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Dates: Monday, August 11 - Friday, August 15
Format: Two rounds of stroke-play qualifying, with the top 32 players advancing to match play, which begins on Wednesday. Rounds of 32 and 16 on Wednesday; quarterfinals and semifinals on Thursday; 18-hole championship match on Friday morning.
Host site: Bay Creek Resort
Day 1: Shingler sets early pace in stroke-play qualifying
(Scott Shingler reads a putt earlier this year at the State Open of Virginia. Credit: Chris Lang/VSGA)
CAPE CHARLES -- Scott Shingler won the VSGA Senior Amateur in 2023 and was stroke-play qualifying medalist and finalist in last year's event. He continued his strong play in this championship in the opening round of stroke-play qualifying at the 78th VSGA Senior Amateur Monday at Bay Creek Resort.
Shingler (Dominion Valley CC) posted a 6-under-par 66 Monday to take a two-stroke lead over Kevin Dillard (Army Navy CC) after the first 18 holes of qualifying. After Tuesday's second round of qualifying, the field will be cut to the low 32 players for match play, which begins on Wednesday.
Shingler made five birdies, an eagle, and a bogey in posting his 66. Defending champion Buck Brittain, who is seeking his fourth Senior Amateur title, posted a 2-under 70 to tie for third, comfortably inside the match-play cut line.
NOTABLE
- Shingler opened last year's Senior Amateur with a 66 as well. He posted a second-round 71 to earn medalist honors.
- Players are playing the Nicklaus course (front nine) and Palmer course front nine (back nine) for this week's event, as that rotation is considered the club's "championship course."
- Dillard started on the back nine and was 2 over through five holes before making three straight birdies. He birdied four of the first six holes on his back nine before a bogey on No. 7 dropped him to 4-under for the day.
- Joining Brittain in the tie for third were Dave Williams Jr. (Sleepy Hole GC), Alan Myers (The Federal Club) and Stephen Whitfield (Bayville GC).
- Jon Hurst, who won the VSGA Senior Stroke Play title earlier this year, posted a 1-under 71 and is in a tie for seventh with 2018 winner Cam Young, Bowen Sargent, 2011 and 2015 winner David Partridge, Paras Pandya, and Chad Seibert.
- Eight players were tied for 32nd at 4-over 76 and will scrap for a spot in match play on Tuesday. Included in that group is three-time winner Keith Decker and Duncan Hardcastle, who recently earned a spot in the U.S. Senior Amateur as an alternate.