Hokie golfers in the news

Past, present and future members of the Virginia Tech golfteam have had an interesting last few weeks on the links. Four current players- Marshall Bailey, Aaron Eckstein, Garland Green and Mickey Moyers, as well asincoming freshman Bryce Chalkley, will be playing in the Virginia SunTrust OpenJuly 15-18 at the Independence Golf Club in Midlothian, Virginia.  The four current players will beplaying in the Virginia State Amateur, to be played June 29-July 3 at the BelleHaven Country Club in Alexandria.  Chalkley was previously invited to play in the AJGA RolexTournament of Champions over the same dates as the State Amateur, therefore, hedid not attempt to qualify for the state amateur.

Eckstein shot 71-70 to make both events; Moyers shot 72-72in qualifying for the state open and was exempt for the state amateur due tohis win in the 2009 VSGA Junior Match Play Championship; Green earned anexemption for both events due to his finish in last year's state amateur andBailey was set to qualify for the tournaments, but received an exemption fromthe VSGA into both events due to his advancing to the 2010 NCAA Finals.Chalkley captured his spot in the state open in a 36-hole qualifier on Monday.

Former Hokie golfer Brendon de Jonge continued his fine playagain on Monday in the US Open Sectional Qualifying at the Brookside Golf &Country Club and The Lakes Golf & Country Club in Columbus, Ohio.  He tied for 12th in The MemorialTournament this past weekend and earned $112,000, which pushed his season totalto over $895,000, assuring him of fully exempt status on the PGA TOUR for2011.De Jonge fired rounds of 69 (at Brookside) and 66 (at The Lakes) to finishfourth and capture one of the 15 spots available in the 36-hole qualifying.  Among those players failing to qualifywere Justin Rose and Rickie Fowler, who finished first and second respectivelyat The Memorial.

De Jonge was scheduled to play in the St. Jude's Classic this week,along with former Hokie player Johnson Wagner, but has withdrawn to prepare for the Open. This will be the first “majorâ€for de Jonge. The 2010 U.S. Open Championship will be played at Pebble Beach onJune 17-20.