On another sweltering summer day in Osprey, the top junior girl golfers in Florida got ready to battle it out on the golf course. Playing the opposite course as they did yesterday, the girls put on a show for spectators. In the 13-15 division, it is Katie Yoo who made a charge yesterday to the top of the leaderboard and backed up her stellar performance again today. However, two rounds into the Girls' Junior Amateur Championship, there is still a tie at the top in the 16-18 division. After consistent rounds today, sharing the lead in the 16-18 division is Alyssa Lamoureux and Jenny Kim.
Lamoureux, the defending Champion, started her day outside the top spot, but by the end, she had moved her way up. Alyssa's day began with a bogey at the first, but quickly she made up for it with a birdie at the third. After struggling on the 352-yard par 4 fourth hole, she regained control of her round with birdies on the fifth and ninth hole to go out in an even-par, 36. Not stopping there, Lamoureux birdied the short par four 10th to get herself back to even par for the championship. Coming down the stretch, Alyssa played steady golf with eight straight pars to shoot a one-under par, 71.
The round one leader, Jenny Kim, started off strong with a birdie on the par-five fifth hole before giving the birdie back on hole 6. Making the turn at even-par, Jenny made two bogeys coming down the stretch. Needing a birdie on one of her last two holes to remain tied for the lead, Jenny made a stellar birdie on the par-five 17th hole to get back to even par for the championship. Kim finished her second round shooting a one-over par 73 to stay in a tie for first, but this time with Alyssa Lamoureux.
Two players, Sarah Noonan and Sarah May, sit closely behind Kim and Lamoureux at two-over par. Noonan, with three birdies and just one bogey, shot one of the low rounds of the day, while Sarah May had four birdies in five holes but carded a double and two bogeys to finish the round with an even-par 72.
With a prestigious title on the line, Lamoureux and Kim will battle it out tomorrow at the Oaks Club, whereas Noonan and May will attempt to have a comeback victory.
In the 13-15 age division, Katie Yoo, once again, put on a clinic by shooting her second consecutive three-under par round of 69. Comfortably sitting with a two shot lead over Latanna Stone, Yoo is the only player in the field, in either divisions, to shoot both rounds in the sixties. Yoo began her round on the Heron Course today with a birdie then followed it up with another birdie on the 158 par-three fourth hole. After dropping a shot on the sixth hole, Yoo parred until the 12th when she made her third birdie of the day to get to five-under par for the championship. Wanting more, Yoo birdied the 13th hole and backed up her second bogey of the tournament on the 16th hole with a birdie on the 17th hole. Yoo went on to par the final hole to shoot a three-under par round of 69, good enough to give her a two-stroke lead over Latanna Stone heading into the final round.
Latanna Stone joins Yoo as she also shot a three-under par round of 69 this morning. Starting off with a birdie at the first, Latanna would go on to make nine straight pars before birdieing the 11th and 12th holes to get to four-under for the tournament. Adding another birdie on the long par-five 15th hole, Latanna would get to within one of Yoo. However, with a bogey at the last, Latanna would finish the second round with a three-under par round of 69 and a two-day total of four-under par. Yoo and Stone are the only two players in the 13-15 division to shoot consecutive rounds under par this week.
The final round of the Girls' Junior Amateur Championship will begin tomorrow morning with tee times, once again, beginning at 8 A.M. off the first and tenth tees. Live Scoring will be available for those on FSGA.org.
The Girls' Junior Amateur Championship is a prestigious event with names such as Cristi Kerr and In-Bee-Park etched into the trophies, and tomorrow, two more names will be added and two champions will be crowned.
