Carolinas Team Owns Slim Lead Following the First Day of Junior Team Matches

CAROLINAS TEAM OWNS SLIM LEAD FOLLOWING THE FIRST
DAY OF THE 31st VIRGINIAS-CAROLINAS JUNIOR MATCHES

 

LYNCHBURG, Va. –– In closely-contested opening day encounters, the eight-golfer Carolinas team owns a one-point edge (4½-3½) over their Virginias counterparts at the 31st Virginias-Carolinas Junior Matches being conducted at Boonsboro Country Club. One point is available per each match.

Carolinas won morning foursome matches by one point, 2½-1½, and the two teams’ halved afternoon four-ball encounters, registering two points apiece.

Morning foursomes were about as tightly-contested as they could be, with three matches going to the 18th hole. Virginias took the first match of the day as Ty Olinger (Blacksburg, Va.)-Ian Hildebrand (Purcellville, Va.) defeated Eric Bae (Cary, N.C.)-Doc Redman (Raleigh, N.C.), 1 up.

Carolinas sandwiched in two wins thereafter, with Will Blalock (Gastonia, N.C.) and Dwight Cauthen Jr. as well as Cole Patterson (Greenville, S.C.) and Jonathan Rector (Hendersonville, N.C.) each notching close victories. Blalock-Cauthen bested Roanoke-based golfers Nick Brediger and Drew Lagan, 1 up. While Patterson-Rector edged Logan Yates (Ruckersville, Va.) and Connor Messick (Oak Hill, Va.), 2 and 1.

In match four, central Virginians Mark Lawrence Jr. (Richmond, Va.) and Kyle Hart (Midlothian, Va.) halved Austin Inman (Leland, N.C.)-Coleman Self (Greenwood, S.C.) as Carolinas took a one-point lead to lunch.

The matches were basically as close in the afternoon, with each team accounting for a win and two other encounters resulting in halves. For Carolinas, Rector and Bae bested Hart-Olinger, 3 and 2, signaling the largest margin of victory by either team on day one. Rector was a part of notching a team-best two points on day one for Carolinas. On the Virginias side, Yates and Lagan scored a 2-and-1 victory over Cauthen-Self.

In the other two four-ball matches, for the host Virginias’ squad, Messick and Hildebrand halved Redman-Patterson. Hildebrand, a northern Virginian, paced team Virginias on day one, helping to contribute one and a half points. In the last match of the day, for Virginias, Lawrence made an 18-foot putt at the last to help he and Brediger to a halve against opponents Inman and Blalock to keep the margin at one heading to the final day as the teams, which appear as evenly-matched as it gets, vie for the Vinny Giles Trophy, awarded to the champions.

Virginias will be vying for its fifth win in the past seven meetings, while Carolinas will be seeking its third straight victory in the matches when the event concludes with eight singles encounters on Sunday. The matches annually alternate between Boonsboro, the Lynchburg-based VSGA member club, and sites in the Carolinas.

LYNCHBURG, Va. –– Results following first day foursome matches at the 31st Virginias-Carolinas Junior Matches at Boonsboro Country Club on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Ty Olinger (Blacksburg, Va.)-Ian Hildebrand (Purcellville, Va.) def. Eric Bae (Cary, N.C.)- Doc Redman (Raleigh, N.C.), 1 up; Will Blalock (Gastonia, N.C.)-Dwight Cauthen Jr. (Columbia, S.C.) def. Nick Brediger (Roanoke, Va.)-Drew Lagan (Roanoke, Va.), 1 up; Cole Patterson (Greenville, S.C.)-Jonathan Rector (Hendersonville, N.C.) def. Logan Yates (Ruckersville, Va.)-Connor Messick (Oak Hill, Va.), 2 and 1; Mark Lawrence Jr. (Richmond, Va.)-Kyle Hart (Midlothian, Va.) halved Austin Inman (Leland, N.C.)-Coleman Self (Greenwood, S.C.)

Carolinas won morning foursome matches, 2½-1½  

LYNCHBURG, Va. –– Results following first day four-ball matches at the 31st Virginias-Carolinas Junior Matches at Boonsboro Country Club on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Connor Messick (Oak Hill, Va.)-Ian Hildebrand (Purcellville, Va.) halved Doc Redman (Raleigh, N.C.)-Cole Patterson (Greenville, S.C.); Jonathan Rector (Hendersonville, N.C.)-Eric Bae (Cary, N.C.) def. Kyle Hart (Midlothian, Va.)-Ty Olinger (Blacksburg, Va.), 3 and 2; Logan Yates (Ruckersville, Va.)-Drew Lagan (Roanoke, Va.) def. Dwight Cauthen Jr. (Columbia, S.C.)-Coleman Self (Greenwood, S.C.), 2 and 1; Mark Lawrence Jr. (Richmond, Va.)-Nick Brediger (Roanoke, Va.) halved Austin Inman (Leland, N.C.)-Will Blalock (Gastonia, N.C.)

The two teams’ halved afternoon four-ball matches, 2-2

 

Carolinas leads following day one foursome and four-ball matches, 4½-3½