Leigh makes final 8 in tournament

Published 9:32 pm Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Suffolk’s J.P. Leigh qualified for the match play portion of the 63rd VSGA (Virginia State Golf Association) Senior Amateur Championship Tuesday and advanced from the round of 32 down to the quarterfinals Wednesday at the Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course.

The top 32 golfers advanced to the match play rounds. Leigh shot rounds of 72 and 73 to finish 1-over par and as the seventh seed to start Wednesday’s play. The field started with 116 golfers.

In Wednesday morning’s match, Leigh won 4 and 3 over Leesburg’s Robert Murphy. In the round of 16, Leigh outlasted Alexandria’s Richard Blackburn in a 20-hole match.

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Leigh won holes 12, 13 and 14 to go 3-up against Blackburn. Blackburn answered by winning Nos. 15, 16 and 17 to square the match. Leigh won the second sudden-death hole and finished his 20 holes 2-under par.

The quarters and semis are scheduled for Thursday and an 18-hole final match is Friday.