Moyers, Burton fall in State Amateur

In Suffolk, the Central Virginia contingent was wiped out heading into the quarterfinals of the VSGA State Amateur Championship.

Mikey Moyers of Stanardsville and Jerry Burton of Charlottesville were each eliminated in Thursday’s second round of match play at Cedar Point Country Club.

Moyers, a recent William Monroe graduate and the medalist over two days of stroke play, defeated Charlottesville’s Weston Eklund, 2 up, in the first round of match play. He fell to Lanto Griffin of Blacksburg in the second round, 2 up.

Trailing 2-down after 13 holes, Griffin won Nos. 14 and 15 to square the match and rolled in a right-to-left breaking 20-footer for birdie at the par-5 17 to go 1 up.  After pulling his tee shot way left at No. 18, Griffin drilled a 3-iron over a group of pine trees and he got up and down from off the back edge of the putting surface to complete a late surge that saw him win four of the last five holes.

Burton beat Ashland’s Tim Kelley over 19 holes in the first round before falling to Buck Brittain of Tazewell, 2 and 1. Brittain had beaten Earlysville’s Daniel Walker over 19 holes in the first round.

Reigning champion Brinson Paolini of Virginia Beach beat two-time champion Keith Decker of Martinsville, 3 and 2, in the first round, and defeated Centreville’s Ji Soo Park, 5 and 4, in the second round.

The other quarterfinalists are Pat Tallent of Vienna, Ben Keefer of Glen Allen, Fielding Brewbaker of Salem, Jake Mondy of Blacksburg and Garland Green of Tazewell. The quarterfinals and semifinals are today, and the 36-hole finale is scheduled for Saturday.