Eastern Amateur: Charlie Hanson races out of the gates to take the round one lead

Virginia Tech’s Charlie Hanson wasted no time making his presence felt at the 66th Eastern Amateur, shooting a 30 on the back nine at the Elizabeth Manor Golf and Country Club in Portsmouth, Va. Hanson started on hole No. 10 and birdied three of his first six holes to set the pace.

He followed up the 30 on the back nine with a 31 on the front nine to end his round with a bogey-free 9-under 61. Hanson made nine birdies.

Hanson was the medalist at the 2023 Virginia Amateur.

Hanson has played the Eastern Amateur the past two years, finishing inside the top 10 both times. Hanson’s putt was rolling hot all day and his round was highlighted by birdie putts outside of 30 feet on No. 6, 9, and 14.

Radford’s Bryce Corbett, East Carolina’s Ethan Hall, and Nicholls St. golfer Ryan O’Neill are 4 shots back at 5-under. Patrick Gareiss from Chesapeake and Radford University is another shot back at 4-under.

Evan Beck is the two-time defending champion of the Eastern Amateur, but he is not in the field to defend his title this week.