74th VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship

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Dates: Tuesday, July 7 - Thursday, July 9

Format: 54 holes of stroke play with the field cut to the low 45 players and ties for Thursday's third and final round. If there's a tie after 54 holes, a sudden-death playoff will determine the champion.

Starting times: Starting at 8 a.m. off Nos. 1 and 10 on Tuesday and Wednesday. Starting at 8 a.m. off No. 1 on Thursday.

Defending champion: Colton Rodgers

USGA Exemption Event: The winner earns an exemption in the upcoming U.S. Junior Amateur Championship.

Host site: Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

Day 3: Evans wins 74th VSGA Junior Stroke Play in a runaway

(Ethan Evans celebrates his par putt on 18 on Thursday, which clinched the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech record. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

RADFORD -- Growing up as a member of Northern Virginia's Army Navy Country Club, Ethan Evans watched from afar as fellow members David Stanford and Kelly Chinn won VSGA Junior Stroke Play championships, Stanford's titles in 2019 and 2021 sandwiched around Chinn's win in 2020.

"I was only like 8 or 9, and just seeing them winning, I was like, 'Oh my gosh, that's what I want to do," Evans said.

Evans joined those names -- among many others -- in dominant fashion on Thursday at Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech, firing a three-day total of 14-under-par 202 to post a dominant nine-stroke victory in the 74th VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship.

"To now put my name on that trophy, it's definitely something that's so cool," Evans said. "Just to look back on it, 8-year-old Ethan always wanted to do it, and now he did it."

Evans opened Thursday's third and final round with a three-shot lead over CJ Lee and didn't pull away until toward the end of the front nine. After opening with a birdie, he parred the next seven holes before finding another gear. A birdie on No. 8 was the first of five birdies in a row. He added two more on 14 and 16 and was threatening the all-time margin of victory in this championship until he failed to get up and down for par from right of the green on 17. Evans made a two-putt par on the final hole and gave a muted fist pump, knowing the task had been completed.

Evans earned the USGA's golden ticket into the upcoming U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, which will be his second appearance in the event. He said he figures to take some big lessons from his first time playing in the event when he was 14.

"I missed the cut there, so I have a little bit of revenge in mind," Evans said. "I want to make match play. I'm super excited for it, and I think my game is ready."

Evans finished nine strokes clear of Noah Maclauchlan, who rallied from a 77 on the first day to shoot 68-66 over the next two days or a three-day 211. His third-round 66 tied the Pete Dye River Course record from the maroon tees, a distinction that lasted all of 45 minutes, as Evans' 65 then broke the course mark.

Maclauchlan, a member at Magnolia Green Golf Club, got the best of Evans in a playoff at the Lanto Invitational at Blacksburg Country Club in June, but Evans came out on top this time. Of all people, Maclauchlan said he knew Evans had this sort of performance in him.

"Ethan's approach game is one of the best I've seen," Maclauchlan said. "I would say from 8-iron all the way down to the wedge, he's never outside of 15 feet. Even on a decent to mediocre putting day, he's going to make some birdies. So it's no surprise when the putter heats up what he can do. He's a great player, and an even better kid."

Richmond's Ben Cowgill posted a three-day 3-under 213 to finish alone in third, a stroke clear of fellow Richmond area players Samuel Francis and Jamie Bliley.

The week, though, belonged to Evans, nearly from start to finish. A double bogey to end the first round left him in a three-way tie for first after 18 holes, but after that, he was dominant, finishing with 14 birdies and two bogeys over the final 36 holes. With college coaches from around the region in attendance, Evans -- a rising high school junior -- couldn't have picked a better stage to put on a show.

"I'll credit the field. There were a lot of really good players out here, it wasn't just me they were looking at," Evans said. "I was able to show that I'm able to beat a really good field, and by a big margin too. I think I was able to show some aspects of my game that I think they really liked. It was definitely a cool experience."

NOTABLE

• The U.S. Junior Amateur will be held July 20-25 at Saucon Valley CC in Bethlehem, Pa.

• Evans earned an exemption into next week's State Open of Virginia but will not play due to a previously scheduled tournament. He is also exempt from qualifying for the 2027 VSGA Amateur Championship.
• Evans' margin of victory matched the second largest in history, set by Carl Paulson in 1988 when he beat Hunter Albright by nine strokes at Cypress Point CC. Simon Cooke holds the mark for largest margin, an 11-stroke win over Jimmy Flippen Jr. and Tee Clarkson at Danville GC in 1990.

• Evans' final tally of 202 was the fourth lowest in history and tied for the second lowest score for a winner (with Jake Mondy in 2011). Kelly Chinn holds the record with a 194 at a par-70 James River Country Club in 2020. Pete Dye River Course played at par 72.

