On a beautiful day in Vero Beach, 168 of Florida's top junior male golfers teed it up, hoping to sit at the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the 63rd Boys' Junior Amateur Championship. The 16-18 field was split between Bent Pine Golf Club and Orchid Island Golf Club while the 13-15 division played Bent Pine early this morning. With the sun out, humidity high, and a slight ocean breeze, players tackled the finer courses on Florida's East Coast. However, after the opening round of the championship, it was Alexander Vogelsong and Tyler Wilkes who stole the show.
It is a close race in the 16-18 division as 16 players finished the first round even or under par. However, it was Alexander Vogelsong who will sit on top of the leaderboard through the night. Vogelsong began his round steady at Orchid Island with three consecutive pars before carding his first birdie at the par-five fourth hole. Alexander then went on to par his next three holes before birdieing the eighth hole. Going out in two-under, he birdied the tenth and bogeyed both the 11th and 12th to drop to one-under par. Needing a strong finish to propel up the leaderboard, Vogelsong birdied the next four holes to get himself to five-under par. With two finishing pars, Alexander will be the overnight leader in the 16-18 division with a five-under par round of 67. Closely behind Vogelsong though is Jordan Sarhaddi who finished his round at Bent Pine Golf Club with a four-under par 68. Rounding out the top three is Peyton Billings who shot a two-under par round of 70 this morning at Bent Pine Golf Club.
In the 13-15 age division, it was Tyler Wilkes who came out the gate the strongest. Shooting a seven-under par, 65, Wilkes leads the 13-15 age division by four strokes. Starting off steady with five straight pars, Tyler made his first birdie on the sixth hole and never looked back. Birdieing the eighth and ninth holes, Wilkes went out with a three-under par, 33 to separate himself from the field early. Wilkes hot streak came on the 13th hole where he would birdie there and then continue his birdie streak for the next four holes. With a surprising bogey on the 531-yard, par five, 18th hole, Wilkes would drop to seven-under par and finish the opening round with a impressive 65. "I kept the ball in play which helped me hit it close on a lot of holes," Wilkes said. "Keeping the ball in play will help eliminate the big numbers and help me play better the next couple days." This is Tyler's second 65 in an FSGA event, but his lowest score relative to par.
Wilkes will move to Orchid Island tomorrow where he will tee off in hopes of staying at the top of the leaderboard. Like Wilkes, those participants that played Bent Pine Golf Club today will move to play Orchid Island tomorrow morning for the second round of the Boys' Junior Amateur Championship. While those playing Orchid Island today will come to Bent Pine tomorrow morning for their second round. Following the opening 36 holes, there will be a cut to low 50 and ties in the 16-18 age division and low 20 and ties in the 13-15 division. The final round of the Boys' Junior Amateur Championship will be played at Bent Pine Golf Club.
Tee times for the second round will begin, once again, at 7:30 A.M. off of both the first and tenth tees. Spectators and media are encouraged to attend and live scoring will be available after each nine holes.
