management a lot. Everyone out here is good. It's just how can you manage between the ears. Especially one thing I've been focusing on is missing it in the right spots, not short-siding yourself, not going over with back pins or short with front pins, just easy stuff like that." -- Felty
• "I'd say I'm pretty comfortable with match play. I've played Bobby Bowers in junior golf and the Richmond City Am. I haven't made match play before in the (VSGA) Am, but overall, I'm pretty excited for it." -- Felty

• "Really yesterday, I just didn't get off the tee well. The fairways are pretty open, so if you hit it well off the tee, you have a decent chance. I worked on a couple of things on the range and hit it pretty well off the tee today. The putter, also, I made a couple of long ones, which was nice. That's not typical, so it was nice to see a couple fall." -- Drew Brockwell 

• "I putted really well on the back nine. I just had a few missed opportunities on the front and almost made that birdie on 9, which would have been nice, but I'm happy about the way I came back today." -- Owen Love
• "I played pretty crappy yesterday, so I definitely wanted to redeem myself. Shooting 31 on the back nine is something I'll never forget, probably. My lowest back nine in a tournament so far." -- Love
• "The main mentality was just to make it to match play, because anything can happen. Just be patient, if they fall, they fall. If they don't, don't worry about it. A bunch of steady, easy pars today." -- Benjamin Baker
• "I haven't really played a lot of match play, so it's still kind of new to me. I'll probably be a little more aggressive. Every hole's a new hole, every hole is another opportunity to make a birdie. I'll be more aggressive, fire at more pins, and hopefully make putts." -- Baker

Day 1: Choose your Tribe -- William & Mary golfers crowd leaderboard

(Preston Burton is one of several William & Mary golfers who had strong first rounds on Monday. Credit: Nate Wise/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

VIRGINIA BEACH -- All but three players on the 2025-26 William & Mary golf roster are VSGA members, and that's not counting head coach Tim Pemberton and assistant coach Mike Leach. Those Tribe players made their presence known on the opening day of the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship at Bayville Golf Club.

Tribe players Talon Dingledine, Eli Felty, and Preston Burton fired 4-under rounds of 68 and are tied for the 18-hole lead with former George Mason standout Nikita Gubenko, finalist at the 2024 VSGA Amateur. Another Tribe player, Grady Williams, is in a three-way tie for sixth.

Virginia Tech's Benjamin Baker posted a 3-under 69 and stands alone in fifth. Joining Williams in the tie for sixth is mid-amateur Brandon Ramsuer and 2025 VSGA Junior Stroke Play champion Colton Rodgers.

NOTABLE

• Gubenko finished tied for ninth in the Kenridge Invitational in his first tournament back from a wrist injury he suffered during Korn Ferry Tour Q School last year. He noted the only time he's really protective of the wrist is if he ends up in tall, thick rough that you have to chop out of, adding that he was going to dip his wrist in a bucket of ice after Monday's round.

• Dingledine shared 2026 Coastal Athletic Association co-rookie of the year honors with Elon's Drew Yeagley during his freshman season with the Tribe. Both players earned second-team all conference honors as well.

• Dingledine took advantage of Bayville's par 5s, going 5-under and making at least birdie on all four of them.
• Burton, a past VSGA Junior Stroke Play champion, finished with seven birdies and three bogeys. Starting on No. 10, he finished his front nine with four birdies in five holes. 
• Baker had a wild scorecard that included eight birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey. The biggest swing came on Nos. 11 and 12. He four-putted 11 for double bogey before draining an 80-foot birdie putt on No. 12 to get back on track.
• Scott Shingler, 54, won a VSGA Amateur title in 2011 and continues to play high-level golf in this event. He posted a 1-under 71 and sits in a tie for ninth with Salisbury CC's Patrick Galleher.
• Defending champion Liam Maclauchlan finished with six birdies and four bogeys in his quest to earn a match-play spot for a second straight year. The last three defending champions who have played have missed match play the following year. He comfortably made match play after shooting an even-par total over two days at Birdwood Golf at Boar's Head Resort before going on a five-match run to the title.
  
• Six players joined Maclauchlan in the tie for 11th at even par, including Bayville member Philip Minnehan, a former Old Dominion standout.
• Among the players tied for 18th at 1-over are last year's finalist, Justin Young, and last year's State Open of Virginia low amateur, Luca Rinaldi.
• Weather may be a problem on Tuesday afternoon, with thunderstorms in the forecast starting around 2 p.m.

