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LYNCHBURG — Victoria Tip-Aucha’s hope of a three-peat at the Virginia State Golf Association Junior Girls’ Championship is very much alive.
Tip-Aucha, who has won the last two Junior Girls’ championships, posted an even-par 72 Tuesday at Boonsboro Country Club to share the lead with Roanoke’s Jayde Dudley at the 49th VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship.
The second and final round of the championship is scheduled for Wednesday morning.
Tip-Aucha and Dudley will open the second round with a two-shot advantage of their closest pursuer, local Jillian Drinkard of Appomattox, a member at Falling River Country Club, who returned a 2-over-par 74.
Norfolk’s Rebecca DiNunzio shot a 3-over 75 and is in fourth place, and Herndon’s Danielle Suh is in fifth place after shooting a 4-over 76.
Tip-Aucha, a VSGA Junior Golf Circuit member who spends her summers in Haymarket, made the turn at 1 over but quickly got back even with a birdie on the par-5 10th hole. She gave the stroke back with a bogey on No. 11 but finished her round strong with a birdie at 18 to get to level par for the day.
Dudley, a member at Hidden Valley Country Club who will play her college golf at Radford, was 2 over at the turn after making four bogeys and two birdies on the front nine. She steadied herself on the back with birdies at 10 and 12 to get back even. After a bogey on 15, she made birdie on the par-3 17th hole to finish the day even.
Dudley reached match play at the recent VSGA Women’s Amateur Championship before falling to fellow junior Rory Weinfurther in the round of 16.
Tip-Aucha won her two VSGA Junior Girls’ titles in starkly different fashion. Two years ago at Evergreen Country Club, she battled back from seven strokes behind to force a playoff and win the title. Last year at Salisbury, she built a commanding lead after the first day and cruised to a 10-stroke victory.
With eight players within five shots of the lead, Wednesday’s second round is setting up to be anything but a runaway.