Young golfers gathered at the Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech on Tuesday June 13 to compete in the June Oblinger Shott Foundation Junior Classic. The event was part of the Blue Ridge Junior Golf Tour and marked the first tournament of the 2023 season for junior players up to age 18. It’s the 25th year for the familiar and celebrated regional golf tour, one that has enjoyed the cooperation of golf courses in southern West Virginia and southwest Virginia throughout the years.
Here is a recap of the action.
17-18 Age Group
Clayton Gilmore of Moneta claimed the age-group title in his very first start on the Tour. Gilmore played steadily on the inward nine collecting five pars enroute to an 18-hole score of 82. Lucas Beeler of Radford and Radford University recruit McKenzie Weddle of Floyd tied for second with scores of 84.
15-16 Age Group
Peyton Mason of Willis defeated Andrew McCoy of Glasgow in a sudden-death playoff to claim the age group title after both players had posted impressive scores of two over par 74.
Mason made the turn at one under par and then made six pars on the second nine holes to force the playoff. McCoy also was off to a good start, making the turn at even par. He continued the trend through the first seven holes on the inward nine before a double bogey on the difficult par 3-17th derailed his hope of the victory.
The playoff occurred on the par 4-11th hole where Mason made a par to defeat McCoy. Harris Camp of Roanoke was third just one stroke back at 75. Hunter Crist of Radford and Rocky Frye of Bramwell, WV tied for fourth with scores of 77.
Ryan Highfield of Blacksburg shot 78 and Josh Cummings of Christiansburg shot 79 to finish sixth and seventh respectively in the deeply talented age division.
13-14 Age Group
Another playoff was needed to settle this age group as Carter Dudash of Christiansburg defeated Evan Singleton of Pulaski on the first hole of the additional play.
Both had posted scores of 88 to tie for the lead. Mike Bateman of Salem and Jack Herbert of Blacksburg tied for third two shots back at 90. Campbell Sayers of Marion was a stroke back at 91 and finished fifth.
10-12 Age Group
J.J. Robertson of Blacksburg shot 43 to win the age group playing nine holes. Robertson’s score was four better than Liam Smith of Elliston, who finished second. Seth Alba of Blacksburg finished third with a score of 51.
9 and Under Age Group
Colton Caudill of Wytheville shot 51 over nine holes and won the age group. Silas Edmonds, also of Wytheville shot 55 and finished second. Michael Brown of Blacksburg shot 59 and finished third.
The Tour continues next week with a tournament at Draper Valley scheduled for Tuesday June 20.
