Singleton’s 76 jeopardizes shot for match play

From staff and wire reports

Published: June 25, 2008

WILLIAMSBURG — Jacob Singleton has some work to do if he wants a return trip to the match-play stage of the VSGA Amateur Championship.

The Liberty University sophomore and former William Campbell standout shot a first-round 76 Tuesday at Kingsmill’s River Course, putting him four strokes behind the current cutoff for the 32-man match play portion of the event.

Singleton struggled to a back-nine 41 after opening with a 35 on the outward nine. Corbin Pillow, a former Randolph-Henry standout who plays at Hat Creek in Brookneal, which is owned by Singleton’s father Bill, shot a 75 Tuesday.

Garland Green of Tazewell shot a 5-under-par 66 and grabbed a two-shot lead after the first round.

The 20-year-old Green was bogey-free with five birdies to lead a slew of golfers who scored well on the 6,831-yard, par-71 layout of the River Course at Kingsmill. In all, there were 27 scores at even-par or better.

Virginia Beach ophthalmologist Roger W. Newsom, 44, was among three area players to shoot 68. He was joined by Jason Copeland of Norfolk, Garrison Fowler of Williamsburg and Dustin Groves of Keswick at 3-under.

Green, the 2006 VSGA Junior Match Play champion, said he looks forward to being one of 32 golfers to advance to match play beginning Thursday.

“You can have a bad hole and it doesn’t really matter. You can also have a birdie-fest,” he said.

The first round didn’t go as well for defending champion Pat Tallent of Vienna, who battled back problems throughout and shot 5-over 76.

Following a second day of stroke play qualifying today, the field will be reduced to the low 32 players for match play. The first and second rounds of match play come Thursday, with the quarterfinals and semifinals slated for Friday and the scheduled 36-hole championship match on Saturday.