Collegiate Times

Mikey Moyers takes a swing on the course

Sophomore Mikey Moyers opened many eyes in the collegiate golfing ranks last fall when he led the Hokies in scoring in just his second collegiate tournament.

He kept them entranced right up until the end of the season, when he finished third on the team with a 73 stroke average per round.

A two-time state champion in high school and recipient the 2009 Virginia State Golf Association Junior Player of the Year Award, Moyers continued his strong play in the spring, finishing in the top 20 in three of the seven events in which he competed. 

He has since picked up right where he left off.

On Sept. 14 at the Marshall Invitational, Moyers shot a 65 in the final round, a new personal collegiate low, and tied for seventh individually overall. 

After two tournaments this fall he leads the Hokies, averaging 71 strokes per round.

Perhaps the explanation for not slowing down over the summer comes from the fact the Stanardsville, Va., native barely had any time to catch his breath once the spring season concluded. Moyers prepared for, competed in and won a sectional qualifier tournament in early August at Birdwood Country Club in Charlottesville, earning a spot in the 2010 U.S. Amateur Championship.

The tournament, which featured 312 amateurs from around the world, took place at the Chambers Bay Golf Course in University Place, Washington on Aug. 23-24.

“I was incredibly nervous,” Moyers said. “It was definitely the hardest tournament in which I’ve competed.”

Moyers shot an opening round of 77 but his two-day total of 152 (nine-over-par) tied him for 108th place. Only the top-64 players advanced out of stroke play.

“It was a great experience,” Moyers said. “The weather was excellent, and the course was beautiful. Plus I had my father (Mike Moyers, a former PGA professional) caddy for me, which was cool.”

Coming in to the tournament, Moyers found himself in a similar situation to that of Drew Weaver in 2007, when the former Hokie standout qualified and won the British Amateur tournament. In doing so, Weaver became the first American to win the competition in 28 years.

“He’s a lot like Drew,” said senior Marshall Bailey, Moyers’ teammate. “They’re so similar in the sense that they’re both great ball-strikers. At times Drew struggled with his putting and that has been seen in Mikey’s game at times too. For both of them, the days they play really well are the days when they putt well.”

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A version of this article appeared in the Oct 21 issue of the Collegiate Times.