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CHARLOTTESVILLE — Competing near where she played college golf for the University of Virginia, Ashburn’s Lauren Greenlief posted a 1-under-par 71 on Monday at Farmington Country Club to take a one-stroke lead after the first day of stroke-playing qualifying at the 93rd VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship.
After Tuesday’s second round, the top 16 players will advance to the match-play portion of the championship, which begins Wednesday with the round of 16 and quarterfinals. The semifinals and 18-hole championship match are scheduled for Thursday.
Greenlief, the tournament’s defending champion, was the only player to finish under par on Farmington’s demanding layout. After opening with a bogey, Greenlief (International CC) got hot, making four birdies on the front nine’s final six holes to turn at 3-under 33. She cooled down on the back, finishing with seven pars and two bogeys, but her overall performance was enough to stake her to the 18-hole lead.
Sidney Walker (Springfield G&CC), a rising sophomore at Radford University, returned an even-par 72 and is a shot back in second. Midlothian’s Rory Weinfurther (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit), who plays at Richmond’s St. Catherine’s School and has committed to play college golf at Richmond, shot a 1-over 73 and is in third.
Three players are tied for fourth: Potomac Falls’ Katie Reilly (Trump National, Washington DC), Floyd’s Amanda Hollandsworth (Great Oaks CC) and Roanoke’s Jayde Dudley (Hidden Valley CC). Each posted 3-over 75s.
Like Greenlief, Walker got off to a strong start on the front nine. She bogeyed the first hole but quickly rebounded with three straight birdies. She remained at 2 under through 11 holes but bogeys on Nos. 14 and 18 dropped her to even par for the day.
Weinfurther opened her round with a double bogey but played the rest of her round at 1 under thanks to four birdies.
Greenlief made her fourth VSGA Women’s Amateur championship match appearance last year and broke through for her first victory, defeating Caroline Curtis in the final match. Greenlief is looking to become the fourth woman this decade to repeat as champion, joining Abby Portyrata, Lauren Coughlin and Amanda Steinhagen.
Among those in position to make match play after the first day was 12-year-old Lauren Cottet-Moine, who posted a 5-over 77 to tie for ninth, a 10-stroke improvement over her first round from a year ago at Laurel Hill Golf Club.