The morning got off to a brisk start with overnight lows in the 30s in Durham, NC for the Blue Devil Junior Golf Classic. Eighty-seven (87) players from 16 states teed it up for the opening round of this 54 hole event.
Donnie Shin of Columbia, MD (2007) was the early leader on the board after a round of +2 74. Shin has two Top 5 finishes on the FCWT to date: he finished 1st at Back Creek and 4th at the Wake Forest Deacon earlier this month. Two other juniors were two shots back of Shin at 76: Matthew Neely from Ashland, VA, and Ramsay Quinn from Wilmington, NC.
Unfortunately for Shin his lead did not hold. Three players came in one stroke better than Shin at +1. Adam Long of St. Charles, MO, who has signed a National Letter of Intent to play for Duke will be one of the co-leaders entering round two. Adam's co-leaders after round one are Zachary Drescher of Landisville, PA (2007) and Hunter Howell of Raeford, NC (2007), both playing in their first FCWT event. Local player, Ward Minton of Raleigh, NC (2007), joined Shin at +2 74 and will start Saturday's round T4.
Thirteen year old Richard Werenski of South Hadley, MA, took the first round lead in the boys 13-15 division with a 4 over par 76. Werenski who finished 2nd in this event last season in the Boys 11-12 division is looking for his first win of the season. He leads Evan Beck of Virginia Beach, VA (2009), and Alex Lyall of Novi, MI (2008) by one stroke.
Twelve year old Noah Walker of Norwell, MA (2011) leads the boys 11-12 division. His opening round of 81 gives him a 5 shot lead going into round two on Saturday. Temperatures are expected to drop into the 20s tonight, making for a cold start in the morning. Temperatures are predicted to rebound into the mid-50s by tomorrow afternoon.
Friday's round of the Blue Devil Junior Golf Classic opened with crisp autumn temperatures and partly cloudy skies. Marisa Glew of Gibsonia, PA, took the first round lead with a 6 over par 78. The 16-year-old junior, playing in her first event of the season, was able to come in 3 strokes ahead of Elizabeth Alger of Tequesta, FL. Alger, who won this event last season, has recently returned to play after an injury kept her out for the second half of last season. Alger will start the second round 4 shots ahead of thirteen-year-old Christine Meier of Rochester Hills, MI (2010). In fourth place are FCWT newcomer, Louisa Shu of West Bloomfield, MI (2007), and Amy Meier of Rochester Hills, MI (2009), Christine's sister. Both girls carded rounds of 86 on Friday. |
