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By Arthur Utley
WILLIAMSBURG – Charlie Kennedy
began play in the first round of stroke-play qualifying for the 29th
VSGA Junior Match Play tournament with a target score of 1- or 2-under par.
When he stepped on the 18th tee at Williamsburg National’s
Jamestown Course on Tuesday, Kennedy, a junior at Mills Godwin High in Henrico
County, was 8-under for the day.
The finish wasn’t as golden as the first 17. Kennedy’s second shot on
the uphill, par-4 hole buried in the face of a greenside bunker. He found the
ball but took a penalty stroke for an unplayable lie and went on to make double
bogey for a 6-under-par 66.
He has the overnight lead by a stroke over Ross Funderburke of Roanoke,
who turned in 5-under 67, a score he says came as a surprise to him.
Play was suspended because of lightning at 5:08 p.m. and resumed at 6:40.
The starting field of 120 players, including five sets of brothers, was
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.
Twenty players shot par or better on Tuesday. Seventeen more are either
1- or 2-over. The first cut came at 5-over 77 (65 players).
“My approach shots into the greens were just dead on…10 to 15 feet,
inside that almost every time. And it also helps when you’re making putts too.
Like on No. 2. I hit two bunkers and I still made par. I drained like a
45-footer for par,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy followed that long putt with an eagle on the par-5 third hole,
six birdies and no bogeys.
“You can’t do anything about it. It’s just unlucky,” Kennedy said after
the double on 18. “I was just playing my game. I was lucky enough to play that
well.”
His pairing with Jimmy Taylor (71) and Hayden Miller (75) worked in his
favor as well.
“I’m a talkative guy, and I like playing with people that talk all the
time so it was fun. It was a blast,” he said. “I’m going to come out tomorrow
and once again play my game and try to shoot 1- or 2-under.”
Funderburke also made eagle on the third hole. He added five birdies
against two bogeys, both of which came on the front nine.
“I didn’t lose any balls and I made most of my short putts. I think I
just missed one inside 10 feet. When you do that everything adds up to a good
round,” said Funderburke, who is undergoing a swing change and had a lesson on
Thursday. “I guess it just clicked today. I was trying to keep it in the
fairway (hitting shorter clubs off the tee) and hit greens. I know that sounds
just like golf but that’s hard for me now.
“I’d like to say no, but yeah, it is a surprise. I played well (Monday)
so I was feeling better about today, but I still didn’t think that I would be able
to shoot what I did today so I’m very happy.”
Kennedy is two strokes clear of Cullen Campbell from Virginia Beach.
Garrett Kuhla of Henrico and Bryce Corbett of Gainesville are another shot back
after posting 3-under 69s.
Richmond’s Ben Cooper, who was medalist at U.S. Junior Amateur
qualifying last week; Chesapeake’s Patrick Gareiss and Gerry Jones Jr. of
Suffolk make up the group at 2-under 70.
Five players carded 1-under 71: Ian Walters of Glen Allen, Jake Duncan
of Blacksburg, Taylor, Wytheville’s Channing Blevins and Richmonder Quint
Dingledine.
Campbell put himself in a good position for a match play berth for the
first time by driving the ball well and getting “lucky with some putts on the
back,” he said. “My wedge play was pretty good on the front too. I just really
like this course,” said Campbell, who qualified for the VSGA Men’s Amateur at
Williamsburg National last week.
Kuhla logged seven birdies against four bogeys.
“I didn’t get in any trouble. I played really consistent golf,” he said.
“I played in this last year and I played well. For me, I don’t want to get
behind on the first day. I just want to give myself a comfortable score going
into the second day that I don’t have to come back and shoot something crazy
low so I feel good where I am right now. I did what I wanted to do.”
Most of Corbett’s action came on the front nine. He sandwiched a double
bogey on No. 4 between birdies on the third and fifth holes then made eagle at
the par-5 seventh. He birdied No. 14 on the inward nine.
“After the front nine I figured if I just cruised on the back and get a
good solid round, it gives me more room for tomorrow going in to hopefully
qualify for match play (for the first time),” he said.
Utley is a retired Richmond Times-Dispatch writer and frequent
contributor to VSGA championship coverage.