Without warmups, Yorktown golfer shoots a 65

Shooting a personal-best score in a high-school golf tournament was all the more notable for Benjamin Newfield, considering he had zero preparation time or warmup swings.

He didn’t any practice.

The Yorktown High School senior carded a 6-under 65 to win the Don Roth Invitational tournament on the par-71 Laurel Hills Golf Club course in Lorton on Aug. 11. Newfield helped Yorktown finish second in the team standings with a 310 team score. Independence won with 303.

Newfield usually warms up for 30 to 45 minutes before a round, hitting numerous practice shots and putts. That didn’t happen prior to the Roth tourney, because the team bus was running late and the squad arrived just 7 minutes prior to his 8 a.m. tee time.

The golfer hustled to that first hole, hit a conservative 4-iron instead of a driver on the first hole, that he put into the rough. Newfield scrambled to make par on that hole, then birdied the next two and was on his way to a round that included six birdies, one eagle and two bogeys.

“I had no practice. I went right to the first tee and my first swing was my first shot of the day,” Newfield said. “It all worked out pretty well, though. I played smart today and putted well.”

Newfield, who will play college golf at Davidson College, was playing well entering the tournament. So the 65 was not a huge surprise. The team captain shot rounds of 71 and 69 in two previous tournaments just two and three days earlier.

Also for Yorktown at the Roth Invitational, senior Tony Newell shot 80, senior Trevor McAndrews 82 and sophomores Jack Freeman and Luke Sanne 83 and 84, respectively.

Yorktown is expected to have a team with the potential of repeating last season’s accomplishments – finishing second in Liberty District and region tourneys, then sixth in the Class 6 state competition.

“I think we will be OK. It’s been a good first week for us,” Yorktown coach Chris Williams said. “Ben is playing really well and the others will get better.”

Two days earlier, Yorktown finished sixth with a 316 total at its own Patriots Invitational at the 1757 Golf Club in Ashburn. Riverside B won with 305. In that tournament, Newfield shot 69 to finish second individually, Newell was 19th with a 77, McAndrews shot 80, Austin Barbiri 90 and Kyle Langley 95.

At McLean High School’s George Pavlis Tournament the previous day at Hidden Creek Country Club in Reston, Yorktown shot 312 to place third. Riverside won with 287 and Independence was second with 299.

Newfield, who won a Class 6 state title as a freshman, and McAndrews each shot 71 to tie for fourth.Freeman had an 84, Nick Senkus 86 and Langley 87.

The Wakefield Warriors shot 342 to finish 16th at the Patriot Invitational. Tully Andrews shot 79 to lead Wakefield and Beckett Hampton 86.