Oklahoman Austin Eckroat and North Carolinian Emilia Migliaccio each were stuck on dead red en route to victory in last year’s Scott Robertson Memorial.
Eckroat birdied 23 of 54 holes in posting rounds of 68-63-66 and winning the boys’ 15-18 division title. Meanwhile, Migliaccio was conducting her own tweet-fest, producing 16 birdies in stringing rounds of 68-68-66 to capture the girls’ older division crown.
Already sitting lush and plush from recent rainfall, and the early forecast calling for another 1 to 2 inches of rain Friday night, venerable Roanoke Country Club once again figures to be quite accommodating for the field of 159 players spread over four divisions at the 33rd Robertson.
“The greens should be slower and players should be able to throw the ball right at the hole,” said Tim McAfee, RCC’s director of golf.
“This course’s best defense is players leaving their ball above the hole. That’s usually trouble here. With balls holding better, we could see more low scores this year.”
So let it rain, the competitors say.
“That’s how it was last year … I think we had four rain delays in three days. Maybe I like rain delays,” said Eckroat, an Edmund, Oklahoma, native who launches his college career in 2017 at longtime national power Oklahoma State.
“It doesn’t bother me because I’ve been playing in the rain and cold all year, so I will be better prepared than a lot of kids,” noted Eckroat, whose 16-under 197 total last year was a division record.
Migliaccio, who is ranked 20th in the nation, said her game works in any condition.
“I’ve been playing in 30 mile-per-hour winds and pouring rain so there’s nothing that’s really intimidates me,” said the Cary, North Carolina, standout who will play in college at Wake Forest.
Migliaccio’s winning score of 202 fell five shots shy of the division record of 197 posted by Moriya Jutanugarn in 2011. Jutanugarn was the LPGA’s Rookie of the Year in 2013.
Young Gator
Fourteen-year-old Joseph Pagdin, whose family lives in the same Lake Nona, Florida golf community as his close pals Justin Rose and Ian Poulter, recently became the youngest player ever to make a verbal commitment to play golf at the University of Florida.
Pagdin closed 72-71 last year to tie for seventh in the boys’ 14-and-under class.
Kournikova in house
Allan Kournikova, the 10-year-old half brother of former professional tennis player Anna Kournikova, is competing in the boys’ 14-and-under field.
The younger Kournikova is a four-time U.S. Kids Golf age-division champion (2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015).
Last-chance qualifiers
Great Falls’ Chris Lane (69) and Chad Couch Jr. (70) of Bristol, Tennessee, earned the final two spots in the boys’ 15-18 field in a final qualifier held Wednesday.
Timesland-area players and their scores included: Wytheville’s Christopher Boothe (80); Salem’s Garrison Conner (82); Roanoke’s Brad Williams (82); Roanoke’s Derrick Chocklett (83); Martinsville’s Ezra Park (85); and Martinsville’s Solomon Park (85).
India’s Ivana Shah shot 82 to win the last spot in the girls’ 15-18 field. Troutville’s Alisa Marie Caraballo (90) and Blacksburg’s Katie Muscatello (94) finished sixth and seventh in the field.
Significant scratches
Fourteen-year-old Lei Ye of China, who has quickly surged to No. 54 in the girls rankings, and No. 74 Maria Balcazar of Mexico each have withdrawn from the event to due to injury.
Kengo Aoshima (Honolulu), Walker Lee (Houston), Robin Wang (Lake Mary, Florida) and Fisher Vollendorf (Fayetteville, Arkansas) won’t be teeing it up the in the older boys’ field.
