VSGA Junior leader holds off field by 3 shots at Hidden Valley 

Logan Yates did not show much expression when he answered the question of how his 61st VSGA Boys Junior Stroke Play title rated in his all-time golf accomplishments, but it wasn’t necessary anyway.

“This is pretty big,” Yates said. “I haven’t won anything like this.”

From now on, the Ruckersville resident has something with which he can compare future accomplishments.

On a warm, muggy Thursday at Hidden Valley Country Club, Yates didn’t run away from his competition, but his 1-over-par 72 was good enough to earn a three-shot victory over Richmond’s Mark Lawrence — who won the junior match play title in June — and Connor Messick of Oak Hill.

Messick, who attends Chantilly High School, was in the final group, and probably came as close as anyone to erasing what had been a five-shot lead for Yates after two rounds.

Messick birdied three of the first four holes, which coupled with three pars and a bogey for Yates, meant the lead was only one shot going to the fifth hole.

“I knew I was going to have to make something happen,” Messick said. “He’s a great player, so I needed to try and put a scare into him.”

The fast start was nothing new for Messick, who birdied the first two holes at the Salem golf course in the first two rounds as well.

However, as quick as the deficit had been close, it reopened when Messick followed up his fast start with bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes.

Meanwhile, Yates answered with a birdie and par, which meant he regained a comfortable four-shot lead.

“That slowed me down some,” Messick said. “But it was a great match the whole time. We didn’t have our best days here, but he had a solid round.”

For Yates’ part, he said even when Messick got off to such a good start, he wasn’t alarmed.

After what he considered to be an unimpressive start to his summer, Yates made his first mark on the VSGA junior circuit by earning medalist honors at the match play.

Yates won his first match there, but lost in the quarterfinals to Radford University bound Nick Brediger.

“That kind of got me started,” Yates said. “It was the first time [since the state tournament] that I had played well. … That tournament gave me the confidence I needed.”

Once the lead was re-established, Yates said he was good to go.

“I just kept playing my game,” he said. “I knew I could make some birdies.”

Nathan Chuwait of Herndon finished tied for fourth with Cave Spring rising senior Drew Lagan, who was the top Timesland-area finisher by wrapping up his play with a 3-under 68.

“Being 10 holes back and this being my home course, I thought I could make a move, but it was going to have to be a big move,” Lagan said. “But Logan’s a young guy, so you never know how he’d handle things. But he did what he needed to do.”

Ty Olinger of Blacksburg also posted a top-10 finish, shooting a 70 in his final round to finish tied for eighth.

James River graduate Korey Watts, who will also attend Radford in the fall, was part of seven-player tie for 11th that also included his future Highlanders teammate Brediger.

This was the third time the junior stroke played had been held at Hidden Valley. Wayne Haley of Bassett won the inaugural event in 1953. Charles Holden of Alexandria won in 1957.

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