Moyers stays alive at Birdwood

After two days of stroke play qualifying, the VSGA kicked off its Junior Match Play Championship on Thursday.
Sixteen golfers from across the state (four from the Central Virginia area) squared off in the first round.
Matt Wilkes, in just his first junior match play, stole the show with two outstanding and tense rounds of play.
“Nobody was expecting me to win my first match against Evan Beck,” Wilkes said. “So really, there was no pressure.
The 16 seed had his work cut out for him, but rose to the occasion first by beating the top-seeded Beck 2 and 1 in the first round.
In round two, Wilkes won his match on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff when his opponent, Matt Ball, was unable to sink his 8-foot putt to force an additional hole.
“When I came on [the 19th hole] I was just telling myself to relax and hit a good drive,” Wilkes said.
Wilkes did just that and found the green on his second shot. Ball wasn’t as fortunate and wound up long of the green and was forced to chip. Wilkes two-putted to put the pressure on Ball to hit the big putt. It was just inches off.
“It’s been a pretty long day,” Wilkes said. “I’m probably going to fall asleep in the car, then eat a couple burgers. Maybe four or five.”
The only junior whose day may have been longer than Wilkes was Trevor Times. The 14-year old was the only golfer to walk all 36 holes without a caddy.
“I’m pretty tired,” Times said. “I didn’t expect to get this far. Now I have a chance of winning.
Times beat Josh Apple in the first round 1 up and then did it again in the second round, this time to Earlysville’s Daniel Walker.
One of the first round matches had a Jefferson District feel to it with Mikey Moyers facing Patrick Leisure, the respective number one players at William Monroe and Western Albemarle.
Moyers used his performance on the back nine to defeat Leisure 4 and 3 in the first round and then Ross Sumner 3 and 2 in the second round.
“I’m familiar with the golf course so I know where to hit it and I know what it takes to win,” the defending champion said. Moyers is just 36 holes from repeating.
“Hopefully, I don’t need all 36. It’d be nice so that I don’t have a heart attack. But it’s right there. Two times in a row would be nice.”
The fourth semifinalist is 15-year old Bryce Chalkley. The St. Christopher’s golfer beat Michael Wade 4 and 3 in round one and then defeated Albemarle’s Weston Eklund 4 and 2.
“I made a lot of putts,” Chalkley said. “That was my main focus. The putting is finally coming around. All I’m worried about is just making pars.”
With exception of Walker and Moyers, the first round wasn’t kind to the top seeds. The first, fourth, and fifth seeded players all failed to
advance.
Chalkley and Wilkes will play in the first semifinal match today at 7:30 a.m. Times and Moyers will tee off 10 minutes later.
The winners will face off in the championship match at noon.