MIDLOTHIAN –– Stoked by four rounds
of 4-over-par 76 or better, Woodberry Forest School owns a five-stroke lead
entering Tuesday’s final round of the seven-team Virginia Preparatory
League Championship being conducted at
Independence Golf Club (6,677 yards, par 36-36—72).
In the
best four scores count of six, Woodberry Forest’s depth helped the Tigers to a
14-over 302 aggregate. Central Virginia-based and reigning VPL champions St.
Christopher’s School is second (19-over 307) and were led by Richmonder Adam
Ball’s first round best 4-under 68,. Richmond-based Collegiate School is third
and seven strokes off the pace at 21-over 309.
Charlottesville-area
Woodberry Forest, a team laden with upperclassmen, was led by senior Bennett
duPont (Darien, Conn.), who opened with 2-over 74. Fellow seniors Shep Hardison
(Charlotte, N.C.) and Tyler Grills (Clifton, Va.) as well as junior Timothy
Walter (Silver Spring, Md.) returned scores of 4-over 76.
The
18-year-old duPont, who is headed to Elon (N.C.) University on a golf
scholarship in the fall, played a stretch from Nos. 13-16 in one under to post
the Tigers’ low round. Woodberry Forest has taken home the VIPL Championship a
record 22 occasions, with their last triumph coming in 2010. The program’s
seniors know the final day will provide their last opportunity to grab the
title. They finished the dual-meet season with a record of 14-1.
“We’ve
had a really good season,” said the 19-year-old Hardison, bound for the
University of North Carolina Chapel Hill in the fall. “We came in thinking we’d
have a great shot at winning because we have a lot of depth.”
Woodberry Forest coach Marc Hogan
noted the team’s approach to the nearly 6,700-yard layout won’t change during
Tuesday’s final round
“We have to do the same thing we did today – put the ball in the fairway and leave
ourselves the best approach into the green,” he said. “I think our guys believe
we can play better. We had a lot of good holes. We just have to keep the big
number off the card.”
Said duPont: “We’ll definitely be
aggressive. We’ll try to do our best [Tuesday] and bring home the title.
Ball,
the reigning Virginia State Golf Association junior boy of the year, continues
to excel on the Independence track, logging five birdies and an eagle to offset
a bogey and a double. Trey Romig (78) and Jordan Chalkley (79) also supplied
scores in the 70s. Ball knows the Saints are in close enough striking distance
to post a repeat victory.
“Really,
five strokes in a team event is not much at all,” said the 17-year-old Ball.
“As a team, our short games have to be sharp [Tuesday] and if we play smart,
we’ll be right in it.”
Collegiate
School had three rounds of 78 or better, paced by 16-year-old Wade Hayes’
(Richmond) even-par 72, the third best round of the day. Charlottesville’s Fitz
Woodrow, 14, had 1-under 71, registering one of two rounds in red numbers, to
show the way for St. Anne’s Belfield School (26-over 314).
Independence Golf
Club, owned by the VSGA Foundation, features a 22,000-square-foot clubhouse, an
18-hole Tom Fazio-designed championship course and a nine-hole Sawyer Short
Course, layed out by Fazio. In addition, the club includes separate junior
clubhouses with dormitories for campers. The VSGA Foundation continues to
champion junior golf initiatives, particularly those that benefit at-risk
children. The club’s Robins Junior Program camps and clinics not only teach fundamentals
of the game, but also empowering life lessons.
MIDLOTHIAN –– Results
following the first round of the Virginia Preparatory League Championship on
Monday, May 14 at Independence Golf Club (6,677
yards, par 36-36—72). The best four of six scores count toward the
team’s aggregate.
Woodberry Forest School: 302
Bennett duPont, 36-38—74; Shep Hardison,
35-41—76; Tyler Grillis; 37-39—76; Timothy Walter, 40-36—76; Jack Dalrymple,
38-42—80; William Knibbs, 44-39—83
St. Christopher’s School: 307
Adam Ball, 35-33—68; Trey Romig,
40-38—78; Jordan Chalkley, 41-38—79; Sutton White, 41-41—82; Clark Asplundh,
47-36—83; Austin Fockler, 39-45—84
Collegiate School: 309
Wade Hayes, 35-37—72; Joe Keiger,
41-37—78; Alex Thompson, 37-41—78; Matt Hourigan, 44-37—81; Rives Fleming,
46-38—84; Sam Stein, 42-47—89
St. Anne's Belfield School: 314
Fitz Woodrow, 38-33—71; Drew
McDonough, 37-38—75; Ian Buchanan, 37-39—76; Taylor Ratliff, 49-43—92; Joe
Upchurch, 52-46—98
Trinity Episcopal School: 341
Chris Kapsak, 41-35—76; Johno
Burke, 42-45—87; Grant Gonzalez, 41-48—89; Mark Hoppe, 49-48—97; Matt
Brassington, 49-40—89; Liza Lewis, 56-49—105
Fork Union Military Academy: 389
Mark Graham, 49-42—91; Alex
Collins, 50-43—93; Kim JuYong, 51-49—100; Kyle Lam, 51-54—105; John Alexander,
52-55—107; Colin Jones, 59-52—111
Christchurch School: 466
Graham Andreae, 55-48—103; Donny
Lee, 49-57—106 Noah Johnson, 60-59—119; Ryan Campbell, 66-72—138; Dylan
Norwood, 78-68—146; Abraham Li, 66-82—148
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