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By Ben Walls
WILLIAMSBURG–Posting a two-day aggregate 4-under par 138, Elsie MacCleery from Crozet earned the 53rd VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship title Thursday at Williamsburg National Golf Club.
Making the difference in the tournament was MacCleery’s short game, allowing her to make par or better on all but one hole on Thursday. She later reinforced later that, “throughout this whole tournament, my putting was on” after her round.
Because she posted 2-under par 69 on both Wednesday and Thursday, consistency was key for MacCleery. When reflecting on the championship, MacCleery said, “I stayed, pretty much, in my game and focused on myself and, ultimately, didn’t focus on what other people were shooting.
“It’s very easy–one shot at a time–I wasn’t thinking about the whole picture. It was like not thinking too far ahead or thinking about a putt that I may have missed for birdie. I had a good mindset for a tournament as a whole.”
MacCleery became the solo leader after shooting 32 on Thursday’s front nine, and consistency and staying cool turned out to be right. MacCleery’s only bogey on Thursday occurred on the 17th hole, which proved to be challenging as her drive shot landed in the course’s rough on the right-hand side followed by wedging her ball to the left-side rough on her very next stroke.
2021 Junior Girls’ Champion Addie Doroh, Kanchana Duagsam and Morgan Mussatt threatened to take the lead at the turn, shooting 34, 34 and 35, respectfully.
Meanwhile, MacCleery said her play Thursday had not surprised her much, as she plays the Jamestown course at Williamsburg National frequently. MacCleery was once a student of Old Trail Golf Club’s Claudia Ferrini before moving to Williamsburg National to serve as its head golf professional, but the two continue to keep in touch.
When asked about the point in her round where she believed she was commanding, MacCleery replied, “I try not to think about it. I was keeping score on my phone, but I didn’t think about it. I kept playing my game.”
Notes:
- In addition to MacCleery, four other girls shot even-par 71 or better on Thursday: Duangsam (69), Doroh (71), Jennifer Osborne (71) and Maddie McCully (71).
- MacCleery’s hometown instructor, Kandi Comer, won the VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship in 1978 and in 1980. Comer won her 1980 title by an eight-stroke margin.
- MacCleery and Doroh are good friends. Shooting two-over par 144, Doroh finished the championship in third place. Doroh is also one of Comer’s students.
- Paris Fieldings who led the field after Wednesday’s first round made par on the first eight holes Thursday but continued to only make par on five of the last ten holes later in the afternoon.
Walls is a P.J. Boatwright intern with the VSGA.