• The top 20 eligible players and ties who are eligible to return earn exemptions into next year's Junior Stroke Play. Those players are Evans, Cowgill, Francis, Bliley, Lee, Jake Lopes, Colton Rodgers (who was already exempt due to his win last year), Liam Maclauchlan, Jacob Hartley, John Carlin, William Hendrickson, Matthew Pack, Landon Paul, Chase Keller, Graham Weinstein, and Ryan Moseley.
• Rodgers, the 2025 champion, finished tied for ninth after shooting 75-72-73--220.
• Connor Johnson Jr.'s winning score at Pete Dye River Course in 2018 was 12-under 204. 

Day 2: Late surge gives Evans three-shot cushion

(Ethan Evans, Isaiah Cantrell, and Landon Hermansky share a laugh during Wednesday's second round. Credit: Nate Wise/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

RADFORD -- After Tuesday's first round of the 74th VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship, Ethan Evans made two points about his play. He wanted to take the positives of his first 16 holes, and learn some lessons from his final two holes, when he went bogey-double bogey to stumble to the finish line at Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech.

The rising high school junior from Fairfax Station's scorecard on Wednesday backed up his Tuesday talk. Evans posted a 5-under 67 that included birdies on 16 and 17 and a nervy par save on 18, giving him a three-stroke lead over McLean's CJ Lee heading into Thursday's third and final round. 

Evans and Lee -- who played in the group just ahead of Evans -- were locked in a tight battle until Evans' late-round surge. Lee made bogeys on 16 and 18, turning those final holes into a four-shot swing that put Evans in the lead.

They'll be joined in the final grouping on Thursday at 10 a.m. by Floyd's Isaiah Cantrell, who will begin his Radford career on this course next month. Cantrell returned an even-par 72 and finished the day at 2-under 142, five strokes back of the lead. A pair of Richmond area players -- Harrison Beaudoin and Ben Cowgill -- are tied for fourth at 1-under 143.

NOTABLE

• Evans had just one misstep on Tuesday, a bogey on the par-4 8th hole. Aside from that, he made six birdies and 11 pars to post his 5-under round.

• A horde of college coaches followed Evans' group, including coaches from Auburn, Vanderbilt, and Duke.
• Lee is a rising sophomore at Potomac School and teammates there with defending Junior Stroke Play champion Colton Rodgers. Lee got to 5-under for the round with his fifth birdie of the day on No. 15, but the two bogeys coming left him looking up at Evans.

• Cantrell made an eagle on the par-5 3rd hole but gave it back with a double bogey on No. 8. He was within striking distance of the lead until bogeys on 13 and 17 dropped him to level par for the day.

• The biggest mover of the day was Noah Maclauchlan, who is set to begin his Liberty University career next month. Maclauchlan followed his opening-round 77 with a second-round 4-under 68 to jump 23 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for eighth, a stroke behind younger brother Liam and Jamie Bliley.
• Forty-seven players made the 36-hole cut at 13-over par or better. 
• Severe weather forced a delay of 1 hour and 58 minutes during Wednesday's round.

QUOTABLE

• "Yesterday, I made a mess, I bogeyed 17 and doubled 18. Today, I just said, even par, I'm happy. 1-over even. They're two tough holes. Really today, on 17, I hit an 8-iron downwind from 185 and it went to 10 feet up the hill, so I was able to make that and I was really excited about that. On 18, I didn't want to go in the water, so I missed it left, but I missed it in a good spot, then hit it into the bunker. Then I made a good 6-footer there for par. It was exciting because I told myself I didn't want to lose any strokes on those two holes, and I was able to do it." -- Ethan Evans

• "I think I'm different. I actually like it. It makes me focus a little bit more. It makes me feel like I'm on Tour, because you have people watching you, you have a gallery. So I like it, in a sense. It just keeps me more focused. I see it more as it's an opportunity to show these coaches what my game is and what I can go do, instead of being scared. I try to take a more positive outlook on it." -- Evans on the recruiting attention

• "I've had a lot of opportunities this summer, being around the lead, being in the final group. I think I know how to do it. I'm just going to go out and play my game. Some days it goes your way, some days it doesn't. Just stay around the lead, and you never know what's going to happen around the stretch." -- Evans

• "It went really well. The putter definitely got hot, made a lot of nice par saves and rolled in some nice birdie putts." -- CJ Lee
• "I think you just have to hit two really good shots into it. Today, my drive went a little left. But if you drive it straight and hit a good approach, the hole can open up a little bit more." -- Lee on the 18th hole
• "It's been a really good week to show people who I am. I'm definitely carrying some momentum and some good play. Just knowing I can compete with some of the people out here feels really good." -- Lee
• "I got really frustrated early [in the first round] because I was giving myself pretty good looks on the front nine and I didn't make any of them. I didn't make a birdie until Hole 17 and it was kind of the same thing through the 1st couple holes today. But then I eventually rolled one in on 6 and that just kind of helped the confidence. So I wasn't getting as frustrated with the putter today and my confidence stayed high throughout the day." -- Noah Maclauchlan

