PORTSMOUTH – It was quite the memorable two days for 13-year-old Richmond resident Charlie Kennedy at the 10th VSGA Youth Championship at Elizabeth Manor Golf & Country Club.
In Tuesday’s first round, he aced the par-3 7th hole for the third hole in one of his young life. On Wednesday, he posted the best round in his age group to overcome a three-shot deficit and claim the title in the boys 12-13 division.
Kennedy (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit) shot a 1-under 70 for a two-day 139 to win the championship by four strokes over fellow Richmonder Garrett Kuhla (Willow Oaks CC). Quint Dingledine (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit, Richmond) was the 18-hole leader after shooting 67 on Tuesday. But he shot a 7-over 77 in the second round for a two-day 144 to finish third, a shot behind Kuhla.
“I’ve been playing well this whole summer,” said Kennedy, who will be an eighth grader at Pocahontas Middle School and will eventually attend Mills Godwin High School. “I’m glad I finally got to win one.”
Rylan Shim (Pleasant Valley GC) was the champion in the boys 10-11 age group, following up his opening-round 68 with a 4-under 67 on Wednesday to finish four shots clear of Chase Nevins (Trump National GC). Shim shot a bogey-free round on Wednesday that included three birdies. He only made bogey twice in the tournament, a double on No. 8 and a bogey on No. 15 in Tuesday’s first round.
“I was just making up and downs everywhere,” Shim said. “My driver was a little loose, but I was able to bounce back and make some putts.”
Dingledine opened Wednesday three shots ahead of Kennedy and five shots clear of Kuhla, but he made two double bogeys early and was 5 over through seven holes. Kuhla made back-to-back birdies at No. 3 and No. 4 but gave up two strokes when he bogeyed Nos. 5 and 10. Kennedy made his move on the front, with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8 helping him surge into the lead.
He made his final birdie on the par-4 13th hole, sinking about a 35-foot putt.
“I looked at the scoreboard and saw I was in the lead, so I was like, ‘All right, I think I have a chance to win this,’” Kennedy said. “So I just had to try to play par-birdie golf. Once I made that putt on 13, that was huge for me. … It was uphill, then it went straight down.”
Alejandro Caraballo (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit) completed a dominating run through the 9-and-under age group, following his opening-round 30 with a 33 for a 63 that put him seven shots ahead of runner-up Benjamin Kablach (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit).
Ester Choi (Birkdale GC) shot a two-day 160 to win the 12-13 girls division.