35th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship

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Dates: Monday, July 27 - Thursday, July 30

Format: Two rounds of stroke-play qualifying, with the field cut to the low 60 players and ties after Monday's first round. The top 16 players after Tuesday will advance to match play, with a playoff deciding the final match-play spots if necessary. Round of 16 and quarterfinals on Wednesday. Semifinals and 18-hole championship match on Thursday.

Starting times: Starting at 7:30 a.m. off No. 1 all days.

Defending champion: Charles Lange

Host site: Stonehenge Golf & Country Club

Day 4: Rodgers outlasts Bradshaw in a thriller

(Colton Rodgers smiles after sealing the 35th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship on the 18th green. Credit: Hayden Hundley/VSGA)

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By: Hayden Hundley

RICHMOND -- Through three rounds of match play during the 35th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship at Stonehenge Golf and Country Club No. 4 seed Colton Rodgers didn't have to play 18 holes once, until the championship round against No. 10 Max Bradshaw.

Over a dozen friends, family and local spectators crowded around the green to watch the two competitor's finish their battle, but luckily for Rodgers, he considers himself somewhat of an entertainer. 

"I definitely thrive in that environment," Rodgers said. "I've always grown up thinking, 'how can I get a little crowd roar?' I think I feed off the crowd for sure, especially when I make a putt ... and I hear people cheering for me. I love having them out there and it gets me in a good head space." 

Rodgers didn't need to hit a roar educing putt on the 18th green to beat Bradshaw on Thursday, as the latter lipped out on a 5-foot putt before Rodgers took care of his own putt within 5 feet to win the title. That didn't mean Rodgers didn't have his own fair share of dramatics during the round, though. Rodgers, a Stanford commit, found himself down one from holes 9-11 and needed a spark. He took advantage of a couple of errant tee shots from Bradshaw and eagled the 12th and 14th holes to go one up. The long-distance hitter drove the par-4 green on the 14th hole with a 3-wood, while Bradshaw struggled to get his ball out of the thick marsh before ultimately conceding the hole. 

"When I ripped it down the middle on 12 after he hit in the trees, I think that was a big momentum shift," Rodgers said. "I think that's what catapulted me to the finish line, even though he did cash a long one on 15." 

Hats off to Bradshaw, who immediately bounced back from a tough stretch of holes by nailing roughly a 20-foot putt on the tricky par-3 15th green, which tied the match. 

"He's a phenomenal player," Rodgers said. "Man, he was hot with the putter. I was trying not to let his shots influence mine. I know that's a part of match play, but I figured I would be best off just sticking to what I know. It's worked well this week, and I wasn't going to deviate from that." 

Déjà vu struck Rodgers on the par-4 17th hole as he pointed his right arm to the right after his tee shot, signifying an errant shot. Rodger's ball landed in almost the exact same spot as it did during his semifinal match against Landon Bolling, to the right of a right-sided cart path and slightly to the left of thick bushes that guarded a creek.    

The entire green was blocked by the high growing vegetation where Rodgers' ball landed. He held a two-hole lead against Bolling on the 17th hole, but that didn't stop him from hitting an aggressive fade around the bushes to seal his match. Rodgers said that he never considered laying up when he saw his lie.

"It was a shot I was 100 percent capable of and confident in," Rodgers said. "It was not an easy shot, but the match was dormy and I knew I was going to get it on the green. That's a shot I'm comfortable with, a high push-cut around some trees. 

We saw that tee shot in the final match, and it looked familiar," Rodgers said with a chuckle. "We were just hoping it sat in the same kind of area and I had a chance. It was a little bit closer to the trees, by about a foot and a half and that made a big difference. I clipped a leaf on the way up that second time, but I was right next to my divot, and I pulled the shot off earlier and just that belief that I have that shot in my bag was all I needed." 

Rodgers' title win on Thursday marks his second VSGA Junior Championship win in the past two years, after winning the 73rd VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship at Two Rivers Country Club. He also recorded a Top 20 finish at the 2026 State Open of Virginia, earning an exemption for next year, and reached the round of 16 at the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship in June. 

"The match play aspect, going head-to-head with someone, that's something I've always been good at in other sports," Rodgers said. "Knowing how to beat someone, mentally and physically on the golf course with my game ... knowing I can do it in both stroke and match play is good to know. I'll carry that forward with me as I'm trying to win the state open and the state am." 

Day 3: Semifinal field is wide open

By: Hayden Hundley 

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RICHMOND -- If the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur was a precursor for the 35th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship it certainly taught people that a high seed is no guarantee in match play, and that's precisely what happened on Wednesday at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club as the No. 1 seed and No. 2 seeds were both eliminated.

No. 16 seed David Goode outlasted No 1. seed Ethan Evans one up in the round of 16, which marked the first time a No. 1 seed has fallen in the VSGA Junior Match Play Championship since 2021. No. 2 seed Luca Rinaldi then fell to Max Bradshaw in the quarterfinals, as the latter beat Rinaldi 3 and 2. 

No. 8 seed Landon Bolling eventually beat Goode 3 and 1, but it's fair to say that the field feels wide open with the two top seeds out of the picture. 

