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By Ben Walls
WILLIAMSBURG—After day one, Jonathan McEwen (Bide-A-Wee Golf Course) and Claire Beitel (VSGA Junior Golf Circuit) lead their divisions at the 8th VSGA Junior Golf Circuit Championship on Saturday.
Growing up in Hampton Roads nearly 40 minutes away and playing in the 53rd VSGA Junior Girls’ Championship at the same club just in July, respectfully, McEwen and Beitel have experience playing at host club Williamsburg National.
“I just drove the ball well,” McEwen said; he hit all 18 fairways Saturday while playing the furthest tees. “I feel really comfortable here.”
Beitel spent an hour Saturday morning practicing putting alone before teeing off with Lillian McDermott at 12:50. It appeared to pay off especially in her back nine as she made par or better on every hole but one—it wasn’t good enough for her goal though for Saturday. Beitel wanted to shoot under.
“I feel like I knew I was doing pretty well, and at one point I said ‘oh, I can shoot under today,” Beitel said—she missed her birdie putt on the 18th to come one stroke short, but added “I’m happy with shooting even.”
McEwen and Beitel both set themselves apart from their competition Saturday at the club’s Jamestown course—McEwen shooting 4-under par 67 was four strokes ahead of Alejandro Caraballo in the boys’ division, and Beitel shooting even par 71 was three strokes ahead of Alison Oh in the girls.’
Comparing his round of 16 appearance at the 31st VSGA Junior Match Play Championship in June at Willow Oaks Country Club, McEwen said course familiarity, his ambition to play many rounds over the summer and the weather—only a high of 84 degrees Fahrenheit in Williamsburg—helped his game Saturday.
“I feel good physically. I’ve played a lot of golf, just playing multiple days in a row,” McEwen said. “Junior Match Play was the first time I played match play—the weather wasn’t the best—it made me get inside of my head.
“I think having good conditions today really helped me.”
Only one thing is guaranteed for Sunday, however. You will find Beitel at Williamsburg National working on her putting once again for a full hour before her mid-morning tee time.