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By Arthur Utley
KESWICK — More red numbers than usual appeared on the leaderboard after Monday’s first day of stroke-play qualifying at the 70th Virginia State Golf Association Senior Amateur Championship.
Michael Keating (Laurel Hill Golf Club, Fairfax) led the way with a 5-under-par 67 on Pete Dye’s Full Cry layout at Keswick Golf Club as 10 competitors posted under par scores.
Pete DeTemple (Old Hickory GC, California, Md.) trails by two strokes after shooting 3-under 69.
Four players are at 2-under 70: Scott Reisenweaver (Salisbury CC, Midlothain), Charles Green III (The Virginian, Bristol), Jim Nirich (Stonewall GC, Catlett) and Marc Hogan (Woodberry Forest GC, Woodberry Forest).
Returning scores of 1-under 71 were Roger Newsom (Elizabeth Manor G&CC), Allen Barber (James River CC, Yorktown), Buck Brittain (Fincastle, Tazewell) and Joe Leightner (Springfield G&CC, Springfield).
Five more players, including two-time Senior Amateur champion David Partridge, are at even par 72. Green also owns a Senior Amateur title.
Tuesday’s second round of stroke-play qualifying will determine the 32 players who advance to the match-play portion of the tournament that begins Wednesday with round of 32 and 16 play. Thirty-six players are at 3-over 75 or better after Monday’s round. Another six players are at 4-over.
Defending champion Keith Decker (Chatmoss CC, Martinsville) was among the group at 75. Reigning VSGA Senior Stroke Play champion Dave Pulk (Two Rivers CC, Williamsburg) is in at 74. Pulk is looking become the first player since Decker in 2014 to win the Stroke Play and Senior Am in the same year.
Keating, 58, is playing in his third VSGA Senior Amateur. He qualified for match play as the No. 11 seed at Farmington CC in 2013 and missed match play a year ago at The Cascades at The Omni Homestead by a shot.
Monday was the first time Keating played Full Cry.
“I didn’t really know what to expect. I got a little bit of advice from someone who played it earlier and just told me to pick the safe part of every fairway, which is good advice for any golf course, but I did it for this one and it worked,” Keating said. “I had 15 makeable birdie putts. I made five of them. A few lipped out.”
Keating, publisher of Golf Styles magazine, missed three straight greens in the middle of the round and got up and down on all three.
“It was just a magical day,” he said of the best score he has posted in tournament golf. “I played above my pay grade no doubt. I tell people I play golf for a living. I just don’t have to be any good at it.”
Retired Richmond Times-Dispatch staff writer Arthur Utley is a frequent contributor to VSGA championship coverage.