QUOTABLE

• "That's always a big part of my game when I'm playing well, scoring on par 5s. In the practice round yesterday, I was excited because all of them were reachable. Hit a couple of really good shots in there on those and made it really easy on myself. I had a lot of pretty short birdie looks and I made an 8-footer for eagle on 6. Gave myself a lot of good looks, and it's always a goal of mine to take advantage of par 5s." -- Talon Dingledine
  

• "It was definitely a lot tougher than I was anticipating. Playing in the morning, I was anticipating I would avoid some of the wind -- that was not the case. The front nine is a little more exposed, so it's a bigger factor there. The greens made me think. It was definitely a test, and I'm curious to see how everything pans out this afternoon." -- Dingledine

• "Coming into this event, there's only so much you can do. My main goal is to make match play. I've won our Richmond Am as the 1 seed and as the 27 seed. So I'm just trying to give myself some grace. You're not going to play perfect all the time. I just wanted to put up a good round, stay patient, and let it come to me today a little bit." -- Dingledine

• "The first nine, I felt like I couldn't catch a rhythm. As the wind was picking up, I started to focus more. It was about avoiding the big numbers and the bad swings and keeping it in play." -- Nikita Gubenko
  
• "Once I got to 2-under on 13, I was like, let's push up and get it to 3-, 4-, 5-under. I was happy to finish at 4." -- Gubenko
• "It's great. I love this course. We played it for the Captain's Putter two years ago, and it's nice to have a little bit of course knowledge before the first round. It's a great layout. It's going to get firmer. It'll get quicker. It's going to get tough as we move on." -- Gubenko
• "There were some good pin locations. You guys had them tucked into some corners and some little pockets, hiding behind some eyebrows or crowns, or on top of a tier. If you short-sided yourself, you didn't have a whole lot of green to work with it. ... The greens are fantastic right now. They're rolling really well with a nice pace. Good firmness, too. They're rewarding good shots. If you're taking on pins, you hit some bad shots, you're going to get penalized if your short game is not sharp." -- Scott Shingler
• "I just love competing. I love competing against the young guys. They just absolutely bomb it now. It's a whole new generation of golfers. I hit it pretty well off the tee myself, but they're 25-40 yards by me sometimes. It's pretty impressive. Today, they were getting greenside or on the green in 2 on the par 5s. ... It's pretty neat. I just enjoy competing against those young guys." -- Shingler, who is 54.
• "Overall, my game feels good. I last-chanced qualified (last) Monday with a 69, and I kind of came in here with some confidence. I'm just lucky to be here. Tomorrow, I've got to play the same way. There's no reason I can't compete. I hit the ball great today." -- Patrick Galleher
• "There were definitely a little bit of nerves on the first tee. Bert (Wilson, the starter) named me as 2025 champion, and I was like, 'oh great.' But I just kind of tried to forget that in my head and play it as any other tournament and try to do my best." -- Liam Maclauchlan
• "There's a lot of slope in the greens and they were pretty firm. You just have to hit your approach shots to the best of your ability and give yourself the best look. But then also, if you have a lag putt, do your best to two-putt it because I think it's pretty easy to let it get away from you." -- Maclauchlan
• "Putter was hot today. I had a little trouble on 10 and 11, but other than that, I made a lot of putts today." -- Benjamin Baker
• "Hole 12, I missed my drive right in the rough, then caught a little bit of a flier and it ended up on the back side of the green. I guess it just happened to be my putt, because it went straight in. I hit it a little hard, but it hit the hole and went in." -- Baker on his 80-foot putt on 12.
• "The wind still was there, it was definitely still a factor. You just had to battle through it. Everyone is playing in the same conditions. It's just a matter of hitting greens and making putts." -- Baker on afternoon conditions.
• "It was tough gauging the wind today. On the front side, my back side, it felt like it was always swirling and side wind and all this. I putted very well today, that helped a lot. I made a couple of long ones, and didn't really miss any short ones. That was probably the key." -- Preston Burton
• "The greens are so awesome. You have to really think your way around them. They're super pure. But I think the green complexes are great around here, really good design." -- Burton
• "I think we did get the good draw. It's going to be less windy in the morning, a little bit softer. It got crispy out there (this afternoon), a lot of chip shots went past, and it was hard to spin them on these greens as well." -- Burton on the Monday afternoon-Tuesday morning wave players.
• "In my head, I always want to beat those guys. But I'm really happy to see those guys doing well. Go Tribe." -- Burton on the W&M contingent
• "It was tough with the wind, but I flight the ball pretty low, that's just a normal ball flight for me. It helped with college golf this year, being used to this wind and conditions like this." -- Eli Felty
• "I saw Preston and Talon get to 4, and I said I've got to make this one," Felty on making a birdie on the final hole to get to 4-under.
• "I definitely like representing the Tribe. We've got a good brotherhood. We're all from Virginia, and it's a nice competive nature to push each other to get better." -- Felty
• "It definitely feels like I'm one foot in the door to get into match play. You don't want to be scared tomorrow, but I just need to keep playing my game and try to work my way up the leaderboard and get as high as possible." -- Felty

Pre-tournament coverage