GLEN ALLEN — Hunter Duncan and Dylan Taylor had simple advice for how to navigate The Federal Club’s tricky, bunker-laden layout.
“Hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens,” Duncan said. “That’s the key out here.”
Duncan and Taylor did those things better than most of the field in the second round of the 64th VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship Wednesday afternoon, and they were rewarded with spots atop the leaderboard heading into Thursday’s third and final round.
Duncan (Blacksburg CC) and Taylor (The Dominion Club) each posted rounds of 71-70 for a two-day 141 and hold a one-shot lead over Charlie Musto (Trump National GC). Kurtis Grant (Army Navy CC), the 18-hole leader, shot the only other under-par score over the first two days, shooting 69-74—143 to sit alone in fourth, two shots behind the leaders.
Forty-five players made the cut for the final round at 154 or better. Thursday’s final round will start at 7:30 a.m., with the leaders going off in the final group at 9:50 a.m.
Duncan, a rising senior at Blacksburg High School who has committed to play golf at Radford University, finished with three birdies and a bogey for a 2-under 70 on Wednesday. Duncan said his ball striking was the key to his success in the second round, as he didn’t make a birdie putt longer than five feet. He also credited his ability to keep his ball in the fairway off the tee.
“You can’t stress that enough,” Duncan said. “There are so many bunkers out here, and they’re so penalizing, that you just have to hit the fairway. And when you miss the green, you need to miss it in the right spot. You cannot short side yourself. After that, it was a lot of two putts and the occasional one putt here and there.”
Taylor, a rising senior at Benedictine School in Richmond, had a similar round. He made two bogeys but countered with four birdies, none longer than 10 feet away.
“You’ve got to stay out of the rough,” Taylor said.
Musto, an 18 year old who will spend a year at Naval Academy prep school before moving onto Annapolis, was one of two runners-up in the 2014 VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship. Musto was 2 under for his round before running into trouble on No. 12, where he lost his approach shot in the woods and eventually made double bogey.
Musto quickly regained his momentum, though, by making birdie on the next two holes. His 3-under 69 was the best round of the day Wednesday.
“I don’t know if I go birdie-birdie if I don’t make double there,” said Musto, who finished a shot behind winner Tom Crow two years ago. “It definitely gave me some motivation.
“I think you just learn from your past experiences, and whatever happens, happens. As long as you don’t lose any strokes mentally, then you can’t complain about what you do on that last day.”
Grant got off to a rough start in the second round and was 3 over through six holes after a double bogey on the par-4 6th. Grant quickly steadied himself with a birdie on No. 7 and played the rest of his round at even par to come in with a 2-over 74.
Boyd Peete and Jack Montague, both members at Hermitage CC, are tied for fifth at 144. Cam Barackman (The Signature at West Neck), Connor Johnson Jr. (CC of Virginia) and Lance Wheeler (Hobbs Hole GC) are tied for seventh at 146. Basil Boyd (Chatmoss CC) and Brett Loy (Shenandoah Valley GC) are tied for 10th at 147.
Chris Lang is the Editor of Virginia Golfer Magazine and Manager, Digital Media for the VSGA.