Jake Lopes (Vienna)

• Seed: 3 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 14 Matthew Pack, 5 and 3; def. No. 6 Mason Gilliland, 4 and 3
• Takeaways: Virginia commit Jake Lopes has been arguably the steadiest golfer throughout the entire week, having only bogeyed one hole through stroke play and having the two largest margins of victory during Wednesday's two match play rounds. Lopes lost in a thrilling 19-hole match to defending champion Charles Lange during last year's semifinals and has since said he's learned how to play match play more effectively. He will need to continue hitting fairways and using his experience if he wants to beat Max Bradshaw, whose wedges have taken the field by storm this week. 
• Quoting: "I've kept learning not to underestimate anyone. I didn't want to go into these matches not expecting to win and I'd rather just expect them to play really well, and I know I have to do the same to win. That worked really well today so that's the plan for tomorrow." -- Jake Lopes

Colton Rodgers (Great Falls)

• Seed: 5 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 12 Jamie Bliley, 2 and 1; def. No. 4 Harrison Beaudoin, 3 and 2
• Takeaways: Stanford commit Colton Rodgers got off to blistering starts against both of his match play opponents, having held at least a 4-up advantage during the round of 16 and quarterfinals. Rodgers earned some match play experience in the 113th VSGA Amateur Championship in June after reaching the round of 16 and its seemingly carrying over to the Junior Match Play Championship. He said was able to consistently outdrive his opponents, sometimes by even 80 yards, which helped set the tone on Wednesday. Tomorrow it'll be a lot closer as he'll face arguably the biggest hitter left in the field in Landon Bolling.
• Quotable: "Ethan [Evans] is a heck of a player, and him getting taken out was a surprise. Congrats to David [Goode] on that, but I think that definitely clears up my side of the bracket a little bit. I know Landon [Bolling] is a great player, and I'll see him in the morning. I kind of see myself as a top dog in these remaining players and that confidence without any cockiness is going to be key to get me through the finish line." -- Colton Rodgers

Landon Bolling (Fincastle)

• Seed: 8| Road to the semifinals: def. No. 9 Landon Hermansky, 3 and 1; def. No. 16 David Goode, 3 and 1
• Takeaways: Bolling didn't come into the 35th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship with any match play experience, nor at the course, but a club championship win at Botetourt Golf Club over the prior weekend did give him some momentum. The long-distance hitter is a two-time VHSL Region 2C Player of the Year out of James River High School and is now starting to make a name for himself on the VSGA scene. Despite not having any experience in match play or at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club coming into the tournament, he said the course suits his game.
• Quotable: "You don't really have to worry about a bad hole on match play. On one hole I had a bad chip, and you can just chalk it up and go on to the next. It's just hole-by-hole. You just have to keep it in front of you, not worry about the bad and try to stay on the high you're on from a birdie or something." -- Landon Bolling 

Max Bradshaw (Virginia Beach)

• Seed: 10 | Road to the semifinals: def. No. 7 Finn Watson, 2 and 1; def. No. 2 Luca Rinaldi, 3 and 2
• Takeaways: Bradshaw is another name that stands out in an impressive high school graduating class of 2028 golfers in Virginia including Rodgers, Ethan Evans and more. Earning the No. 10 seed during stroke play wasn't an exact reflection of his skill level and he proved that with his two decisive wins on Wednesday, even after Watson gave a late push. While the other three players in the field agreed that having the two top seeds out of the picture helps their respective cases, Bradshaw pushed back by saying he "didn't even look at the other matches" during Wednesday's match play rounds. The course seemed to have suited his play style on Wednesday, including a highlight reel second shot on the par-5 6th hole that put him within five feet of the pin for eagle. 
• Quotable: "The par 5's are very gettable if you can get them up around the green in two, and then I let my chipping take over from there. There are a couple of par 4's that are also gettable." Max Bradshaw

Day 2: Evans secures match play top seed

(Ethan Evans gives a muted fist pump after saving par on the 18th green on Tuesday. Credit: Hayden Hundley/VSGA)

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By: Hayden Hundley 

RICHMOND -- Ethan Evans matched Luca Rinaldi's 8-under 63 from Monday to earn medalist honors heading into the 35th VSGA Match Play Championship's round of 16 on Wednesday at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club. 

He improved his score to a total of 13-under 129 through the two stroke-play qualifying rounds, beating out Rinaldi's 10-under 133. After Rinaldi bogeyed the first hole, Evans eventually responded by birdieing holes three through six which earned him control of the lead throughout the rest of the day. Behind Evans and Rinaldi in third place is Jake Lopes, who steadily cruised to a 5-under 66 by avoiding a single bogey on Tuesday, having only recorded one through two days. 

There was a seven-person playoff that ran for five holes, David Goode won the playoff to earn the final spot in the round of 16. Before that, he hit roughly a 35-foot putt to stay alive against TJ Esparza on the fourth hole.

