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By Matty Madden
WILLIAMSBURG — Jessica Spicer and Emily Mahar (Pete Dye River Course of VT) just can’t seem to get away from each other. They’re Virginia Tech teammates, Spicer served as Mahar’s caddie at the USGA Women’s Amateur this year, and now they’re among the competitors at the 43rd VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship.
Spicer, a 22-year old from Bahama, N.C., currently leads the field at Kingsmill Resort’s River Course after posting a 1-under-par 70 on Tuesday that included four birdies and three bogeys.
“I did a pretty good job managing the course today. Whenever I got in trouble, I got myself to a place where I could save par, or at worst, bogey. Then I made a couple of putts for birdie and it just adds up,” Spicer said. “I think I mostly was just hitting it close for birdie, I took advantage of the par 5 on No. 7, and then I made a nice putt on No. 14 for birdie, and I had just made bogey on No. 13, so to bounce back with that, I think that was a really good moment.”
On competing with her teammate, Spicer said that after spending so much time together it’ll be a fitting end to the summer for them to face off in this tournament.
Mahar, a 21-year old from Brisbane, Australia is just coming off a strong performance at the U.S. Women’s Amateur, where she made the round of 32 before being eliminated in a 20-hole showdown with quarterfinalist Kaleigh Telfer. Mahar just narrowly finished behind Spicer, posting an even-par 71 with two birdies and two bogeys.
“I hit pretty much every single fairway I looked at today, which definitely helps on this golf course because the rough is so long. I don’t think I really hit the balls into the greens very well, I just hit the greens and made a lot of two-putts,” Mahar said. “For the next couple of days, I’m just taking it one shot at a time. You can’t win these tournaments after one or two days, but you can certainly lose them. I just have to stay steady, stick to the game plan and it’ll all fall into place.”
Behind Spicer and Mahar was 2017 VSGA Junior Golf Circuit champion Vynie Chen (Twin Lakes GC), who posted a 1-over-par 72 with two birdies and three bogeys. The 18-year old Chen will be joining the High Point University women’s golf team, where she’ll join fellow VSGA junior golfer Danielle Suh (VSGA uClub).
Behind Chen was defending Women’s Stroke Play champion Lauren Greenlief (International CC), who posted a 2-over-par 73 and currently sits in fourth place. Greenlief has won this tournament four times, in 2019, 2011, 2010, and 2009. Greenlief will look to add a fifth trophy to her shelf and go back to back nine years after her three-peat in 2011.
The next round will start Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the Senior and Super Senior Women’s Stroke Play championships. The seniors and super seniors will begin play at 8 a.m., with the regulars set to tee off at 11:40 a.m.
Matty Madden is a P.J. Boatwright intern for the VSGA.
43rd VSGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship
At Kingsmill Resort, River Course
Par 71, 5,984 yards
Tuesday’s first-round scores
Jessica Spicer (Blacksburg), 34-36--70
Emily Mahar (Blacksburg), 35-36--71
Vynie Chen (Centreville), 37-35--72
Lauren Greenlief (Ashburn), 39-34--73
Rebecca DiNunzio (Virginia Beach), 38-36--74
Sydney Hackett (Ashburn), 37-38--75
Amber Mackiewicz (Virginia Beach), 37-38--75
Danielle Suh (Herndon), 36-39--75
Emma Landis (Virginia Beach), 38-38--76
Rayab Lee (Springfield), 35-42--77
Skylar Sload (Keswick), 38-39--77
Melanie Walker (Burke), 37-40--77
Naomi Mitchell (Norfolk), 37-41--78
Delaney McCoy (Virginia Beach), 39-40--79
Reagan McCoy (Virginia Beach), 38-41--79
Siena Ferrick (Vienna), 40-40--80
Mallory Hetzel (Virginia Beach), 41-39--80
Mariah Hopkins (Danville), 41-39--80
Jessica Merrill (Reston), 39-41--80
Paris Fieldings (Suffolk), 39-42--81
Annabelle Jennings (Chesapeake), 40-42--82
Kristine Rohrbaugh (Richmond), 45-39--84
Sirena Walsh (Aldie), 43-41--84
Christine Bates (Chantilly), 40-45--85
Andrea Miller (Keswick), 42-43--85
Sutasinee Rudd (Haymarket), 43-42--85
Grace Anne Braxton (Fredericksburg), 45-41--86
Allison Cherry (Chesterfield), 47-42--89
Malisa Tidwell (Fredericksburg), 45-48--93
Angela Baskette (Arlington), 47-48--95
Kenedi Byard (Chesterfield), 51-49--100