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By Arthur Utley
RICHMOND — Connor Johnson Jr. played his way to medalist honors a year ago at the VSGA Junior Match Play Championship.
Last week, Johnson earned the qualifying medal at the Richmond Golf Association Men’s Amateur Championship.
On Tuesday, Johnson (CC of Virginia) toured Richmond Country Club in 4-under-par 66 to take the overnight lead after the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 28th renewal of the VSGA Junior Match Play.
Johnson, an 18-year-old graduate of St. Christopher’s and bound for Virginia Tech in the fall, logged six birdies and two bogeys (including No. 18) on an energy-sapping, brutally hot day.
“I’ve been playing well recently, and it’s nice to have confidence coming into these state tournaments because it’s my last year of junior golf so it’s pretty exciting,” Johnson said. “Today’s round was pretty steady. I gave myself a lot of good looks, didn’t really have to stress. I only really made two mistakes and made a bunch of putts. It was a good day.”
Play was suspended for the day at 6:11 p.m. due to lightning in the area. Nine players remained on the course, including several who were in position to survive the first cut. After those players finish on Wednesday morning, the starting field of 113 players will have been pared to the low 60 and ties for Wednesday’s second round of qualifying that will determine the 16 players who advance to match play on Thursday.
Johnson has a one-stroke lead over Ben Carroll (Blacksburg CC), whose 3-under 67 included five birdies, an eagle (par-5 13th) and one bogey (on No. 18), all of which came after he triple-bogeyed the par-3 second hole.
Richmond Country Club member Charlie Kennedy is two back after a 2-under 68.
Three players – Patrick Gareiss (VSGA Junior Circuit), Everett Whiten Jr. (Cahoon Plantation) and Caleb Choe (Bayville GC) – returned 1-under 69.
RCC’s usual par is 71. The VSGA converted the par-5 ninth hole into a par-4 to make par 70 for the tournament.
Posting 70 were Dylan Fox (Salisbury CC), Ian Walters (VSGA Junior Circuit), Garrett Kuhla (Willow Oaks CC), William Smith (Chatmoss CC), Leonard Park (VSGA Junior Circuit) and Patrick Galleher Jr. (Salisbury CC).
Twelve players shot par or better on Tuesday. Eight more are either 1- or 2-over.
Reigning champion Michael Brennan (River Creek Club) and Isaac Simmons (Boonsboro CC), the medalist in local qualifying for the U.S. Junior Championship last week, are still in the chase for match play. Brennan shot 73, and Simmons had 74.
Johnson says he won’t have to be overly aggressive in his round on Wednesday, but “I have to still go shoot a good score and stay focused…do what I’ve been doing today. I’ve definitely got some good experience on this golf course; good match play experience (RGA Men’s Am in 2017).
Carroll didn’t realize his tee shot on the par-3 second had hit a cart path until a parent following the group told him that had happened. Carroll had to re-tee because of a lost ball and hit into a greenside bunker, blasted out and two-putted for the 6.
Carroll didn’t make it to match play in this tournament a year ago, but he did make match play in the VSGA Amateur the following week at Creighton Farms.
“I told myself I’m making match play in this thing this year. I pretty much said I’m going to try to take it as low as possible for the rest of the round and try and get everything back,” he said. “I was hitting the ball great today; gave myself a lot of opportunities.”
He made short birdie putts at Nos. 5-6, sank a big-breaking putt on the ninth for birdie and chipped in for birdie at the 11th. He hit 6-iron for his second shot on the par-5 13th to 8 feet and made that for eagle. He rolled in a 15-footer for birdie at No. 14.
“This is probably one of the better rounds I can say I’ve played just because I got down to business and put my head to it,” Carroll said.
Retired Richmond Times-Dispatch writer Arthur Utley is a frequent contributor to VSGA.org and Virginia Golfer magazine.