NOTABLE

• Colton Rodgers notched back-to-back eagles on the third and fourth holes. 
• Max Bradshaw bounced back from a 2-over 73 on Monday by shooting 4-under 67 on Tuesday, which catapulted him up 27 spots and into the round of 16.
• The par-3 15th hole was the most difficult hole for Tuesday's field. Only two players registered birdies on that hole, and 29 players recorded bogeys or worse. 
• The par-4 14th hole was the easiest hole for the field on Tuesday as 22 of the 60 players earned birdies, while only four players recorded bogeys. 

QUOTABLE

• "I thought [holes] 10 and 11 were going to be tricky off the tee but if you manage off the tee well ... you'll be fine coming into the green putting. I thought all of the par 5's were scoreable, and [hole] 14 being drivable, that's another one where you want to get a birdie." -- Jake Lopes
• "On [hole] 16 I hit it to about two feet and on 17 I hit it to about a foot. Those were just tap in birdies. On 12, I got there in two and two putted, which was good. I wouldn't say I had 'simple birdies' but I just hit the shots I wanted and did what I needed to do." -- Jake Lopes
• "I've learned that the lower 16, 14, 15 seeds are still good players ... you just have to take it one match at a time and one hole at a time in match play." -- Jake Lopes
• "All of the experience I've took from the [74th VSGA] Junior Stroke Play and trying to qualify for match play at the U.S. Junior, I think all of that kind of came together today for a good round." -- Ethan Evans
• "My ball striking is usually the strength of my game and it kind of depends on if the putter heats up and today it did. Like yesterday, I gave myself some opportunities and I didn't really get anything to fall. I worked on some putting last night and it showed off today." -- Ethan Evans
• "Last year was really my first match play experience, so it was cool to make it to the final, but I've really got the experience on how to finish off a tournament and finish during match play." -- Ethan Evans

Day 1: Rinaldi takes lead in stroke-play qualifying 

(Luca Rinaldi guides his putt on the 18th green during the 35th Junior Match Play Championship. Credit: Hayden Hundley/VSGA)

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By: Hayden Hundley

RICHMOND -- Midlothian native Luca Rinaldi shot 8-under 63 during the opening stroke-play qualifying round of the 35th VSGA Junior Match Play Championship on Monday at Stonehenge Golf & Country Club. 

He recorded no bogeys and birdied every hole on the front nine besides the fourth, eighth and ninth holes, which put him at least one stroke ahead of the rest of the field. Rinaldi was a semifinalist last year, who eventually lost 5 and 4 to Ethan Evans. Not far behind Rinaldi is Landon Bolling, who shot 7-under 64. Bolling's opening round on Monday was his first time playing the course, a contrasting difference from the local Rinaldi. 

Rounding out the top four are Ethan Evans and Jake Lopes. Evans shot 5-under 66 after shaking off his only bogey on the opening hole. He then recorded four birdies on the back 9 holes. Lopes, who earned the top seed last year, shot 4-under 67 and recorded his only bogey on the 15th hole. 

NOTABLE

• Jake Lopes made roughly a 20-foot eagle putt on the sixth hole. 
• Ethan Trobaugh holed out from roughly 157 feet on the 10th hole to make eagle. 
• The par-4 11th hole was the toughest on Monday, as only eight players recorded birdies. 
• The player's favorite hole on Monday was the par-4 14th hole, as only 17 bogeys or higher we recorded.
• Defending champion Charles Lange shot 4-over 75 and will have difficult a chance to improve his score into the top 16 during Tuesday's stroke-play qualifying. 
• Noah Maclauchlan, who won the 78th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship at Saucon Valley Country Club on Saturday, caddied for Evan Young.  
• Noah's brother Liam Maclauchlan, who caddied for Noah during the U.S. Junior Amateur, caddied for Jake Lopes during Monday's round.

QUOTABLE

• "I hit my wedges nice and close. I just played confident all day really; I had good reads all day and just made my putts." -- Landon Bolling

• "I had no practice round. I just drove by and looked at it, but its a fun track. It's a little soft out there with all of the rain, but it was great course for my first time playing it. I can't wait to play it some more this week." -- Landon Bolling
• "It's been a decent summer, a few up and downs. Coming into this I [had] just won my club championship at the course [Botetourt Golf Club], so I was feeling confident coming in and felt like I could make some birdies and get it done out there." -- Landon Bolling
• "The only hole here the usually gives me trouble ... [hole] 10 kind of messes with me. You sort of look at it and there's a big slope down there and you can play risk reward. I wasn't hitting the driver great today, so I didn't try to really push it down there, but still made par." -- Luca Rinaldi
• "[My best club] was the putter for sure, it was funny I didn't really hit it the best, at least on the front nine. I just put myself on the green, you know 20 to 25 feet and made some of those, which doesn't happen too often, but I rolled the rock pretty good." -- Luca Rinaldi
• "Match play is just [to] make match play. I don't really think the seed matters. When you get to match play, you're just playing against your opponent. So, the goal is to just make the top 16 and go from there and try to make a run." -- Luca Rinaldi
• "Coming off of the State Open [of Virginia] I was a little pissed off. I was just trying to mentally reset and [I] took a few days off ... and came out here and tried to play the best I could." -- Luca Rinaldi