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By Chris Lang
ALEXANDRIA — For some players in the final three groupings at Belle Haven Country Club on Tuesday afternoon, a severe thunderstorm that led to a two-and-a-half hour delay wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened.
Take Lauren Greenlief, a three-time VSGA Women’s Stroke Play champion who was struggling to get anything going on the back nine. After the delay, she birdied two of her remaining three holes to get back to even par and take a one-stroke lead heading into the second day of the 41st VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship.
“You’ve just got to be patient,” Greenlief said. “Being around golf so long, you know delays are going to happen. You just stay positive, keep relaxed, and come back out focused. Right before the horn blew, I didn’t have a great sequence of five holes, so it was actually probably a good reset for me.”
Greenlief (International CC) returned 72 and holds a one-shot edge over Katie Reilly (Trump National Washington DC) and Christina Herbert (College Prep Golf Tour). Lyndsey Hunnell (Botetourt Golf & Swim Club) also played re-energized coming out of the delay. The University of Virginia player birdied her two remaining holes to post a 2-over 74 and stay within two shots of the lead.
Old Dominion women’s golf coach Mallory Hetzel (Red Wing Lake GC) rounded out the top five after returning 3-over 75, three shots off the lead.
The second round is scheduled for Wednesday, with the third and final round set for Thursday.
Greenlief made the turn at 1 under but quickly dropped to 2 over after making three consecutive bogeys from 12 to 14.
“I thought the pin locations were tough, especially on the back nine today,” Greenlief said. “There were a lot of back pins where you had to go up over ridges and then downhill towards the back of the green. I don’t think I handled it particularly well.”
When the horn blew at 2:03 p.m., Greenlief had a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 16. When play resumed, she missed that one, but she got within 12 feet and converted the birdie putt on 17. Her approach out of the rough on 18 settled three feet from the hole, and she sank that putt to end her round in strong fashion.
Herbert, a former Bridgewater College standout who won the NCAA Division III individual championship in 2017, managed to finish before the storm, but her round was similar to Greenlief’s—save for the birdie-birdie finish. She turned at 1 under but bogeyed three of the first five holes on the back. A birdie on 15 salvaged the round.
Reilly, who plays for Elon University, turned at 1 under, made three bogeys in a five-hole stretch before straightening out with a key birdie on No. 17.
Hunnell posted identical 37s on each nine for her 74, and on both the front and back, she made a two birdies, a bogey and a double bogey. Her final two birdies came after the rain, and she joked afterward that all she needed to get going was to sit inside for more than two hours.
Defending champion and Virginia Tech player Amanda Hollandsworth (Great Oaks CC) hit a rough stretch around the turn, a huge contributing factor to an opening-round 81. Hollandsworth was 1 over going into No. 8 but played her next seven holes at 8 over, leaving her plenty of work to do Wednesday if she wants to get back into the hunt.
The 36-hole 21st VSGA Senior Women’s Stroke Play Championship (ages 50 and over) and 1st VSGA Super Senior Stroke Play Championship (ages 65 and over) begin on Wednesday at Belle Haven and will run concurrently with the Women’s Stroke Play Championship. The seniors will start off No. 1 Wednesday, with the regulars beginning their rounds on No. 10.