After shooting a 69 to take a five-stroke lead in the Bob Riley Junior, Edric Wung made a strange decision: He withdrew to play in the Virginia Junior Stroke Play.

In local junior ranks, where tournaments from various organizations often overlap, it’s not unusual to see players pull out of tournaments. But rarely does it happen when a player is in the lead. Wung has never won a Washington Metropolitan Golf Association event.

“I have never seen anything like that happen in my 25 years of doing this,” said Randy Reed of the WMGA, tournament director for the Riley.

Wung, a junior at Langley, was an alternate for the Junior Stroke Play before a spot came open on Monday. When his parents received a call, offering him a slot at Laurel Hill (Lorton), they were unaware that he had entered the Riley and couldn’t reach him because his round was underway at Belle Haven. They signed him up, putting him in a difficult spot.

“I didn’t mean any disrespect. It was a tough decision,” Wung said. “I didn’t want to say no to the VSGA after committing. I picked the lesser of two evils. I don’t regret anything.”

The only regret he might have is his performance in the Stroke Play where he shot 77-73-74 — 224 to tie for 22nd.

Kdunleavy@washingtonexaminer.com