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MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
St. Charles Country Club\u2019s Camryn Thomas took the lead after Round 2 of the Junior Championships at Pine Ridge on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Now, 92 competitive holes over a 72-hour span later, the finish line is finally in sight. And the race is on to see who crosses it first and captures a championship.<\/p>\n
Thomas, 16, will take a two-shot lead over fellow 16-year-old Lafleche into Thursday\u2019s final round of the girls\u2019 Junior at Pine Ridge.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels really great. This has been my goal the entire year, to be able to do this,\u201d Thomas told the Free Press on Wednesday. The St. Charles player sits at 14-over par after rounds of 76-82, with Lafleche \u2014 who plays out of Niakwa \u2014 still very much in the hunt after posting back-to-back 80s.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I just limited my mistakes. I was keeping my bad holes to just bogeys, and maybe one or two doubles. So that was a big thing. Also just keeping the ball in play off the tee was huge,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Two other players conceivably still have a chance in the field of 16. Glendale\u2019s Payton Chapman is six shots back of Thomas after rounds of 82-82, while 13-year-old Angelina Sitarz of Elmhurst \u2014 the co-leader with Thomas after the first round \u2014 is now eight shots back after going 76-90.<\/p>\n
Is fatigue starting to play a factor for the front-runners?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m definitely a bit tired, but my body is still feeling pretty good. I\u2019ve got a lot of energy and momentum to hopefully carry on and do well in the final round,\u201d said Thomas.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith all the golf we\u2019ve been playing, I\u2019ve just been trying to avoid some mental mistakes and taking an extra second to think through stuff so that when my brain is tired I can still hit a good shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Reigning girls\u2019 Junior champion Addison Kartusch won the women\u2019s Amateur in runaway fashion, while Lafleche\u2019s sister, Jeri, took second spot. Lafleche then took the two-hole playoff over Thomas and and Clara Peake of Minnedosa, who had all tied for third.<\/p>\n
Naturally, Thomas was disappointed to just miss out on making the squad that will head to the Canadian Women\u2019s Amateur Championship, which will be held in Toronto from July 21-24. But a Junior title would be quite the way to cap a busy week.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Niakwa\u2019s Jewel Lafleche is only two shots off the pace going into the final round of the Junior Championships Thursday at Pine Ridge. <\/p>\n \u201cJust staying in my shoes and taking everything one shot at a time so I can be really focused and not get too lost in the pressure,\u201d Thomas said of her mindset heading into Thursday.<\/p>\n \u201cMy swing is feeling good, and hopefully a few more putts can drop.\u201d<\/p>\n It helps to have good friend Lafleche keeping her on her toes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have very similar strengths and weaknesses. I think we push each other well,\u201d said Thomas.<\/p>\n As for Lafleche, she\u2019s hoping to bring some of her back-nine magic to the front on Thursday. She\u2019s a combined 15-over on the front this week at Pine Ridge and just one-over on the back.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, I think just having a bad start, I get kind of angry and want to come back. That motivates me. Hopefully (Thursday) I can start like that,\u201d Lafleche said of the unusual splits.<\/p>\n Finding time to rest and recharge has been key this week \u2014 but the light at the end of the tunnel and the chance to do something special provides a second (or third? fourth?) wind at this point.<\/p>\n \u201cOne more day left,\u201d said Lafleche.<\/p>\n Over on the boys\u2019 side, there\u2019s a major traffic jam atop the leaderboard heading into Thursday\u2019s final round.<\/p>\n Gavin Carver of St. Charles fired the low round of the tournament on Wednesday \u2014 a three-under 69 \u2014 to go with his opening-round 75 and climb back to even par. That earned him a share of the lead with Brady Comaskey, the 17-year-old Pine Ridge product who is no doubt comfortable on his home course after rounds of 73 and 71.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKAELA MACKENZIE \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n Golfers Hudson Hunnie (from left), Hunter Oakden and Adam Blair are all in the top of the field heading into the final round of the Junior Championships Thursday at Pine Ridge.<\/p>\n Carver caught fire on the back nine, carding a remarkable six-under 29 despite closing with a bogey on the 18th hole. The 17-year-old \u2014 who also plays hockey out of St. Paul\u2019s \u2014 made birdies on Nos. 11, 14, 15, 16 and 17, while adding an eagle on No. 12.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tThe Warm-Up<\/p>\n Winnipeg Jets Game Days<\/p>\n On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for The Warm-Up<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t \u201cIt was great. Obviously had kind of a rough start on the front nine. It was a phenomenal back nine,\u201d said Carver.<\/p>\n Brandon\u2019s Hunter Oakden (72-73) sits just one shot back and will join Carver and Comaskey in the final grouping on Thursday.<\/p>\n First-round leader Adam Blair, who opened with a two-under 70, saw his two-shot advantage quickly disappear as he played his first 13 holes in six over par on Wednesday. Blair steadied himself down the stretch with a birdie and four pars to salvage a 77, leaving the Elmhurst golfer three shots behind the co-leaders.<\/p>\n Rossmere\u2019s Hudson Hunnie (73-74) is tied with Blair, while Ryder St. Laurent of Niakwa (73-75) is lurking just four shots off the lead.<\/p>\n winnipegfreepress.com\/mikemcintyre<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Mike McIntyre Mike McIntyre is a sports reporter whose primary role is covering the Winnipeg Jets. After graduating from the Creative Communications program at Red River College in 1995, he spent two years gaining experience at the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 1997, where he served on the crime and justice beat until 2016. Read more about Mike<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Mike produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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