Boys scoring [icon name="external-link" class="" unprefixed_class=""] | Girls scoring [icon name="external-link" class="" unprefixed_class=""]
Charlie Kennedy (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit) shot a 7-under-par aggregate 137 to win the boys title at the 3rd VSGA Junior Golf Circuit Championship, held this past weekend at Wintergreen Resort’s Stoney Creek course.
In the girls championship, Vynie Chen (Twin Lakes GC) made a par on the first playoff hole to defeat Grace Huffman (Lexington G&CC) and claim the title. Both players returned 2-over-par aggregate 146 over the tournament’s 36 holes to reach the playoff.
Kennedy, an incoming freshman at Mills Godwin High School in Richmond, finished three shots clear of Fairfax’s Bryan Lee (VSGA JCG). Lee recently won the 12-13 boys age group title at the VSGA Youth Championship, a title Kennedy won in 2016. They were the only two players under par and finished well clear of the rest of the field.
Kennedy opened on Saturday with a 7-under par 65 that was made more impressive by the fact that he was actually over par when he made the turn. After making a par on No. 10, Kennedy was 1 over for the day, but a birdie on No. 11 started a sizzling stretch that including six birdies and an eagle. He posted an 8-under 28 on the back nine to finish 7 under for the day.
Kennedy made five birdies in his Sunday round but finished at even par thanks to two bogeys and a triple bogey. Lee, who entered Sunday four shots back, wasn’t able to take advantage of the opening. He shot a 1-under 71, a round that included five birdies and four bogeys.
Warnie Conley III (Red Wing Lake GC) shot 152 and finished third. Noah Wheeler (VSGA JGC) and Aaron Liu (VSGA JGC) returned two-day totals of 153 and tied for fourth.
As in the boys championship, the two top girls finished well ahead of the field. Huffman birdied her final two holes to force her way into the playoff with Chen, who made a birdie on 18. Huffman’s second-round 71 was the only under-par round of the tournament.
Phoenix Smith (VSGA JGC) finished third at 156. Alisa Marie Caraballo (VSGA JGC) was alone in fourth at 159 and Breanna Trombetta (VSGA JGC) finished in fifth at 161.