By Arthur Utley
PORTSMOUTH – A career-best score carried Quint Dingledine (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit, Richmond) to the overnight lead in the 10th Virginia State Golf Association Youth Championship.
Dingledine, 13, is a regular competitor in state and local junior tournaments. He fashioned a 3-under-par 67 at Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club on Tuesday and is three shots clear of fellow Richmonder Charlie Kennedy (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit) in the chase for the overall championship.
Kennedy, who finished third a year ago at The First Tee Chesterfield, fueled an even-par 70 with a hole in one.
The 36-hole event concludes Wednesday with the second and final round.
Dingledine opened his round with a birdie on the 10th hole and collected three more birdies before he bogeyed his last, the par-3 ninth, after hitting his tee shot in a bunker.
“I hit a bunch of greens (16), and I just had a bunch of two-putts,” said Dingledine, who plays at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club. He added his iron play “was a lot more solid than usual.”
Kennedy, 13, used a 7-iron for the ace that came at the 127-yard 11th hole, his second hole of the day. It was Kennedy’s third hole in one. He added a birdie at the par-4 13th to get to 3 under, but he double bogeyed the 14th and made bogeys at Nos. 15-16. He strung together 10 pars before logging a birdie at No. 9 to finish the day.
Two 12-year-olds are at 2-over 72: Vijay Powell (Magnolia Green GC, Midlothian) and Garrett Kuhla (Willow Oaks CC, Richmond). Another shot back after shooting 73 are 13-year-old Luis Park (The Signature at West Neck, Virginia Beach) and 12-year-old Luke Sheakley (The Piedmont Club, Haymarket).
Rylan Shim (Pleasant Valley GC, Centreville) leads the 10-11 age group (shorter yardage) after posting a 2-under 68. Shim had five birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.
Trailing him by one shot are Chase Nevins (Trump National GC, Great Falls) and Xander Goboy (VSGA Jr. Circuit, Chesapeake).
Nevins, 11, finished second in the age group a year ago. Five birdies against two bogeys and a double bogey allowed him to post his first score in 60s and his first under par round.
Nevins played with Goboy (4 birdies, 3 bogeys) and Jonathan McEwen (VSGA Jr. Circuit, Portsmouth), who returned a 70.
“When you see guys playing good golf and making birdies, it pushes you to do that too,” Nevins said.
In the boys 9-and-under age group (nine holes), Alejandro Caraballo (VSGA Jr. Circuit, Troutville) carded a 6-under 30. Playing the front nine, he started birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle. He leads Benjamin Kablach (VSGA Jr. Circuit, Virginia Beach) by four strokes.
On the girls side, Ester Choi, 13 (Birkdale GC, Midlothian), shot a 6-over 76 and leads Rachel DeTore (VSGA Jr. Circuit, Fredericksburg) by seven strokes.
Addison Winn (CC at The Highlands, Chesterfield), the only player in the 10-11 age group, posted 88, and Chelsea Kim (VSGA Jr. Circuit, Chesapeake) is out front in the 9-and-under division with 37.
Retired Richmond Times-Dispatch staff writer Arthur Utley is a regular contributor to the VSGA.