• "Yeah, obviously, you know, I would like to putt even better, to be honest with you. I still left a few shots out there. I'll probably go to the range and work on some stuff. 
My par 5 scoring hasn't been the best this week. You know, there's 4 par 5s, that's 4 birdies in my mind. So tomorrow, definitely, you know, try to get all the par 5s and make a couple putts. And I guess you never know what's going to happen. So I'm gonna try my best." -- Noah Maclauchlan

Day 1: Three share lead at 2-under 70

(Ethan Evans was one of three players to post 2-under rounds of 70 on Tuesday. Credit: Nate Wise/VSGA)

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By Chris Lang

RADFORD  -- A trio of players lead a bunched leaderboard after the first day of the 74th VSGA Junior Stroke Play Championship at Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech. Poquoson's Landon Hermansky, Floyd's Isaiah Cantrell, and Fairfax Station's Ethan Evans each returned 2-under rounds of 70 and will head into Wednesday's second round with a one-shot lead over McLean's Christian Lee.

Four others ended Tuesday within two strokes of the lead -- Moseley's Liam Maclauchlan (the 2025 VSGA Amateur champion), Richmond's Jamie Bliley, Newport News' Thomas Aman, and Glen Allen's Samuel Francis. Four more players were tied for ninth at 1-over 73.

After Wednesday's second round, the field will be cut to the low 45 players and ties for Thursday's third and final round. There are currently four players tied for 45th at 8-over 80.

NOTABLE

• No hole gave players more trouble on Tuesday than the par-4 18th, which runs along the New River and features tricky rough and multiple greenside bunkers. It played at a 4.97 stroke average, with only two players (Tanner Hesse and Chase Harris) making birdie. Twenty-eight players made bogey, and 19 made double-bogey or worse. "I think it's mainly the tee shot," Ethan Evans said. "You can't bail left because of the bunker. You can't leave it short because there are reeds on the left, and right is all hazard. It's really an intimidation thing. When you're in the fairway, it's not that bad. But standing on that tee box, it's  hard shot."

• Two of the three co-leaders made eagle on Tuesday, with Hermansky going the traditional route on the par-5 9th (long drive, green in two, reasonable eagle putt) and Evans going the less traditional route on the par-4 15th (hole out from 180 yards with a 7-iron). Cantrell, who will play for Radford University's golf team this upcoming season, finished with four birdies and two bogeys.

• The winners of last year's two VSGA junior majors got off to tough starts on Tuesday. Charles Lange, last year's Junior Match Play winner, posted a 2-over 74, his round marred by three double bogeys, including on each of the final two holes. Colton Rodgers, the defending champion of this event, returned a 3-over 75 that included three bogeys and two double bogeys.
• Springfield's Haleem El-Yacoubi, who is part of the tie for 13th at 2-over 74, was one of four from the First Tee Greater Washington DC chapter who earned spots in the upcoming Pure Insurance Championship, a PGA Tour Champions event at Pebble Beach where Tour players are paired with participants from First Tee chapters across the country. El-Yacoubi is a Class of 2027 player from West Springfield High School.

QUOTABLE

• "I had a little bit of a mess-up coming in, but I just need to take the positives from the first 16 holes and take some lessons from the end." -- Ethan Evans

• "Last week, I played the MAPGA Junior and played pretty solid, got third. A couple of days before that, I qualified for the second round of U.S. Amateur qualifying. So my game's been pretty solid. A couple of small tweaks that I've done, but overall, I like where it's at." -- Evans

• "I'd say, just out on the river, it presents a lot of wind. It wasn't windy early on, but then I had to kind of adjust later in the round when the wind picked up. It was kind of soft out there on the fairways. I didn't have a lot of rollout on tee shots, and maybe sometimes you'd get a mud ball." -- Isaiah Cantrell
• "It'd be great to come out on top, but it's just about doing my best every day. That's all I can ask." -- Cantrell
• "Just knowing there's a miss on every hole. You can go way one way on each hole, but going the other way, it's dead. You just have to know your misses." -- Cantrell
• "I putted amazing. It was just par save after par save after par save. There was one, I think it was 6, I hit it in the weeds, chopped it out, punched it up to like 35 feet and just drilled a putt. It was just my putting all day." -- Landon Hermansky
• "The rough is pretty thick and it's pretty sticky around the greens. If you miss the green, it's tough to get up and down when you're short sided. I left myself in a few spots like that, but I got lucky and made a few putts." -- Hermansky