A two-man showdown for the Battle Trophy

It’s a two-horse race for the 19th annual Battle Trophy, symbolic of the Central Virginia Amateur Golfer of the Year, heading into the competition’s final event of the season, next month’s Jefferson Cup at Birdwood.

Weston Eklund, who just finished up his freshman year at Radford University, has taken his first lead ever in the points race after winning the Reines Jewelers Charlottesville City Championship a week ago. The city title was Eklund’s second in three years.

With that win, and 25 points, the Albemarle High graduate has accumulated 78.5 points this season in events thus far (Greene Hills Invitational, Old Trail Team Championships, the Kenridge at Farmington, the Cannon Cup at Spring Creek, and the City Championship).

The only player with any chance of catching Eklund for the Battle Trophy, named in honor of the late Bill Battle, is Eklund’s best friend, Mikey Moyers. Moyers has 59.5 points.

Both golfers are entered in the Jefferson Cup, set for Aug. 7-9.

“It feels good to be leading the point standings,” Eklund said Tuesday. “We have a real competitive thing going on between us, and while we’re close friends, we want to beat each other just as bad. The Battle Trophy is up for grabs at the Jefferson Cup, so that tournament offers more than just a chance to win a tournament. The player of the year is on the line.”

Moyers shocked the local golfing scene in 2006 when he became the youngest player to win the Battle Trophy at age 15, right after his freshman year at William Monroe High. He graduated last month and is now headed to Virginia Tech on a golf scholarship.

It was somewhat fitting and getting to become routine that Eklund and Moyers found themselves tied for the lead at the end of regulation in Virginia Beach’s Payton Memorial tournament last weekend. The two pals had to settle it in a playoff, which Eklund won on the first hole with a birdie.

Overall, it has been Eklund’s best year as a golfer and he credits a year of college golf at Radford as one of the main catalysts.

“Playing at Radford showed me how hard you have to work to get where you want to be,” Eklund said. “There are so many good golfers at the college level that if you’re not working every day to get better, then you’re falling behind.”

Eklund said that college golf exposed some areas he needed to work on, particularly his short game and some functions of his swing. Plus, he’s learned how to practice better.

While the city championship was his second in three years, he said that having pro player Richard Hanna, who plays on the eGolf Tour, caddy for him in the event was a big help. Hanna, who lives in Greene County, is friends with both Eklund and Moyers.

“Richard helped me a lot with reading the greens,” Eklund said. “He’s very good at that aspect of the game and while we agreed on the reads most every time, it is a big advantage to have an extra set of eyes and to be confident over every putt.”

Hanna, who has played golf with Eklund and Moyers for years, knows their games well and also helped Eklund during the recent tournament with shot selection and other parts of the game.

The top 16 finishers in the point standings (or alternates) will be invited to play in the third annual Central Virginia Match Play Championships at Spring Creek, Aug. 15-16.