Little seeks elusive crown

While Nick Little has cleaned up in local golf tournament championships over the past couple of years, there’s one trophy missing from his case.

The Radford University former golfer and current student, who plays locally out of Old Trail in Crozet, has captured the title in every previously existing Central Virginia tournament except one — the Greene Hills Invitational. Little hopes to add that championship to his collection this weekend.

Greene Hills pro Mike Moyers believes this year’s event, a two-day, stroke play tournament that begins today, sets up to be one of the better invitationals the Stanardsville club has hosted over the years. A total of 104 golfers have entered, including many that own handicaps of scratch or better.

Little, whose seven career Central Virginia tournament titles rank third on the all-time list (Greene Hills’ David Bell leads with 14, while Glenmore’s David Passerell is second with eight), is also the two-time defending champion of the Bill Battle Trophy, awarded to the top amateur in the region.

However, Little can’t expect a cakewalk to this weekend’s event. Included in the field are champions from the past three years, Greene Hills’ own Mikey Moyers, Brock Kelley of the Federal Club outside Richmond, and Old Trail’s Jeff Toms.

Other notables include Vienna’s Pat Tallent — one of the top amateurs in the state — Tim Kelley (Brock’s father), Greg Henderson, Weston Eklund, Scott Garrison, Paul Kane, Jon Hurst, Philip Mahone, Tommy Bibb, Jerry Burton and Jud Foster, along with a strong group of seniors that feature Bob Rotella, Jim Higginbotham, Bob Moyers, Jim Kite and others.

Mikey Moyers, who has committed to play for Virginia Tech after he graduates from William Monroe High this June, is the son of Moyers the pro and has been playing on the Greene Hills course for years.

His father, Mike, predicts that it will require a combined 3- to 6-under par for the two days of golf to win the event. Par is 71.

“I don’t see anybody going real low,” the senior Moyers said. “But I think somebody will get under 140.”

Those familiar with Greene Hills know that at this time of year the Bermuda fairways remain dormant and run fast. They also know that even though the layout is a mere 6,411 yards, that breaking par is a challenge.

“This little course holds its own because of the nuances on the greens and the nesting lies around those greens,” Mike Moyers said. “Golfers can’t understand why they can’t go 5-under every round.”

Today’s first tee time is at 11:51 a.m. and the final group tees off at 1:39 p.m.